Biochemical Changes Following Poisoning of Rats by Alphanaphthylthiourea

The intraperitoneal injection of 10 mg per kg of ANTU into rats caused a marked rise in blood sugar from an average value of 68 mg % and 173 mg % in 2.5 hours. Liver glycogen values fell from a normal of 1.13% to 0.019%. ANTU-poisoned animals were unable to deposit liver glycogen. While these experiments demonstrate a disturbance in carbohydrate metabolism, they do not prove that death from ANTU is due to these changes. In rats large doses of cysteine (1000 mg per kg) afforded protection from death against 10 mg per kg of ANTU. The relation between lung damage and impairment of glycolysis and/or respiration is under investigation.