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Title: Effects of prolonged daily low level mercuric chloride dosing in a horse

Journal Article · · Vet. Hum. Toxicol.; (United States)
OSTI ID:5774623

Relatively few of the signs hitherto accepted as being consistent with chronic inorganic mercury intoxication were exhibited by a horse exposed to 31.3 g inorganic mercury (dose rate 0.4 mg/kg) given as mercuric chloride over 23.5 weeks. Clinical features included poor appetite, weight loss, debility, dullness, transient diarrhea and polydipsia, with little impairment of functional renal capacity. Limited degenerative changes were seen in the renal tubules. Edema and a mild inflammatory infiltrate of predominantly the mucosa and submucosa caused marked thickening of the lower alimentary tract. An approximate mean plasma inorganic mercury concentration of 400 ng/ml was quickly reached and maintained. The kidneys had the highest tissue mercury content, almost 10 times greater than the liver and over 70 times that found in the intestinal mucosa and the dorsal root ganglia. 18 references, 6 figures.

Research Organization:
Univ. of Queensland, St. Lucia, Australia
OSTI ID:
5774623
Journal Information:
Vet. Hum. Toxicol.; (United States), Vol. 20:6
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English