Cardiac and non-cardiac malformations produced by Mercury in hamsters. [None]

Journal Article · Sat Nov 01 04:00:00 EST 1980 · Bull. Environ. Contam. Toxicol.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01985599· OSTI ID:6737710

Gale, T F

The susceptibility of the developing mammalian embryo to the adverse effects of mercury is well documented. A variety of organic mercury compounds have been demonstrated to produce embryotoxic effects in experimental animals. HARADA recently summarized the reports of human intrauterine methylmercury poisoning, i.e., congenital Minamata disease, resulting from the ingestion of contaminated food. Ongoing studies in this laboratory have involved several different aspects of the embryotoxicity produced by inorganic mercury in hamsters including a dose response study, the interaction of mercuric acetate with cadmium and zinc, the effect of different routes of administration, the placental permeability of /sup 203/Hg and the embryotoxic response in several different hamster strains. Little is known regarding a human syndrome of congenital malformations characterized by ectopia cordis, internal cardiac defects and abnormalities of the diaphragm and ventral body wall. Most papers regarding this human syndrome are clinical reports describing the characteristics and management of specific cases; only speculative information is provided regarding etiology and possible embryopathic mechanisms. The observation that a similar syndrome, which will be designated CNC for cardiac and non-cardiac malformations, can be produced by mercury in hamsters prompted the present study. The specific goals of this study were 1) to study the effect of treating pregnant hamsters at different times during embryonic organogenesis to determine the time which produces the highest incidence of the CNC syndrome and whether different treatment times modify the morphological characteristics of the inclusive malformations and 2) to study the structural features of all mercury-induced external and internal abnormalities of the CNC syndrome in late gestation fetuses.

• Research Organization: Medical Coll. of Georgia, Augusta
• OSTI ID: 6737710
• Journal Information: Bull. Environ. Contam. Toxicol.; (United States), Journal Name: Bull. Environ. Contam. Toxicol.; (United States) Vol. 25:5; ISSN BECTA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

550800 -- Morphology
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
BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS
BODY
CARDIOVASCULAR SYSTEM
CONGENITAL MALFORMATIONS
DOSE-RESPONSE RELATIONSHIPS
EDEMA
ELEMENTS
EMBRYOS
FETUSES
HAMSTERS
HEART
INJECTION
INTAKE
MALFORMATIONS
MAMMALS
MERCURY
METABOLISM
METALS
MORPHOLOGICAL CHANGES
ORGANS
PATHOLOGICAL CHANGES
PREGNANCY
RETENTION
RODENTS
SENSITIVITY
SIDE EFFECTS
SYMPTOMS
TIME DEPENDENCE
TOXICITY
ULTRASTRUCTURAL CHANGES
VERTEBRATES