Effect of subacute intoxication with some heavy metals on hexobarbital sleep and metabolism.

In experiments on albino rats it is found that cobaltous dichloride, cadmium nitrate, nickel sulphate, copper sulphate and lead acetate, applied subcutaneously for 7 days, potentiate hexobarbital anaesthesia, while mercury dichloride and iron dichloride have no effect on it. A higher hexobarbital content is found in the blood serum of rats, treated with cobaltous dichloride, cadmium nitrate, nickel sulphate, copper sulphate and lead acetate, compared with the control animals. Treatment for 7 days with cobalt dichloride, cadmium nitrate, copper sulphate and nickel sulphate inhibits the activity of the liver microsomal hexobarbital-oxidizing enzyme system. The prolonged hexobarbital sleep in rats subjected to subacute intoxication with cobalt, cadmium, nickel, copper and lead is probably due to a considerable extent to the inhibition of the hexobarbital metabolism by these metals.