TOXICOLOGICAL STUDIES OF A NEW MERCURIAL DIURETIC: MERCUMATILIN (CUMERTILIN)

¹ Research Laboratories of Endo Products, Inc., Richmond Hill, New York

1. Toxicological studies have been made of a new, highly stable, mercurial diuretic: 8-(2'-methoxy,3'-hydroxymercuripropyl)-coumarin-3-carboxylic acidtheophylline, or mercumatilin (Cumertilin). This compound differs notably from the currently available mercurial diuretics in that the mercurated propyl group is attached directly to a ring carbon atom and has no amide linkage.

2. The acute toxicity of Cumertilin was determined intravenously in mice, rats, and rabbits; intramuscularly in rats and rabbits; subcutaneously in mice; and orally in rats. In side-by-side comparative tests for acute intramuscular toxicity in rats, acute subcutaneous toxicity in mice, and chronic intramuscular toxicity in rabbits, the toxicity of Cumertilin was found to be approximately the same as that of meralluride, and the same as or less than that of mersalyl-theophylline.

3. Upon subcutaneous injection into shaved mice, the local irritation produced by Cumertilin was approximately the same as that from meralluride and mersalyl-theophylline, and distinctly less than that from mercurophylline.