OBJECTIVESTesticular toxicities of antimony compounds were evaluated in rats and mice. The slightly water-soluble antimony compound antimony trioxide (ATO) and the highly water-soluble antimony compound antimony potassium tartrate (APT) were examined.

METHODSDaily doses of the compounds were 27.4, 12.0 and 1,200 mg/kg body weight in the APT group, low-ATO group and high-ATO group, respectively. The corresponding daily doses of antimony were 10, 10 and 1,000 mg/kg body weight, in the APT group, low-ATO group and high-ATO group, respectively. Both compounds were administered by gavage: rats, 3 days per week for 4 weeks; mice, 5 days per week for 4 weeks.

RESULTSNeither compound reduced the weights of reproductive organs or accessory sex organs nor affected sperm parameters. Few marked histopathologic changes were found in the testes of the treated animals. Even at 1,200 mg/kg body weight, which is greater than the LD(50) of APT, ATO produced no effects.

CONCLUSIONSIn this study, it was found that ATO and APT are not toxic to testes in rodents.

Seventy patients with liver cirrhosis hospitalized into our clinic were divided into a compensatory group and a decompensatory group according to three clinical findings, ascites, hepatic encephalopathy and bleeding from gastrointestinal tract. It was suggested that five items of biochemical data for liver function were very important on discriminating these two grops. The five items were cholinesterase, indocyanine green test, albumin, prothrombin time and hematocrit.
We have tried to devise a new staging system for liver cirrhosis by scoring method using the five items. According to the total score calculated from scoring method, clinical stages were divided into four such as stage I, stage II, stage III, and stage IV. It was suggested that cases of stage III had to be treated very carefully.
Liver and spleen volume of patients with liver cirrhosis were calculated by computed tomography. It was suggested that liver volume/spleen volume ratio was very important on discriminating these two groups.