ABSTRACT
Because metals persist in the body, a major therapeutic objective in poisoning is the administration of drugs that enhance their excretion. This is done with the aid of chelating agents (1), which take up and firmly bind metallic ions (2,3). Chelation is a common chemical reaction that takes place in a large number of compounds. Among the familiar and important endogenous chelating agents are vitamin Bu (for cobalt), hemoglobin (for iron), chlorophyll (for magnesium), and cytochrome oxidase (for iron and copper).
