title: Toxicological assessment of azarcon, a lead salt used as a folk remedy in Mexico. I. Oral toxicity in rats.
abstract: Azarcon, a lead tetroxide salt, is used among Mexican and Mexican-American populations for the treatment of digestive illness. Chemical analysis of the azarcon sample used in this study showed it to be 96% lead, 1% calcium, 1% other minor metals, and 2% unidentified material. Taking into account the fact that Pb absorption was estimated at 2% following a single oral administration of 100 mg/kg (Aungst et al., 1981), it is possible to propose a chemical interaction between the components of azarcon, and as a result, the toxicity of Pb tetroxide would be different when given as azarcon than when given as a pure compound. The present work studied this possibility, with the following results. When the treatments of equal doses of pure Pb tetroxide and azarcon were compared (158 mg/kg/day p.o. for 96 h), five of nine tissues studied had similar Pb concentrations. However, with the pure compound the Pb levels were higher in bone and intestines; while with azarcon the Pb levels were higher in heart and brain. The pure Pb tetroxide treatment affects lipid peroxidation only in liver, but a low induction of peroxidation was found also in kidney and heart in rats which received the azarcon treatment. Liver and kidney damage were evident in rats treated with a high dose of azarcon (1.1 g/kg/day p.o. for 96 h), while the effects with the pure compound were similar in type but lower in magnitude. Pb tetroxide as a pure compound inhibits ALA-D by 26% while an inhibition of 42% was found with azarcon.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Toxicología Ambiental, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Autónoma de San Luis Potosí Mexico.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Yáñez
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Batres
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Carrizales
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Santoyo
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Escalante
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Díaz-Barriga
mesh_terms: D000284:Administration, Oral; D000818:Animals; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D007668:Kidney / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D007854:Lead / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000633:toxicity*; D015227:Lipid Peroxidation; D008099:Liver / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008519:Medicine, Traditional; D008800:Mexico; D000623:Porphobilinogen Synthase / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D014018:Tissue Distribution
chemical_list: D007854:Lead; C028356:lead tetroxide; D000623:Porphobilinogen Synthase