Elsevier

Biochemical Pharmacology

Volume 28, Issue 5, 1 March 1979, Pages 645-649
Biochemical Pharmacology

Lack of a role for formaldehyde in methanol poisoning in the monkey

https://doi.org/10.1016/0006-2952(79)90149-7Get rights and content

Abstract

Methanol was administered either to untreated cynomolgus monkeys or to a folate-deficient cynomolgus monkey which exhibits exceptional sensitivity to the toxic effects of methanol. Marked formic acid accumulation in the blood and in body fluids and tissues was observed. No formaldehyde accumulation was observed in the blood and no formaldehyde was detected in the urine, cerebrospinal fluid, vitreous humor, liver, kidney, optic nerve, and brain in these monkeys at a time when marked metabolic acidosis and other characteristics of methanol poisoning were observed. Following intravenous infusion into the monkey, formaldehyde was rapidly eliminated from the blood with a half-life of about 1.5 min and formic acid levels promptly increased in the blood. Since formic acid accumulation accounted for the metabolic acidosis and since ocular toxicity essentially identical to that produced in methanol poisoning has been described after formate treatment, the predominant role of formic acid as the major metabolic agent for methanol toxicity is certified. Also, results suggest that formaldehyde is not a major factor in the toxic syndrome produced by methanol in the monkey.

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