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 Pu-238, Pu-239 and Am-241 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 mu mol 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 mu mol 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 Pu-238 than with an equal activity of Pu-239 (the Pu-239 mass, however, was almost 300 times lower than that of Pu-239). Accordingly, the biokinetics and removal of Am-241 changed when it was injected with Pu-239 instead of Pu-238. Continuous infusion of 3,4,3-LIHOPO (3 mu mol kg(-1) day(-1)), starting 4 and 30 days after intramuscular injection of Pu-238 and Am-241 reduced their femoral retention after 1 month to 20 and 60% of controls respectively; whole-body retention of Am-241 was reduced to 20 and 70% of controls respectively.