From observations in the Republic of Argentina it is concluded that the regular intake of drinking water containing more than 0.1 ppm of arsenic leads to clearly recognizable signs of intoxication and ultimately in some cases to skin cancer.

Phenylmercury absorbed through the skin from contaminated diapers affected urinary excretion in infants in Buenos Aires. The effects were reversible and quantitatively related to the concentration of urinary mercury. Excretion of gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase, an enzyme in the brush borders of renal tubular cells, increased in a dose-dependent manner when mercury excretion exceeded a "threshold" value. Urine volume also increased but at a higher threshold with respect to mercury. The results support the threshold concept of the systemic toxicity of metals. gamma-Glutamyl transpeptidase is a useful and sensitive marker for preclinical effects of toxic metals.

No abstract

Sodium salicylate poisoning increased glucose-induced insulin secretion by slices of rat pancreas. The alpha adrenergic blocker phentolamine, but not salicylate poisoning, overcame the inhibitory effect of epinephrine on insulin secretion. Theophylline (5, 10 and 15 mM) significantly increased the insulin secretion induced by 11 mM glucose. The highest insulin response was obtained when theophylline was used at a 10 mM concentration. However, when pancreas slices from salicylate poisoned rats were used, a 5 mM concentration was sufficient to achieve maximal insulin response. Salicylate poisoning diminished the free tubulin pool, an action that was impaired by imidazole; however, imidazole did not modify the effect of the ionophore A23187. The results suggest that: a) sodium salicylate poisoning increases B-cell response to glucose; b) changes in alpha adrenergic activity are not related to the mechanism of action of salicylate; c) an increment in the cAMP concentration may mediate the stimulatory effect of salicylate poisoning on insulin secretion; d) the effect of salicylate on the microtubular system is indirect and probably mediated through an increment in pancreatic cAMP.

The hypoglycemic salicylate action has been related to an increased insulin secretion (Micossi, Pontiroli, Baron, Tamayo, Lengel, Bevilacqua, Raggi, Norbiato and Foa 1978). In this report we describe the effects of salicylate on the dynamics of glucose-induced insulin secretion, in the isolated perfused rat pancreas. Material and MethodsMale Wistar rats, weighing 200-300 g, were used, and in all cases were fasted overnight prior to each perfusion. Sodium salicylate 50 mg/100 g of body weight was injected subcutaneously, 90 min.