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Infestation of sheep by L. cuprina larvae produces extensive skin wounds, severe dermatitis, hyperammonaemia and stress with adrenal necrosis and haemmorhage. In infested sheep, intramuscular (im) injections of Dl-Alpha tocopherol induced wool shedding and Desferrioxamine im prevented declines in white blood cells (WBC). In further trials, daily im injections of sodium ascorbate with Dl-alpha tocopherol, desferrioxamine and oral butylated-hydroxyanisole prevented adrenal damage and induced adrenocortical hypertrophy of the zona fasciculata. The treatment boosted the levels of mature and juvenile neutrophils, and blood glucose. Increases in toxic ammonia levels were correlated with increased toxic and band neutrophils, and globulin levels in treated sheep and toxic neutrophils in non-treated sheep. Decreases in serum zinc were correlated with declining lymphocytes and globulin levels. The results suggested that antioxidants protect and enhance adrenal activation in hyperammonaemic toxaemia. The changes in WBC, globulins and glucose were consistent with protected adrenocortical activation.

Carcinogenicity of nickel arsenides (NiAs, Ni11As8, Ni5As2, NiAsS), nickel antimonide (NiSb), and nickel telluride (NiTe) was tested by IM administration to male Fischer rats (14 mg Ni/rat). Three negative control groups received similar IM injections of glycerol vehicle, ferronickel alloy (NiFe), or nickel titanate (NiTiO3); two positive control groups received nickel oxide (NiO) or ferronickel sulfide (Ni4FeS4) at equivalent dosages (14 mg Ni/rat). Within 2 years, the incidences of sarcomas at the injection site were: 0/20 (0%) in NiAs-treated rats, 8/16 (50%) in Ni11As8-treated rats; 17/20 (85%) in Ni5As2-treated rats; 14/16 (85%) in NiAsS-treated rats; 17/29 (59%) in NiSb-treated rats; and 14/26 (54%) in NiTe-treated rats. No local sarcomas occurred in the negative control groups, including 40 glycerol-treated rats, 16 NiFe-treated rats, and 20 NiTiO3-treated rats; in the positive control groups, local sarcomas occurred in 14/15 (93%) of NiO-treated rats and 15/15 (100%) of Ni4FeS4-treated rats. The 99 sarcomas that were induced by the various nickel compounds included 67 rhabdomyosarcomas, 11 fibrosarcomas, 15 osteosarcomas, 1 fibrous histiocytic sarcoma, and 5 undifferentiated sarcomas; metastases were found in 57 sarcoma-bearing rats. This study demonstrates that Ni11As8, Ni5As2, NiAsS, NiSb, and NiTe are carcinogenic for rats. Since Ni11As8, Ni5As2, and NiAsS are likely to be formed during oil shale retorting, environmental contamination by nickel arsenides in spent shale products could conceivably pose a carcinogenic hazard if large-scale production of petroleum from oil share is established.