Antimony: “Vomiting Stone”

    The daily requirement for the human body is not established, with an average daily intake of about 50 µg.

    Antimony enters the human body through food and selectively concentrates in the thyroid gland, liver, spleen, skeleton, kidneys, blood (to a greater extent – in erythrocytes), and other organs and tissues. In erythrocytes, antimony accumulates mainly in the oxidation state +3, while in plasma it is in the oxidation state +5.

    The maximum allowable concentration of antimony in the human body is 10^–5–10^–7 g per 100 g of dry tissue mass. At high concentrations, this element inactivates a number of enzymes involved in lipid, carbohydrate, and protein metabolism (possibly due to the blocking of sulfhydryl groups). Antimony is excreted from the body quite slowly, primarily through urine (up to 80%).

    Biological role in the human body. It is known that antimony forms bonds with sulfur atoms (for example, it reacts with sulfhydryl (thiol) groups of enzymes), which accounts for its high toxicity.

    Synergists and antagonists of antimony. The interaction of antimony with other chemical elements is not sufficiently studied.

    Signs of antimony deficiency: data on the clinical manifestations of antimony deficiency are absent in the literature.

    Increased antimony content. When taking antimony preparations orally in toxic doses, acute or chronic poisoning may develop.
    Rubbing antimony ointment into the skin is accompanied by a burning sensation, the appearance of hyperemia, and subsequently – pustular rash.

    The biogeochemical antimony province is located in Uzbekistan (the province of the Zeravshan River).

    The overall action of antimony preparations is similar to that of arsenic. However, antimony has a more pronounced local effect, causing severe reflex vomiting and sometimes serious anatomical lesions of the gastrointestinal tract; but antimony preparations are more difficult to absorb, which is why poisoning occurs more slowly. With prolonged use of small doses of antimony preparations, marked fatty degeneration develops alongside cirrhosis of parenchymal organs, especially the liver and kidneys.

    Main manifestations of antimony excess: loss of appetite, inflammation of the mucous membranes of the pharynx and larynx, dryness in the throat, nausea, vomiting, intestinal pain, enlargement and tenderness of the liver, jaundice of the sclera; prolonged cough.

    Antimony is necessary: antimony oxide (III) served in ancient Greece for the treatment of skin diseases, and in the Middle Ages it was used as therapy for leprosy, syphilis, and heart diseases. However, significant toxicity limited the use of antimony preparations for medical purposes. For a long time, such antimony compounds as pentasulfide antimony, tartaric antimony potassium (“emetic stone”), and tartaric antimony sodium salts were used only as expectorants and emetics. To induce vomiting, patients were given wine aged in an antimony vessel.

     In the early 20th century, antimony compounds were used as expectorants and antiparasitic agents.

    In modern medicine, antimony preparations (solyusurmin and others) are successfully used for the treatment of certain infectious diseases in humans and animals. In particular, they are used in the treatment of visceral and cutaneous leishmaniasis, African trypanosomiasis (= sleeping sickness), as well as in blood coagulation studies.

    Food sources of antimony: seafood, vegetables, fruits, juices, beverages.
    The maximum allowable content of antimony in vegetables and fruits is 0.3 mg/kg, in milk and beverages – 0.05 mg/kg, in seafood – 0.5 mg/kg.