Toxicology and Applied Pharmacology

Toxicology of Metals

The significance of metals at the sites of the human activities is the contributing factor for metal toxicity. The common toxic mechanisms and sites of action, include Enzyme Inhibition/Activation, Subcellular Organelles, Carcinogenicity, Kidney, Nervous System, Endocrine and Reproductive Effects, Respiratory System, Metal-Binding Proteins. The treatment of metal poisoning is accomplished by using chelating agents or antagonists. The first clinically used chelating agent was British antilewisite (BAL [2,3-dimercaptopropanol])