EXPERIMENTAL STUDIES OF THE USE OF DTPA AND OTHER AGENTS TO LIMIT THE SYSTEMIC BURDEN OF PLUTONIUM AFTER WOUND CONTAMINATION

Wound contamination with plutonium was simulated in rats and hamsters by intramuscular injection of plutonium nitrate. Groups of four animals were treated with calcium diethylenetriaminepentacetate (DTPA) and other agents shortly after the plutonium administration. The results obtained with DTPA alone and a combination of DTPA and citrate were consistent with published data, confirming that: Local injection of DTPA is more effective than intravenous injection, both in clearing plutonium from the contaminated tissue and in limiting accumulation in other tissues. A mixture of DTPA and citrate, injected locally, acts synergistically in removing plutonium from the contaminated tissue and increasing its excretion. It was further shown that: The action of a mixture of DTPA and citrate can be enhanced by addition of nicotinohydroxamic acid (NHA), a vasodilating agent. The combination of NHA, DTPA, and citrate reduced the accumulation of plutonium in regional lymph nodes as well as in the liver and skeleton. The movement of plutonium from the contaminated tissue to lymph nodes, liver and skeleton can be restricted by local injection of either Bufexamac, and antiinflammatory agent, or calcium acexamate, a wound-healing agent.