Induced Accumulation of Citrate in Therapy of Experimental Lead Poisoning.

Abstract

The concept of interference in a metabolic cycle as a means of modifying metal toxicity has been tested. The accumulation of citric acid in certain soft tissues of the rat has been induced by administration of small, non-lethal doses of sodium fluoroacetate. This has been found to give partial protection to rats acutely poisoned with lead nitrate. Of rats given the LD90 of lead nitrate, 53% survived when treated with sodium fluoroacetate. The LD50 of lead nitrate was increased from 58.2 mg/kg (as Pb) in saline controls to 67.7 mg/kg in fluoroacetate-treated rats.