Toxicity, DIVEMA derivatives

DIVEMA and some DIVEMA derivatives were synthesized and tested for toxicity and immunological behaviour. 

There are, however, many unsolved problems concerning toxicity, endocytic uptake and immunogenicity of DIVEMA. In order to learn more about the structure dependency of these properties, we sythesized some DIVEMA derivatives and investigated DIVEMA and the new derivatives with appropriate routine biological test systems. 

One disadvantage of DIVEMA is its relatively high toxicity which is mainly caused by high molecular weight fractions ( 7). In an attempt to lower the toxicity of DIVEMA, derivatives (3) and (4) were synthesized. 

None of the substances caused significant enzyme secretion by macrophages. Only the pyrrolidone derivative (3a) caused a slight increase of LDH with increasing dose of the polymer. This finding corresponds to the higher acute toxicity of (3b) as compared to unsubstituted DIVEMA derivative (1b). 

Table II. Acute toxicity of DIVEMA and some derivatives...

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