Chelating agents for metal intoxication
G Crisponi1, V M Nurchi, M Crespo-Alonso
1Dipartimento di Scienze Chimiche, Cittadella Universitaria, 09042 Monserrato-Cagliari, Italy. crisponi@unica.it
Abstract:
In this paper we took into examination the use of chelation therapy for treating metal intoxication in humans. We divided this paper in four main parts: before all the principal causes of toxicity are exposed; second the chemical requirements (thermodynamic and kinetic), the interactions with the endogenous molecules and the target organs, as well as the biomedical restraints; as a third step the classes of chelators in use along with the specific treatments allowed are treated and as a final step the principal toxic metal ions are presented. Based on the presented material some conclusion are drawn on the state of art of metal chelation, and the basis are given for a rationale development of metal chelation, founded on chemical, biological and medical considerations.
Related Concept Videos
Complexation Equilibria: The Chelate Effect
Extraction: Advanced Methods
Metal-Ligand Bonds
In these complexes, transition metals form coordinate covalent bonds, a kind of Lewis acid-base interaction in which both of the electrons in the bond are contributed by a donor (Lewis base) to an electron acceptor (Lewis acid). The Lewis acid in...
Masking and Demasking Agents
There are many masking agents, such as cyanide, fluoride, triethanolamine, thiourea, and 2,3-bis(sulfanyl)propan-1-ol (formerly 2,3-dimercapto-1-propanol), with the masking agent chosen based on the metal...
EDTA: Chemistry and Properties
Antidotes
Specific antidotes operate by inhibiting the enzymes that control biochemical pathways, reducing the production of harmful metabolites.
An example of an antidote is atropine, which counteracts the detrimental effects of cholinesterase inhibitors. It achieves this by deactivating muscarinic receptors,...


