Mercapton

Mercapton Uses, Dosage, Side Effects, Food Interaction and all others data.

Mercapton is a traditional chelating agent developed by British biochemists at Oxford University during World War II. It was developed as an experimental antidote against the arsenic-based poison gas Lewisite. It has been used clinically since 1949 in arsenic, cadmium and mercury poisoning. In addition, it has in the past been used for the treatment of Wilson's disease, a genetic disorder in which the body tends to retain copper. Mercapton has toxic potential, and its use may be followed by a variety of adverse effects.

Due to its oily nature, dimercaprol is not absorbed orally and its administration requires a deep intra-muscular injection that is extremely painful and allergenic. It was found to mobilize and relocate lead to the brain, increasing its neurotoxic effects. Despite that fact that dimercaprol increases cadmium excretion, there is an associated increase in kidney cadmium concentration. Because of this, dimercaprol must be avoided in patients with cadmium toxicity.

Mercapton
Uses
Dosage
Side Effect
Precautions
Interactions
Uses during Pregnancy
Uses during Breastfeeding
Accute Overdose
Food Interaction
Half Life
Volume of Distribution
Clearance
Interaction With other Medicine
Contradiction
Storage

Trade Name	Mercapton
Availability	Prescription only
Generic	Dimercaprol
Dimercaprol Other Names	1,2-dithioglycerol, 2,3-dimercaptopropanol, 2,3-dithiopropanol, 2,3-Mercaptopropanol, British anti-lewisite, British antilewisite, Dimercaprol, Dimercaprolum, Dimercaptopropanol, Dithioglycerine, Dithioglycerol, Sulfactin
Related Drugs	BAL In Oil
Type
Formula	C₃H₈OS₂
Weight	Average: 124.225 Monoisotopic: 124.001656258
Groups	Approved
Therapeutic Class
Manufacturer
Available Country	Hungary
Last Updated:	September 19, 2023 at 7:00 am

Uses

Mercapton is a chelating agent used as an antidote to arsenic, gold, and mercury poisoning, as well as acute lead poisoning in combination with edetate calcium disodium.

For the treatment of arsenic, gold and mercury poisoning. Indicated in acute lead poisoning when used concomitantly with edetate calcium disodium (DB00974).

Mercapton is also used to associated treatment for these conditions: Arsenic Poisoning, Poisoning, Lead, Acute Mercury poisoning, Gold poisoning

How Mercapton works

The sulfhydryl groups of dimercaprol form complexes with certain heavy metals thus preventing or reversing the metallic binding of sulfhydryl-containing enzymes. The complex is excreted in the urine.

Toxicity

The intramuscular LD50 in rats is approximately 105 mg/kg; intraperitoneally 140 mg/kg. The intraperitoneal LD80 in mice is approximately 125 mg/kg. Mercapton has been shown in animal experiments to increase brain deposition of arsenite, organic mercury compounds and increase the toxicity of cadmium and lead. Mercapton has been shown to induce seizure in animal studies and also is nephrotoxic.

Food Interaction

No interactions found.

Mercapton Hypertension interaction

[Moderate] Dose-related increase in systolic and diastolic blood pressure, with or without accompanying tachycardia, is the most frequently reported adverse effect of dimercaprol therapy.

Blood pressure may rise 15 to 30 minutes following injection and usually returns to normal within 2 hours.

Therapy with dimercaprol should be administered cautiously in patients with hypertension.

Clinical monitoring of blood pressure is recommended.

Mercapton multivitamins interaction

[Major] ADJUST DOSING INTERVAL: Mercapton can form a nephrotoxic chelate with certain metals such as cadmium, iron, and selenium.

Preparations containing iron or selenium salts should not be administered during chelation therapy with dimercaprol and for at least 24 hours after the last dose of dimercaprol.