EFFECTS OF DITHIOCARBAMATES AND CADMIUM ON THE ENZYMATIC-ACTIVITIES IN LIVER, KIDNEY AND BLOOD OF MICE

The effects of N-benzyl-D-glucamine dithiocarbamate (BGD), diethyldithiocarbamate (DDTC), and N-p-hydroxymethylbenzyl-D-glucamine dithiocarbamate (HBGD) on the enzymatic activities in mice were studied. The mice were given i.v. injections of these chelating agents (1 mmol/kg) and 3 h later the activities of aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), gamma-glutamyltranspeptidase (gamma-GTP), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), leucine aminopeptidase (LAP), and cholinesterase (ChE) in the liver, kidney, and blood were determined. These enzymatic activities were little changed by treatment with these chelating agents. Cadmium (Cd) administration markedly decreased the activities of AST and ALT in the liver and kidney and greatly increased these enzymatic activities in blood. The changes in the enzymatic activities by treatment with Cd were prevented by injection of BGD (1 mmol/kg). These results indicate that BGD, DDTC, and HBGD were not toxic to the liver or kidney of mice and that BGD treatment protected against the acute hepatic and renal toxicity induced by Cd.