ABSTRACT
The therapeutic efficacy of chelating agents CaNa3DTPA (calcium trisodium diethylene triamine penta acetic acid) and Tiron (sodium-4,5-dihydroxy-1,3-benzene disulphonate) with and without antioxidant, alpha-Tocopherol was evaluated in the treatment of beryllium-induced toxicity in female albino rats. The animals were exposed to beryllium (as beryllium nitrate) at a dose of 1 mg/kg (ip) once a day for 28 consecutive days followed by chelation therapy by CaNa3DTPA (0.1 mM/kg, ip) and Tiron (471 mg/kg, ip) with and without alpha-Tocopherol (25 mg/kg, orally) for 5 consecutive days after toxicant administration. Tissue biochemistry revealed severe alterations in liver and kidney. A significant fall in total protein and glycogen contents, alkaline phosphatase, adenosine tri-phosphatase and succinic dehydrogenase level was noticed. On the contrary, an elevation in acid phosphatase was recorded. The significant rise in hepatic lipid peroxidation and decreased level of hepatic reduced glutathione showed toxicity due to beryllium. CaNa3DTPA with alpha-Tocopherol showed moderate therapeutic efficacy while Tiron in combination with alpha-Tocopherol exerted statistically more beneficial effects to reverse biochemical alterations in different variables altered due to beryllium intoxication.