Experimental data on the prevention of retrolental fibroplasia by D-penicillamine.

Superoxide dismutase activity of alveolar macrophages, lung, liver, retina and choroid has been studied in rats and rabbits exposed to oxygen at high concentration by itself and in combination with D-penicillamine. Prolonged hyperoxia caused an increase in superoxide dismutase activity while D-penicillamine was found to inhibit the inductive effect of oxygen. It is assumed that the antioxidative effect of D-penicillamine makes it unnecessary to augment the production of superoxide dismutase.