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Title: Tissue decorporation of polonium-210 in rats by DMPA

Journal Article · · Res. Commun. Chem. Pathol. Pharmacol.; (United States)
OSTI ID:5478617

Polonium-210 exposures, although rare, have occurred due to accidents in nuclear working environments. This alpha emitting radioactive element can bind thiols and thiol-containing proteins in vivo. Since thiol-containing chelating agents compete with many thiols for heavy metals, a number of these chelating agents have been investigated as protective agents against the lethal effects of /sup 210/Po and as tissue decorporating agents for it. Rats given /sup 210/Po (40 microCi/kg) ip had a median survival time (mst) of 39 days. The mst was increased to 106 days when N-(2,3-dimercaptopropyl)phthalamidic acid (DMPA), meso-dimercaptosuccinic acid (DMSA) or the Na salt of 2,3-dimercapto-1-propanesulfonic acid (DMPS) was administered sc (p less than .002). Decorporation studies were performed by giving rats /sup 210/Po (0.4 microCi) sc, followed by a series of thiol injections beginning one hour later. After 21 days, kidney levels of /sup 210/Po in rats given DMPA were only 28% of those of the untreated controls and significantly lower than those receiving DMSA, DMPS, N-acetyl-L-cysteine, or WR2721. After DMPA treatment, the /sup 210/Po levels of the spleen were 25% of the saline-treated control. DMPA appears to be a new and consistent decorporating agent for polonium-210.

Research Organization:
Univ. of Arizona, Tucson
OSTI ID:
5478617
Journal Information:
Res. Commun. Chem. Pathol. Pharmacol.; (United States), Vol. 58:2
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English