Citation

Buylaert W, Calle P, De Paepe P, Verstraete A, Samyn N, Vogelaers D, Vandenbulcke M, Belpaire F. Hum. Exp. Toxicol. 1996; 15(8): 607-611.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1996, SAGE Publishing)

DOI

10.1177/096032719601500801

PMID

8863052

Abstract

1. We report on a patient who was resuscitated after a suicide attempt with the veterinary euthanasia product T-61 and treated with N-acetylcysteine (NAC) to prevent hepatotoxicity from N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF), the solvent of T-61. 2. Serum concentrations of DMF were high as compared with values published on occupational exposure. 3. The patient showed only a transient increase in liver enzymes with eventually a full recovery. 4. The hepatoprotective effect of NAC was studied in a rat model using the rise in serum sorbitol dehydrogenase (SDH) as a marker for DMF-induced hepatotoxicity. 5. Four series of randomized, controlled and double-blind experiments were carried out and consistently showed a lower increase in SDH in NAC-treated animals in each series. The difference was statistically significant only when the data of the 4 series were pooled. This is probably due to the large interindividual variations in the effect of DMF. 6. We hypothesize that in the rat NAC may have a protective effect. Whether NAC is also protective in patients, in which it is administered after exposure to DMF, cannot be concluded from the present experiments.

Language: en

Keywords

Acetylcysteine; Adult; Amides; Animals; Chemical and Drug Induced Liver Injury; Dimethylformamide; Drug Combinations; Free Radical Scavengers; Humans; L-Iditol 2-Dehydrogenase; Liver Diseases; Male; Quaternary Ammonium Compounds; Rats; Rats, Wistar; Suicide, Attempted; Tetracaine