Effects of mercury on lysosomal protein digestion in the kidney proximal tubule

Journal Article · Wed Feb 01 04:00:00 EST 1978 · Lab. Invest.; (United States)

OSTI ID:6736354

Madsen, K M; Christensen, E I

The effect of mercury on renal lysosomal protein digestion was studied after administration of mercury in vitro and in vivo. Mercuric chloride or methylmercury chloride was added in vitro to lysosomal enzymes isolated from normal rats, and subsequently, digestion experiments were carried out using /sup 125/I-labeled lysozyme or cytochrome c as substrate proteins. Both mercury compounds produced a concentration-dependent inhibition of the degradation of the proteins, mercuric chloride being the strongest inhibitor. Mercuric chloride was also administered to rats in vivo for 5 to 8 months. Renal lysosomal enzymes from these animals also had a decreased ability to digest the two substrate proteins. Furthermore, the digestion of lysozyme intravenously injected into mercury-intoxicated rats was decreased in renal cortical slices incubated in vitro. Electron microscope autoradiography showed that intravenously injected labeled lysozyme was located primarily over lysosomes in proximal tubule cells 1 hour after injection in both control animals and mercury-intoxicated rats. These results suggest a decreased catabolism of low molecular weight proteins in the kidney during chronic mercury intoxication.

• Research Organization: Univ. of Aarhus, Denmark
• OSTI ID: 6736354
• Journal Information: Lab. Invest.; (United States), Journal Name: Lab. Invest.; (United States) Vol. 38:2; ISSN LAINA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

550201 -- Biochemistry-- Tracer Techniques
560305* -- Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology-- Vertebrates-- (-1987)
59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
ANIMALS
AUTORADIOGRAPHY
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS
BODY
CATABOLISM
CELL CONSTITUENTS
CHLORIDES
CHLORINE COMPOUNDS
CHRONIC INTAKE
CYTOCHROMES
DAYS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
DIGESTION
ELECTRON CAPTURE RADIOISOTOPES
ELECTRON MICROSCOPY
ELEMENTS
ENZYMES
GLYCOSYL HYDROLASES
HALIDES
HALOGEN COMPOUNDS
HYDROLASES
IN VITRO
IN VIVO
INHIBITION
INJECTION
INTAKE
INTERMEDIATE MASS NUCLEI
INTRAVENOUS INJECTION
IODINE 125
IODINE ISOTOPES
ISOTOPES
KIDNEYS
LABELLED COMPOUNDS
LYSOSOMES
LYSOZYME
MAMMALS
MERCURY
MERCURY CHLORIDES
MERCURY COMPOUNDS
MERCURY HALIDES
METABOLISM
METALS
METHYLMERCURY
MICROSCOPY
NUCLEI
ODD-EVEN NUCLEI
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC MERCURY COMPOUNDS
ORGANOIDS
ORGANS
PIGMENTS
PROTEINS
RADIOISOTOPES
RATS
RODENTS
TUBULES
VERTEBRATES