found this in the Article's Forum (posted by xcelbeyond)
DNP and Cataracts
MDGADPC has kindly sent me a photocopy from the French journal Annales des Oculistes, concerning the effects of DNP on the eyes. Since this paper may be of some general interest, I have translated it and attach it below.
For those who may be unaware, DNP or dinitrophenol is a toxic compound which was used for weight loss in the 1930’s. It was withdrawn from the market as a result of severe side effects, including deaths, but recently it has been suggested that it could have a role in the contest preparation of elite bodybuilders.
One point to consider in the text below is that cataracts may develop 6 to 12 months after the DNP treatment is completed.
Note: the intake of DNP was chronic and continuous.
Citation: Sedan, Jean. 1939. A propos de deux cas de cataracte par phenols dinitres. Annales d’Oculistes. 176:191.
Translation Copyright 1996 by Robert Ames. All rights reserved. Concerning Two Cases of Cataract Caused by Dinitrophenol By Jean Sedan (Marseille)
The implementation of the treatment for obesity by dinitrophenol dates only from 1933, the year when it was suddenly and rapidly put in the limelight by the work of the Americans Tainter, Mehrtens and Cutting.
These authors have established that the ingestion of dinitrophenol accelerates metabolism, causing a marked elevation in temperature. It seemed that dinitrophenol was a specially effective treatment for obesity. In 1936, Horner estimated that in the first 15 months following the appearance of the medication in the market, one hundred thousand persons used it to lose weight.
Note: 100,000 people used it.
Incidents and accidents multiplied and appeared sufficiently serious that the American Medical Association warned the public against the dangers of unsupervised treatment.
Here we discuss only the case of cataracts, which Horner had said that it occurs in one case in 1000 treatments. At the end of this report we will note the principle bibliographic references concerning the American literature devoted to the subject and which is of a great value, but we wish to emphasize how the European work and especially French are on the other hand still
rare and even exceptional.
One can say that it is by the work of Onfray and Gilbert Dreyfus presented to the Congress of the S.F.O. [Societe Francaisedes Oculistes?] in 1937 that French opthamologists had their attention drawn to the subject. This remarkably precise work is enriched by two observations of which one is due to Doctor A. Gallois, of Besancon. We frequently reference this, for it contains in addition to minutely observed details, important physio?pathogenic considerations and a complete history of the subject.
Apart from this work, we should also to point out the observations of Van de Hoeve and Polak?Daniels published in Hollandin 1936, as well as the French summaries and reviews of Halbron on cataracts and of Laignel?Lavastine on dinitrophenol intoxication.
Finally, we emphasize the interest of the work of Vogt on the cataracts caused by dinitrophenol in Switzerland and of G.Ciotola of those caused by alpha dinitrophenol in Italy, both published in 1937. The same year, Stein and Crevecoeur pointed out that in their opinion this affectation was, when all is said and done, quite rare if one thinks of the enormous dissemination of
dinitro treatment. This was also the opinion of Andre Mayer, based on the fact that despite the considerable number of intoxications by dintrophenol observed in munitions factories, no cases of cataracts have been noted.
Note: Because they were not intoxicated with it continuously.
Finally, in 1938, Carlotti and Rivoire de Nice presented a case of cataract by dintrophenyl?lysidine which developed "with almost lightning?like rapidity."
It was possible for us to observe two very demonstrative cases. In one there was an arrest of development of opacity after the patient stopped taking dinitrophenol, which is more than a rarity, a real exception in the pathological history of dinitrophenol cataracts.
OBSERVATION I.—Mme. K... Lea, 32 years old presented herself to me in December 1937 with a marked lowering of the vision of both eyes, which began a few weeks earlier, developing extremely fast and was all the more disturbing since she works at a very visual profession in the editing of a newspaper and as she is especially partial to this pleasant and remunerative
position. I noticed a beginning of bilateral cataract appearing striated and fleecy which is found almost constantly in the description of toxic lens opacities of this kind. The opacity is situated mainly at the level of the equator of the lens, but also involves the posterior part of the central mass. The vision is only 4/10 in the right and 5/10 in the left, these two acuities correctable to 7/10 O.D.G. ?? 2.50.
Mme K... thus learned that she was rapidly becoming myopic.
The most minute research were done in view of identifying a possible cause of this bilateral cataract. All the blood and urine tests were negative. Very complete clinical examinations by Doctor P..., referring physician, point to the same conclusion that it is impossible to relieve Mmme. K...’s pathological process at all.
It is then that I thought of asking her about the possibility of a dinitrophenol anti?obesity treatment, even though the corpulence of my client did not seem excessive. She told me then of having taken two pills each day of 0.30 grams of dinitrophenol in series of ten days with a rest of 15 days, for the past year and a half.
Note: That is a long time!
She had, without the least dietary restriction, lost 19 kilograms out of 87 [42 pounds out of 191]. It was at that point that she began complaining about her vision.
Note: She lost a lot of weight, too!
I wasn’t aware of the topic at that time except by the short summaries of American works, but I didn’t hesitate to warn her against what I considered to be the real origin of her sickness. Very anxious about her state, she was easily convinced and stopped that therapy suddenly and definitively.
I had the opportunity to see her in March, July and October 1938 and I noticed with great interest the complete arrest in the development of these cataracts, which accompanied in very precise fashion the progressive and total disappearance of myopia to the extent that although it was possible to note an appreciable modification in the lens opacities, the visual acuity was spontaneously returned to 7/10 (uncorrected) at the end of October 1938.
We add that Mme. K..., doubly happy, very far from regaining weight in spite of the renunciation of dinitrophenol, had lost another 5 kilos by a very strict nutritional discipline complemented with rigorous gymnastic practices and the introduction into her life of a new intoxification, certainly less dangerous than the preceeding—tea.
In this case, the role played by the toxin in the opacification of the lens seems to us demonstrated in an almost experimental fashion by the disappearance of the myopia at the moment of the cessation of the intoxification and even more by the incontestable and enduring stabilization of the state of opacities that maintained itself for six months. In contrast, the development was very sudden in a month before the application of this measure. It is presumed that only the precocity of the requested medical consultation and of the medical diagnostic given, has permitted a stop in the development of this toxic cataract—a completely unusual phenomenon.
We emphasize that the treatment had included plainly excessive doses and that however the opacification only appeared late in the treatment. On this topic remember that in the discussion which followed the expose made to the S.F.O. in 1937 by MM.Onfray and Gilbert Dreyfus?Arruga, who had occasion to observe and operate in America [illegible] ... don’t generally appear except at the end of many months and even sometimes six to twelve months after the cessation of treatment. These late?developing cataracts are almost always bilateral.
OBSERVATION II.
[Not included. Summary: A 32 year old woman weighing 90 kg. (198 pounds) began taking dinitrophenol on February 1st,
1937. She began with 9 to 10 pills daily, each being 30 mg. of DNP. After a week she increased the dose to 12 pills / day
(360 mg.). At this dosage she lost 800 grams per week, or 10 kg. (22 pounds) in three months, without changing her diet. She
stopped taking DNP for four months and then began again. So she took 32.4 grams of DNP in the first 90 days and the same
amount in the second course. American reports indicated that cataracts had resulted from doses as small as 100 mg. per day
for a total of 40 grams.
On June 10th 1938, after several days in a very sunny seaside resort, the patient began to lose vision in her left eye, and on July 12th, the other eye was affected. By August 1st she was unable to see to drive. By September she was blind. Fortunately, surgery produced favorable results.]
It is necessary, indeed, to publicize cases in order to attract the attention of physicians and of the French public to the danger of intoxification by dinitrophenol. The fact that we have been able to stabilize, if not make regress one cataract of this class by stopping all toxic ingestion is but another reason which compels us to make it known.
These arguments and our observations are so needed to challenge the imagination and influence young women against harmful weight loss techniques that the work appears discouraging.
Indeed, in ending, we repeat the unlikely remark that our second patient made to us upon taking leave following the success of her first operation: "And now, Doctor, do not oppose my taking of dinitrophenol since I no longer risk having cataracts."
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