Experimental data on the prevention of retrolental fibroplasia by D-penicillamine

Superoxide dismutase activity of alveolar macrophages, lung, liver, retina and choroid has been studied in rats and rabbits exposed to oxygen at high concentration by itself and in combination with D-penicillamine. Prolonged hyperoxia caused an increase in superoxide dismutase activity while D-penicillamine was found to inhibit the inductive effect of oxygen. It is assumed that the antioxidative effect of D-penicillamine makes it unnecessary to augment the production of superoxide dismutase.