A survey is given of the use of chelating agents in the treatment of metal poisonings.
1 The complexing agents in established clinical use are the polyaminopolycarboxylic acid EDTA (ethylenediamine tetraacetate) and the thiols BAL (2, 3-dimercaptopropanol) and D-penicillamine. Desferrioxamine is useful in the treatment of iron overloading.
2 The theoretical foundation of the metal-ligand interaction and some general principles of value in the search for new metal antidotes are outlined.
3 Recent research has shown that 2, 3-dimercaptosuccinic acid (DMS) and 2, 3-dimercaptopropane-1-sulphonate (DMPS) are effective in mercury and arsenic poisonings.
4 DMS and DMPS are of significantly lower toxicity than BAL, and they can be administered orally or intravenously.
5 A particularly low toxicity of DMS is reported from clinical and experimental studies, and this agent may be useful against several metal poisonings including mercury, lead and gold.
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