Treatment with 3,4,3-LIHOPO of simulated wounds contaminated with plutonium and americium in rat.

The effect of a siderophore analogue 3,4,3-LIHOPO has been investigated in rat after intramuscular injection of 238Pu, 239Pu and 241Am simulating puncture wounds. Various treatment regimens were used to remove the radioactivity from its injection site and to reduce its retention in body tissues. The local deposits could be reduced to 9% of that in untreated controls by a single local injection of 30 mumol kg-1 3,4,3-LIHOPO administered 1 day after the actinides. Tissue retention of radioactivity was most effectively reduced (to 3% of controls) by continuous subcutaneous infusion of 3,4,3-LIHOPO (3 mumol kg-1 day-1), starting immediately after the injection of actinides and continuing for 2 weeks. The administration of 3,4,3-LIHOPO in drinking water was least effective. Treatment efficacy was substantially higher with 238Pu than with an equal activity of 239Pu (the 238Pu mass, however, was almost 300 times lower than that of 239Pu). Accordingly, the biokinetics and removal of 241Am changed when it was injected with 239Pu instead of 238Pu. Continuous infusion of 3,4,3-LIHOPO (3 mumol kg-1 day-1), starting 4 and 30 days after intramuscular injection of 238Pu and 241Am reduced their femoral retention after 1 month to 20 and 60% of controls respectively; whole-body retention of 241Am was reduced to 20 and 70% of controls respectively.