Mercury compounds in the blood of rats treated with ethylmercuric chloride

Journal Article · Mon Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1968 · Toxicol. Appl. Pharmacol.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/0041-008X(68)90090-2· OSTI ID:6445053

Takeda, Y; Kunugi, T; Terao, T; Ukita, T

Ethylmercuric chloride (EMC) labeled with /sup 203/Hg was administered to rats, and the chemical nature of the mercury compound which accumulated in the blood was investigated. More than 97% of the total mercury in the blood of the EMC-treated rats was extracted with dithizone as organic mercury dithizonate. The ethylmercury residue in the blood was found to be bound to hemoglobin, and it was detected as S-ethylmercuric cysteine in the pronase digestion of the bound hemoglobin. From these results, it was concluded that the ethylmercury residue should accumulate in the blood, binding with SH groups of cysteine residues by a mercaptide linkage to the hemoglobin molecule. In vitro experiments of the distribution of EMC in the blood showed that EMC had a high affinity for the inside of the membrane of erythrocytes as was previously seen in vivo, and that the mercury compound, once combined with hemoglobin, was transferred with difficulty through the stroma.

• Research Organization: Univ. of Tokyo, Japan
• OSTI ID: 6445053
• Journal Information: Toxicol. Appl. Pharmacol.; (United States), Journal Name: Toxicol. Appl. Pharmacol.; (United States) Vol. 13; ISSN TXAPA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

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