ABSTRACT

Metabolic acidosis is the most serious complication of methanol intoxication, which needs urgent treatment. The aim of this study was to investigate effects of “Trometamol; Tris-hydroxymethylaminomethane” (THAM) and “Sodium Bicarbonate” (NaHCO₃) treatments on mortality and survival time in rats with metabolic acidosis induced by intragastric-administered methanol.

In 21 rats, a cannula was inserted in the right common carotid artery; the esophagus of each rat was penetrated with a branul. Baseline arterial blood gas samples were taken, and a 6 g/kg dose of methanol was injected into the cannula in the esophagus. The rats with confirmed acidosis were separated into three groups as “THAM,” “NaHCO₃,” and “control” for the treatments. The control group received no medication, and the THAM and NaHCO₃ groups were administered corresponding treatments intravenously.

A statistically significant difference was determined between the survival times of the THAM and NaHCO₃ groups (p=0.036) and the THAM and control groups (p=0.002).

The results of this study support the use of THAM, which is a biological, low-toxicity, inert amino alcohol, instead of NaHCO₃ in the treatment of metabolic acidosis induced by intragastric methanol intoxication.

Keywords: Metabolic acidosis, methanol, Tris-hydroxymethylaminomethane, sodium bicarbonate, rat