Abstract
To find out suitable test methods for early diagonosis of methyl iodide poisoning, animals injected with various amounts of the poison were examined biochemically and pharmacologically, and the following results were obtained. Acethylcholine liberation at neuromuscular junctions of cervical muscle decreased and showed the minimum at 48 hours after the administration of the poison. The changes of the amount of ATP, lactic acid, ammonia, glutamine. creatine phosphate and inorganic phosphate in the brain were most considerable at 48 hours after the administration. On the other hand, though it has been reported that monohalogenated methanes acted mainly on the nervous system as observed also in this paper, considerable changes in the blood as well as those in the nervous system appeared, that is, the increase of total lipid and total cholesterol, which caused the turbidity of serum, and changes of the serum protein contents were remarkable in poisoned animals. These changes in the blood appeared in parallel with those in the nervous system. Therefore, methyl iodide poisoning in men may be found out in the early stage by examining the blood.
