Distribution of [3H]-D-penicillamine in mouse kidney. An autoradiographic study.

3H-labeled D-penicillamine has been injected in mice in order to study by autoradiography its distribution in the kidney. The results show heavy accumulation of the drug in the epithelial cells of the proximal tubules of the kidney, whereas glomeruli and distal tubules do not show any significant accumulation. This peculiar tropism of penicillamine to proximal tubules is entirely consistent with the Heymann's nephritis model suggested by Bacon as a pathogenetic model for penicillamine-induced nephropathy.