Treatment of Mercury and Lead Poisonings with Dimercaptosuccinic Acid (DMSA) instead of
Sodium Dimercaptopropanesulfonate (DMPS)

REFERENCE: Jan Aaseth, Dag Jacobsen, Ole Andersen, Elsa Wickstrom. Analyst 1995 Mar; Vol 120, page 853ff.
     Presented at the fifth Nordic Symposium on Trace Elements in Human Health and Disease, Loen, Norway, June 19-20, 1994.

SUMMARY
The organic mercury species with greatest toxicity are methylmercury compounds, which have a high affinity for the brain and nervous system. DMSA is shown to cross the blood brain barrier and remove mercury from that organ. DMPS is much less effective.  DMPS is also 3 times more toxic than DMSA, based on LD-50.  Animal studies show DMSA to be almost 3 times more effective than DMPS in removing brain mercury, as tabulated below.  DMSA has the added advantage that it is taken by mouth in capsule form. DMPS is often given by injection with high potential for toxicity.

STUDY OF MERCURY TOXIC MICE:

Brain mercury before treatment averaged 2.3 nmol/g

Brain mercury after DMPS treatment = 1.6 nmol.g

Brain mercury after DMSA treatment = 0.6 nmol/g

Author's conclusion: "DMSA may now be considered as the treatment of first choice in cases of acute or subacute lead poisoning and in methylmercury poisoning. . . All experimental and clinical experiences show a low toxicity for this drug."

 

NOTE: Treatment should first be to detect and eliminate toxic exposure. Because mercury is eliminated so rapidly from the body with no treatment other than avoidance. the use of DMSA or chelation therapy is rarely indicated.  EDTA chelation does not effectively remove methyl mercury from the body.

DMSA is available on prescription as an FDA approved drug at most pharmacies under the brand name of Chemet(r), and generic name "succimer."

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