British anti-lewisite

di·mer·cap·rol

(dī'mĕr-kap'rol),

A chelating agent, developed as an antidote for lewisite and other arsenical poisons. It acts by competing for the metal with the essential -SH groups in the pyruvate oxidase system of the cells and forms, with arsenic, a stable, relatively nontoxic cyclic compound, the metal having a greater affinity for it than for the -SH groups of the cell proteins; also used as an antidote for antimony, bismuth, chromium, mercury, gold, and nickel.

Synonym(s): antilewisite, British anti-Lewisite

British anti-lewisite

(ăn′tē-lo͞o′ĭ-sīt′, ăn′tī-)

n. Abbr. BAL

See dimercaprol.

A sulfhydryl compound developed in World War II as an antidote to vesicant arsenical war gases which may be used as a therapeutic chelator for arsenic, lead, mercury—inorganic mercury, but not alkylmercury or phenyl mercury—and other metal poisonings; it was formerly used for chelating copper in patients with Wilson’s disease

Brit·ish an·ti-Lew·is·ite

(BAL) (brit'ish an'tē-lū'is-īt)

A chelating agent used in heavy-metal poisoning and against the chemical-warfare agent Lewisite.