Effect of Various Substances On Survival Times of Mice Exposed to Different High Oxygen Tensions

¹ From the Department of Physiology, The University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, New York

Mice were exposed to various pressures of oxygen up to 10 atm. Survival times decreased abruptly between 0.7 and 1 atm. of oxygen, and reached a minimum value of 19 minutes at 10 atm. Cysteamine, reduced glutathione and thiourea had a detrimental effect at 1 or 1.5 atm. but protected mice at 6 atm. of oxygen. Cystamine and oxidized glutathione did not protect at 1 atm. but gave protection at 6 atm. of oxygen. AET (ß-aminoethylisothiuronium) gave no protection at 1 or 10 atm. but increased the survival time of mice exposed to 2 and 2.5 atm. Cobalt increased the survival time of mice exposed to 1 atm. and either exerted no influence or had a slight detrimental effect at higher oxygen pressures. Ca EDTA (calcium salt of ethylenediamintetraacetic acid) did not change the survival time of mice exposed to 6 atm. of oxygen. DEDTC (diethyldithiocarbamic acid sodium salt) increased the survival time of mice in 6 atm. of oxygen. Trihydroxyphenone antioxidants showed some protective effect against oxygen toxicity in mice exposed to 6 atm. of oxygen. The results are not inconsistent with the notion of a possible common mechanism between oxygen poisoning and x-irradiation. The action of any given agent was found to depend upon the oxygen pressure used.