Accelerated elimination of thallium in the rat due to subchronic treatment with furosemide

✍ Scribed by W. Lameijer; P. A. Zwieten

• Publisher: Springer-Verlag
• Year: 1978
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 548 KB
• Volume: 40
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0340-5761
• DOI: 10.1007/bf00353275

✦ Synopsis

In connection with a programme of investigations concerning the disposition of thallium in the rat and the influence of diuretic agents on the rate of elimination of thallium from the body, T12SO4 (48.9 emol = 10 mg/kg) was given by mouth to conscious rats. Blood levels were studied as a function of time. They could not be described adequately by means of a classical Bateman function. The maximum blood level was achieved approximately 1 h following oral ingestion.

Treatment with furosemide for 11 days (30 mg/kg twice daily) significantly accelerated the removal of thallium from the body with the urine. Approximately 35% of the administered thallium was excreted within one week following the injection of this diuretic agent. The excretion of sodium and water was also considerably enhanced, that of potassium hardly changed. Thallium itself displayed weak diuretic activity. Upon prolonged treatment (1-2 weeks) with furosemide the elimination of thallium, water and Na + was still accelerated, although that of potassium proved diminished with respect to controls. Ethacrynic acid when administered repeatedly in appropriate doses caused retroperitoneal fibrosis. Therefore, this potent diuretic agent was not included in the investigations.

Acetazolamide (30 mg/kg) also enhanced the excretion of thallium, especially within the initial 24 h of treatment. The effect was less pronounced than that of furosemide and rapidly exhausted.

The results suggest that furosemide in a high dose is effective in accelerating thallium elimination from the body in the present animal model. Acetazolamide is probably not suitable for this purpose.