Effects of hyperbaric oxygenation on survival time of aluminum phosphide intoxicated rats

BACKGROUND: Aluminium phosphide (AlP) is used as a fumigant. It produces phosphine gas which is a mitochondrial poison. Although this poisoning has been repeatedly reported in literature with a high mortality rate, there is no known antidote for AlP intoxication. In the present study, we studied the effects of hyperbaric oxygenation (HBO) on the survival time of AlP intoxicated rats. METHODS: Intoxicated rats with AlP (11.5 mg/kg, oral gavage) were placed in hyperbaric oxygenation with different concentrations of compressed air and oxygen. RESULTS: All the animals exposed to AlP died within 5 days. The mean survival times of rats exposed to AlP without any intervention, treated with hyperbaric condition by compressed air, and treated with hyperbaric condition by pure O2 were 91 ± 1, 262 ± 8, and 276 ± 6 minutes, respectively. In analysis of survival times, there was a significant difference between Group 2 which received AlP and the groups which underwent intervention (Groups 2 and 3, p < 0.001; Groups 2 and 4, p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Hyperbaric oxygenation may probably improve the survival time of the intoxicated rats with aluminium phosphide, but it may not decrease the mortality rate.