Mechanism of Toxicity

MECHANISM OF TOXICITY

  • The exact mechanism is not known. Disturbance in sodium and water balance is considered to be the reason for toxicity.
  • Sodium ions cause a mild irritation, diarrhoea and dehydration.
  • Hypertonicity, hypernatraemia, shrinkage of kidney tubules, deposition of sodium crystals in the tubules, anuria, ureamia etc. add to the toxicity.
  • Shrinkage of capillary vascular endothelial cells in the brain meninges causes stimulation of capillary permeability and this leads to escape of water from blood to interstitial spaces and development of brain or cerebral oedema and hypoxia.
  • Death from salt poisoning appears to be due to severe upset in the tissue water balance, resulting in the inability of kidneys and the intestinal tract to remove excess water from the blood stream, coupled with the effects due to excess sodium ions.
  • Breakdown in the blood brain barrier has also been suggested as a mechanism for toxicity.
Last modified: Sunday, 27 November 2011, 4:27 PM