Protective effects of 2,3-dimercaptopropane-1-sulfonate on mercuric chloride-induced acute inhibition of enzymes from rat duodenal mucosa and kidney cortex.

Acute inhibitory effects of mercuric chloride on the activities of several enzymes from rat duodenal mucosa and kidney cortex and the protection provided by 2,3-dimercaptopropane-1-sulfonate (DMPS) were examined. Activities of carbonic anhydrase in homogenate, brush border and cytosol and of Mg(2+)-dependent, HCO3-stimulated ATPase in homogenate and brush border of duodenal mucosa and kidney cortex and activities of kidney microsomal Mg(2+)-dependent, Na(+)-K(+)-stimulated ATPase were all decreased following administration of HgCl2 (1-3 mg Hg/kg body weight s.c. once daily for 3 days). Decreases occurred generally in a dose-dependent manner and went back to near normal or normal levels by the combined administration of 20 and 30 mg DMPS/kg per day for 3 days. The concentration of serum urea nitrogen was increased about 8 times by the administration of 2 mg Hg/kg and restored to normal by the concomitant administration of 30 mg DMPS/kg. After the administration of 2 mg Hg/kg per day for 3 days, about half of the renal cortical proximal tubuli were necrotic. Administration of 30 mg DMPS/kg restored these changes to almost normal. The results suggest that DMPS is useful in mitigating acute Hg poisoning and that part of the protective effect of DMPS on enzyme damage induced by Hg poisoning may be due to its chelating action.