EDTA as chelating agent of lead in rabbits

A 75 percent sublethal lead dosage of 202.5 mg/kg body weight was administered intravenously to male rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) for two weeks. Another experimental group also treated with 202.5 mg/kg. of lead was subsequently administered intravenously with 12.5 mg/kg EDTA. This was done to determine whether its mobilization of accumulated lead in tissues would cause a significant decrease of lead level in the organs.Analysis by atomic absorption spectrophotometry showed lead accumulated at its highest concentration in the liver (2.93 ug/g), then in the kidney (2.03 ug/g) and lastly in the lungs (0.919 ug/g). The treated lead group which were subsequently administered with EDTA showed a decrease of lead level in the liver (1.09 ug/g), in the kidney (1.44 ug/g) and lungs (0.240 ug/g). However, the difference of lead concentration in all organs between the lead + EDTA injected rabbits and lead injected rabbits was not significant