Racemic-2,3-dimercaptosuccinic acid for inorganic mercury mobilization in rats

The efficiency of racemic-2,3-dimercaptosuccinic acid (rac-DMSA) compared with meso-2,3-dimercaptosuccinic acid (meso-DMSA) in mobilizing inorganic mercury was evaluated in female rats. Chelators were administered orally at a dose of 0.5, 1.0 or 2.0 mmol kg-1 on four consecutive days, 5 days after a single intraperitoneal 203Hg injection (with 0.5 mg HgCl2 kg-1). Both chelators reduced 203Hg retention in whole body and kidney and at higher doses also in the liver. Racemic-DMSA was more efficient at lower dose levels and equal to meso-DMSA at the highest dose level. Kidney retention decreased after rac-DMSA to 27, 10 and 10% of controls and after meso-DMSA to 68, 39 and 10% of control values at the 0.5, 1.0 and 2.0 mmol kg-1 dose level, respectively. Since meso-DMSA is already approved for human use, its stereoisomeric form, rac-DMSA, deserves further attention for treatment of mercury poisoning.