The LD
50 of rhomotoxin in mice was 0.522 mg/kg i.p. In dogs, its effective antihypertensive dose was 3.5µg/kg i.v. By 6 times the
above dose, arrhythmias and changes of T wave occurred in most dogs, however, all these changes would disappear promptly and
spontaneously. By 20 times the dose, death occurred in some dogs. By 30 times the dose, ventricular fibrillation occurred
which resulted in death of all the animals. Rhomotoxin in effective antihypertensive dose decreased the contractility of the
heart muscle slightly and temporarily, but it had no significant effect on respiration. Large dose (35 µg/kg) of rhomotoxin
seemed to have no remarkable influence upon the functions of the liver and kidney in rabbits, nor did it do any significant
damage to the heart, liver and kidney in pathological studies.
Key words rhomotoxin - a safe antihypertensive drug