The Pharmacology of Radioprotectant Chemicals: General Pharmacology of β-Mercaptoethylamine

When 100 mg of beta -mercaptoethylamine is administered intravenously to the dog over a period of 5 min a characteristic set of reactions is produced. The most notable of these in the nonanesthetized dog are violent emesis, agitation frequently leading to tonic-clonic convulsions, ataxia and a characteristic swaying movement of the front portion of the body, generalized depression, loss of pain sense, severe hypotension, relative bradycardia, blood- tinged diarrhea, and a mixed stimulation and depression of respiration. Anesthesia prevents the emetic and convulsive components of the reaction but does not affect the cardiovascular changes. The agent produces a delayed, severe, prolonged hypotension. The possibility is discussed that the physiological changes produced by this agent may contribute to its radioprotective potential. 27 references. (auth)