Dimercaprol

Dimercaprol is a chelating drug used to treat poisoning by arsenic, mercury, gold, and certain other heavy metals. Its two thiol groups bind some metals and promote their elimination.

Chelation therapy: Treatment that uses chemical ligands to bind metals and help remove them from the body. Dimercaprol is a chelator that forms metal complexes cleared chiefly through urine.
Lead poisoning: Illness caused by excessive lead exposure and accumulation in the body. Dimercaprol is not generally used alone for lead poisoning because the complex may redistribute lead to the brain.
Succimer: The generic name for dimercaptosuccinic acid, an oral chelating drug used for selected metal poisonings. Succimer is less painful to administer and is preferred for many suitable cases.
Intramuscular injection: Administration of a substance by injection into a muscle. Dimercaprol is given by deep intramuscular injection because it is formulated in oil.
Thiol: An organic functional group containing a sulfur–hydrogen bond, written –SH. Dimercaprol’s two thiol groups coordinate metal ions.
Gold poisoning: Toxic effects caused by excessive exposure to gold compounds, including some medicinal gold salts. Dimercaprol has been used to treat toxicity from gold compounds.
Edetate calcium disodium: A chelating drug used mainly to treat lead poisoning. It is a principal chelator for lead, unlike dimercaprol’s narrower role.
Nephrotoxicity: Kidney injury caused by a drug, chemical, or other toxic exposure. Metal–dimercaprol complexes can be harmful to the kidneys, especially when renal function is impaired.
Metal–ligand complex: A chemical structure in which a metal atom or ion is bound to surrounding molecules or ions. Dimercaprol forms complexes with susceptible toxic metals.
Lewisite: A blistering chemical warfare agent containing arsenic that damages skin, eyes, and lungs. Dimercaprol was developed as an antidote to this arsenical agent.

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