Alteration of tissue disposition of cadmium by chelating agents

The effect of several chelating agents (diethyldithiocarbamic acid, DDC; nitrilotriacetic acid, NTA; 2,3-dimercaptopropanol, BAL; d,l-penicillamine, PEN; 2,3-dimercaptosuccinic acid, DMSA; ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid, EDTA; and diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid, DTPA) on the toxicity, distribution and excretion of cadmium (Cd) was determined in mice. When chelators were administered immediately after Cd, significant increases in survival were noted after treatment with DMSA, EDTA, and DTPA. DTPA, followed by EDTA and then DMSA, were consistently the most effective in decreasing the tissue concentrations of Cd and increasing the excretion of Cd. NTA, BAL, DDC and PEN had no beneficial effects. The effects of increasing the time interval between Cd administration and initiation of chelation therapy was determined by using a single administration of DTPA, EDTA, and DMSA. Mice treated immediately after Cd administration excreted approximately 50% of the administered dose of Cd compared to 0.2% in controls. Treatment with chelator at later times significantly increased Cd excretion but the magnitude of the effect was much less than that seen in mice treated immediately after Cd. To determine the role of MT in the acute decrease in chelator efficacy following Cd poisoning, rats were injected IV with Cd followed by DTPA at various times after Cd. Although DTPA reduced Cd content in the various organs when given immediately after Cd, the chelator was ineffective at all later times. Increases in hepatic and renal metallothionein (MT) did not occur until 2 hr after Cd, and did not coincide with the earlier drop in chelator efficacy. Blockade of MT synthesis by actinomycin D failed to eliminate this decreased DTPA effectiveness. Therefore, it appears that MT does not play an important role in the acute decrease in efficacy of chelation therapy for Cd poisoning. The effect of repeated daily administration of chelators on the distribution and excretion of Cd was studied by administering chelators daily for 5 days starting 48 hr after Cd. DTPA, EDTA, DMSA and BAL significantly increased the urinary elimination of Cd. Thus, mobilization of Cd into urine occurs with repeated chelation therapy, which may decrease tissue concentrations of Cd and reduce the toxicity of the metal.