Thiol antidote to inorganic mercury toxicity with an uncharacteristic mechanism.
alpha-Mercapto-beta-(2-furyl)acrylic acid (MFA) significantly reduced the lethality of mercuric chloride to rats (2.2 mg Hg/kg, ip) when administered (25 mg/kg, po) at 1, 24, 48, and 72 hr. Daily administration of MFA (25 mg/kg, po) significantly reduced the lethality of daily injection of increasing amounts of mercuric chloride (1 mg Hg/kg X 7 days, 2 mg Hg/kg X 7 days, 4 mg Hg/kg X 14 days, ip). Mercury concentration in kidneys of MFA-treated rats was significantly higher than in vehicle-treated controls, whereas concentration in liver was (nonsignificantly) lower. Enhanced mercury deposition in kidney as a manifestation of antidotal effect is not characteristic of thiol chelators used in practice for mercury poisoning.
D000179:Acrylates / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D000931:Antidotes / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D007668:Kidney / Q000378:metabolism; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008627:Mercuric Chloride; D008628:Mercury / Q000378:metabolism; D008630:Mercury Poisoning / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains
D000179:Acrylates; D000931:Antidotes; D008627:Mercuric Chloride; C015341:2-mercapto-3-furan-2-ylpropenoic acid; D008628:Mercury