Methyl mercury: acute toxicity, tissue distribution and decay profiles in the guinea pig

Journal Article · Mon Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1973 · Toxicol. Appl. Pharmacol.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/0041-008X(73)90216-0· OSTI ID:6425135

Iverson, F; Downie, R H; Paul, C; Trenholm, H L

Acute toxicity studies with methyl mercuric chloride showed that the guinea pig was quite susceptible to methyl mercury intoxication. LD50 values were 5.5 mg Hg/kg ip and 16.5 mg Hg/kg po. One to 2 weeks after dosing, several animals began to display signs of neurotoxicity. Tissue distribution and pharmacodynamic studies with radiolabeled methyl mercuric chloride ((/sup 203/Hg))CH/sub 3/HgCl) at 1 and 10 mg Hg/kg revealed that while most tissues decreased in mercury concentration from day 1 to day 7, cerebrum, cerebellum and muscle showed a delayed uptake of the alkylmercurial. In CNS tissue the concentration of mercury decreased in the order cerebrum > cerebellum > spinal cord. Kidneys and liver consistently contained the highest levels of mercury, and plasma the lowest, during the 49-day sampling period. One week after dosing the blood:brain ratios were less than 1. The tissue concentration of mercury was generally directly proportional to the dose administered; however, mercury levels in the gall bladder were significantly higher than anticipated on 5 of the 7 sacrifice days. Most of the tissues displayed a biphasic decay profile with a half-life of 2-3 days for the initial rapid phase of decline. This initial phase was followed by a slower tissue excretion rate for which the mean half-life for mercury was 15 +/- 0.9 days and 15 +/- 0.8 days for the low and high dose, respectively. The similarity of these values again indicates no dose-related effects. 17 references, 2 figures, 3 tables.

• Research Organization: Dept. of National Health and Welfare, Ottawa, Ontario
• OSTI ID: 6425135
• Journal Information: Toxicol. Appl. Pharmacol.; (United States), Journal Name: Toxicol. Appl. Pharmacol.; (United States) Vol. 24; ISSN TXAPA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

550500 -- Metabolism
560305* -- Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology-- Vertebrates-- (-1987)
59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
ACUTE EXPOSURE
ANIMALS
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BILIARY TRACT
BIOLOGICAL HALF-LIFE
BIOLOGICAL MATERIALS
BLOOD
BLOOD PLASMA
BODY
BODY FLUIDS
BRAIN
CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM
CEREBELLUM
CEREBRUM
CLEARANCE
DATA
DAYS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
DIGESTIVE SYSTEM
DISTRIBUTION
DOSE-RESPONSE RELATIONSHIPS
EVEN-ODD NUCLEI
EXCRETION
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
GLANDS
GUINEA PIGS
HEAVY NUCLEI
INFORMATION
ISOTOPE APPLICATIONS
ISOTOPES
KIDNEYS
LIVER
MAMMALS
MATERIALS
MERCURY 203
MERCURY COMPOUNDS
MERCURY ISOTOPES
METHYLMERCURY
MUSCLES
NERVOUS SYSTEM
NUCLEI
NUMERICAL DATA
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC MERCURY COMPOUNDS
ORGANS
RADIOISOTOPES
RODENTS
SENSITIVITY
SPINAL CORD
TISSUE DISTRIBUTION
TOXICITY
TRACER TECHNIQUES
VERTEBRATES