Abstract
It was elucidated that acetamide and monoacetin are the efficient protective agents. against fluoroacetate poisoning, and produced a decreased citrate level in liver and kidney in fluoroacetate-treated animals. Taking the degree of citrate accumulation in rat liver and kidney as criterion, the author investigated the principle of the protective actions of these drugs, and simultaneously attempted to see if it could be elucidated the sex difference in the liver citrate synthesis. The following results were thus obtained.
1. Both acetamide and monoacetin produced increased citrate concentration in kidney of female rat, particulary higher degree in the case of monoacetin. However, in male ratt the concentration of liver citrate was decreased whereas in the female was found unaltered.
2. The citrate levels of normal animals starved for 24 hours are tends to be slightly lower than rats on a normal diet. Though no difference was noted in the concentration of citrate in kidneys.
3. In the starved animals treated with fluoroacetate the citrate level in the liver was decreased, however, the sex difference was still observed and slightly higher value was found in females.
4. After administration of acetamide to starved animals, the concentration of kidney citrate was found increased compared with that of the normal fed controls, however, contrary results was obtained in the concentration of liver citrate.
5. The administration of acetamide to starved rat before the injection of fluoroactate inhibited the accumulation of kidney citrate. However, the protective effect of acetamide was not observed in starved rat liver.
6. By the administration of fluoroacetate to normal fed rats after injection of acetamide and monoacetin, the accumulation of kidney citrate was merkedly inhibited, although monoacetin was found to decrease the citrate content an even greater extent than acetamide. Further, as these both drugs counteracted the citrate accumulation in liver, monoacetin. seemes to be the stronger protective agent against fluoroacetate poisoning.
All these facts would indicate the inability of acetamide and monoacetin as acetyldonors in masking the sex difference in liver citrate synthesis.
