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Administration of benzene (i.p. 1.0 mL/kg body weight) for 3 consecutive days produced leucopenia and lymphocytopenia in female albino rats. In addition, the total iron content, lipid peroxidation and superoxide dismutase activity of the liver and bone marrow were significantly (P0.001) increased. Low molecular weight (LMW) bleomycin-detectable iron accumulated only in bone marrow. Prior administration of Protein A (PA), a multipotent immunostimulant and interferon inducer (60 micrograms/kg body weight, i.v. twice weekly for 2 weeks), ameliorated most of the adverse effects of benzene. PA restored the changes in hepatic histological architecture, reversed leucopenia and superoxide dismutase activity, lipid peroxidation, total iron content and LMW iron content of bone marrow were normalized. Isozymes of glutathione-S-transferase (alpha, pi, mu) which decreased following benzene exposure increased in PA pretreated benzene exposed rats. This study suggests that pretreatment with PA modulates the toxicity of benzene.

The chelating drugs namely ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid (EDTA), 1,2,cyclohexylenediamine tetraacetic acid (CDTA), hydroxyethylenediamine triacetic acid (HEDTA) diethylenetriamine pentaacetic acid (DTPA), and triethylenetetraamine hexaacetic acid (TTHA), were examined for the mobilization of nickel from body organs of sham operated and partially hepatectomized rats in early nickel poisoning. These chelating drugs successfully reduced the body burden of nickel from both the nickel treated experimental groups. EDTA was relatively more effective in reducing the hepatic content of nickel while CDTA and HEDTA were more effective in reducing its renal content. These drugs also reduced nickel burden in heart and lung to variable degrees. The over all efficacy of the chelating drugs are in the order: EDTA > CDTA > HEDTA > TTHA > DTPA

The effect of gamma-hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH), (25 mg/kg body weight, i.p., administered for 4 consecutive days) on the induction of types of cytochrome P-450 in rat liver microsomes was studied. Induced proteins were characterized by "Western" blot analysis, using anticytochrome P-450 antibodies. It was observed that HCH is a "mixed-type" inducer and mediates induction of cytochrome P-450 b/e forms by several fold and of cytochrome P-450 c and d forms by nearly three fold.

The LD50 of the following metal-binding chelating drugs, EDTA, diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (DTPA), hydroxyethylenediaminetriacetic acid (HEDTA), cyclohexanediaminotetraacetic acid (CDTA) and triethylenetetraminehexaacetic acid (TTHA) was evaluated in terms of mortality in rats after intraperitoneal administration and was found to be in the order: CDTA greater than EDTA greater than DTPA greater than TTHA greater than HEDTA. A possible correlation between the toxicity and molecular structure of the compounds is discussed.