Gjs. Flora et al., RECOVERY FROM LEAD-INDUCED BIOCHEMICAL AND IMMUNOLOGICAL ALTERATIONS FOLLOWING COMBINED TREATMENT WITH DMSA AND CALCIUM DISODIUM EDTA IN RATS, Environmental toxicology and pharmacology, 5(2), 1998, pp. 127-134
The therapeutic potential of meso 2,3-dimercaptosuccinic acid (DMSA) a
nd calcium disodium ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid (CaNa(2)EDTA) alo
ne or in combination in reducing levels of lead in blood and other sof
t organs and reversing lead induced biochemical and immunological alte
rations were investigated after chronic low level lead exposure. Lead
exposure produced a significant adverse effect on few selected haemato
poietic, nervous, testicular and immunological variables. Conventional
5-day treatment with both DMSA and CaNa(2)EDTA individually was, effe
ctive in inducing elimination of lead but the recovery of the altered
biochemical and clinical indices was moderate. When given in combinati
on for 5 days, (DMSA was administered orally twice daily before intrap
eritoneal CaNa(2)EDTA administration) they were more effective in depl
eting body lead burden and providing recoveries in the altered biochem
ical parameters. Along with the rapid removal of lead from body stores
after combined treatment, the immunological variables also recovered
spontaneously. However, the altered CNS disorders remained practically
unchanged following 5 days of chelation therapy. Lead induced testicu
lar alterations also showed some recoveries after combined treatment.
The results indicate that combined DMSA and CaNa(2)EDTA treatment coul
d, be more beneficial than individual treatment with any of these agen
ts. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.