Effect of some chelating agents on the biliary excretion of mercury. 1. Excretion kinetics and distribution of mercury in the organism.

Wistar strain female rats were used to study the impact of 1-cysteine,D,L-penicillamine, EDTA, sodium N,N-diethyldithiocarbamate, BAL, Unitiou, Spironolactone, Thiomestron and thiophenolacetate on excretion kinetics and distribution pattern of 203Hg injected intravenously in a dose of 120 microgram 203Hg2+ per rat. A considerably enhanced biliary excretion of mercury was observed after pretreatment with Spironolactone, Unitiol, BAL and Thiomestron. The action of these agents persisted for only 2--3 hours after mercury application. The highest urinary excretion of mercury was recorded after pretreatment with Unitol and BAL. All the tested agents, particularly thiophenolacetate, turned out to enhance mercury excretion through intestinal wall cells. Pretreatment with the tested agents caused also considerable changes in the pattern of mercury distribution in the rat organism.