Effectiveness of sodium sugar sulfates on acute toxicity of paraquat in mice.

The reduction of acute toxicity of paraquat dichloride (PQ) in mice was studied by several sodium sugar sulfates such as dextran sulfate (DS), cellulose sulfate (CS), chondroitin sulfate (CDS), sucrose sulfate (SS) and glucose sulfate (GS). When sugar sulfates (DS, CS, SS or GS, 2,000 mg/kg) were given orally immediately after PQ ingestion (200 mg/kg), the survival rates were 100% respectively on the 14th day after PQ ingestion. In the case of CDS, it was 73%. The effective dose of SS and GS given for the prevention of PQ toxicity in mice after PQ (200 mg/kg) ingestion was more than 400 mg/kg for SS-treated group and more than 800 mg/kg for GS-treated group. The survival rate of these mice was 100% respectively. When GS or SS (2,000 mg/kg) was given orally to mice within 1 h (0, 10, 20, 30 or 60 min) after PQ ingestion (200 mg/kg), the survival rates in an earlier treatment were greater than those in a later treatment. The measurement of serum PQ concentrations in mice suggested that a mechanism for the prevention of PQ toxicity by the administration of sugar sulfates may be inhibition of PQ absorption, and/or stimulation of PQ excretion from intestine. The effectiveness of SS and GS in preventing PQ toxicity was similar to that of DS. These results suggested that SS, GS and DS might serve as an antidote for acute toxicity of PQ.