Antimony Antiparasitic and Bismuth Antiulcer Drugs

Interestingly, all of the elements in group 15 in the periodic table (N, P, As, Sb and Bi) are directly or indirectly related to the maintenance of human life as either essential elements (e.g., N and P) or therapeutic/toxic elements (e.g.. As, Sb and Bi). Currently antimony compounds (e.g., sodium stibogluconate, Pentostam ) are used clinically for the treatment of leishmaniasis and bismuth compounds (e.g., bismuth subsalicylate (BSS), colloidal bismuth subcitrate (CBS) and ranitidine bismuth citrate (RBC)) are widely used for the treatment of ulcer and Helicobacter pylori infection [l-3c,10,132,133]. Recently, clinical 

Both Sb and Bi form stable complexes with the tripeptide glutathione (GSH) with a stoichiometry [Bi(GS)3 ] or [Sb(GS)3]. The rate of uptake of these metals into red blood cells and complexation with intracellular glutathione as determined by spin-echo H NMR, is rapid for Sb (minutes) and 

Bismuth and zinc are known to be potent inducers of renal metallothionein (MT) synthesis, and pretreatment with bismuth significantly reduces the renal and lethal toxicity of cisplatin without affecting its anticancer activity in human patients [146], The protection probably involves Bi induction of metallothionein synthesis. UV and NMR studies have shown that Bi° binds very strongly 

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