Blood and Urine Sulfhydryl and Disulfide Levels after Large Doses of Beta-Mercaptoethylamine (MEA) or Cystamine

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Abstract
Blood and urine levels of sulfhydryl and disulfide reactive materials were studied in dogs following large intravenous doses of beta-mercaptoethylamine or cystamine (100 mg/kg). When beta-mercaptoethylamine was administered, blood levels of SH materials was 18 mg per 100 ml of blood at 6 minutes from the beginning of a five minute injection period, then dropped to 9 mg per 100 ml at 50 minutes and returned to control levels in 4 to 5 hours. When cystamine was injected, SH reactive materials reached a peak concentration (12 mg/100 ml) at 26 minutes from the beginning of the injection and the blood disappearance curve was similar to that seen in the beta-mercaptoethylamine experiments. In both cases about 30% of the injected material was found in the urine in 4 to 5 hours. Thus the dog is capable of rapid transformation of cystamine to SH reactive materials, in vivo. While small doses of these radioprotectant compounds may be completely degraded before excretion larger doses may be excreted partly unchanged.