Binding of methylmercury and methylmercury-thiol complexes by myelin isolated from mice of differing selenium status

Journal Article · Sat Nov 01 04:00:00 EST 1986 · Bull. Environ. Contam. Toxicol.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01607839· OSTI ID:6830483

Balthrop, J E; Fair, P H; Braddon-Galloway, S

The chemical form of methylmercury found in the body provides evidence of the intimate involvement of glutathione and glutathione metabolites with methylmercury. The involvement of glutathione in converting protein bound methylmercury to low molecular weight methylmercury-selenium compounds was shown earlier. The effectiveness of selenium in modifying mercury metabolism has attracted increasing attention. After finding that concurrent equimolar selenite injections increased the uptake of mercury but did not alter the mercury distribution in the brain and that selenium reversed the effect of mercury upon glutathione peroxidase, Prohaska and Ganther suggested a complex of mercury and selenium may be involved in the interaction of mercury and selenium. However, considering that the protective effect of selenium is exerted within the tissue without decreasing the concentration or amount of mercury in the tissue, selenium is probably not simply chelating the bulk of brain mercury. The purpose of the following experiments was to determine the binding characteristics of thiol-metabolites of methylmercury to myelin isolated from the central nervous system. The possible alteration of such binding by dietary selenium was also investigated.

• Research Organization: National Marine Fisheries Service, Charleston, SC
• OSTI ID: 6830483
• Journal Information: Bull. Environ. Contam. Toxicol.; (United States), Journal Name: Bull. Environ. Contam. Toxicol.; (United States) Vol. 37:5; ISSN BECTA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

550601 -- Medicine-- Unsealed Radionuclides in Diagnostics
560300* -- Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology
62 RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
ANIMALS
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BIOCHEMISTRY
BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS
BODY
BRAIN
CELL CONSTITUENTS
CELL MEMBRANES
CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM
CHEMISTRY
CHLORIDES
CHLORINE COMPOUNDS
COMPLEXES
CONFIGURATION INTERACTION
DAYS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
EVEN-ODD NUCLEI
HALIDES
HALOGEN COMPOUNDS
HEAVY NUCLEI
ISOTOPE APPLICATIONS
ISOTOPES
MAMMALS
MEMBRANES
MERCURY 203
MERCURY CHLORIDES
MERCURY COMPOUNDS
MERCURY HALIDES
MERCURY ISOTOPES
METHYLMERCURY
MICE
MYELIN
NERVOUS SYSTEM
NUCLEI
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC MERCURY COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC SULFUR COMPOUNDS
ORGANS
RADIOISOTOPES
RODENTS
SELENIUM COMPOUNDS
THIOLS
TRACER TECHNIQUES
VERTEBRATES