Original scientific paper
The effect of D-penicillamine on experimental silicosis in rats
A. Anđelovski
; Institut za medicinu rada i radiološku zaštitu SR Srbije, Beograd
V. Višnjić
; Institut za medicinu rada i radiološku zaštitu SR Srbije, Beograd
B. Anđelovska
; Institut za medicinu rada i radiološku zaštitu SR Srbije, Beograd
S. Dodić
; Institut za medicinu rada i radiološku zaštitu SR Srbije, Beograd
A. Vidaković
; Institut za medicinu rada i radiološku zaštitu SR Srbije, Beograd
Abstract
The effect of D-penicillamine on silicosis was studied in 40 rats divided into four groups, ten in each group. Three groups received 50 mg of silicon dioxide intratracheally. The fourth group served as control. Among the exposed groups one was not treated with D-penicillamine and served as positive control. The rats in the second group were each given 10 mg D-penicilIamine (Metalcaptase »Pliva«) in drinking water every day. The third group was also treated with D-penicillamine and received about 5 mg per rat in drinking water every day. The rats were killed seven months after the first administration of penicillamine, i. e. after 15 months of SiO2 exposure. The rats were weighted at the beginning of the experiment and after 1, 3, 8 and 15 months. The lungs were also weighted. The lungs of rats in the third group weighted less, by 0.5 g, than those in the silicotic group. However, a histological analysis of the lungs and lymph nodes from the mediastinum showed some changes which proved that under the influence of D-penicillamine a regression i. e. decomposition of the collagen fibre took: place, especially in the group of rats which received a lower dose of penicillamine. On the basis of the histological analysis and the weight of the lungs we concluded that penicillamine in smaller doses causes decomposition of the collagen fibre.
Keywords
Hrčak ID:
162178
URI
Publication date:
13.9.1978.
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