Mercury compounds in the blood of rats treated with ethylmercuric chloride
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), Vol. 13
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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