In vitro effect of mercury on enzyme activities and its accumulation in the first-trimester human placenta

Journal Article · Sat Feb 01 00:00:00 EST 1992 · Environmental Research; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/S0013-9351(05)80022-2· OSTI ID:7235911

Boadi, W Y; Yannai, S ^[1]; Urbach, J; Brandes, J M ^[2]

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1. Israel Inst. of Tech., Haifa (Israel)
2. Ramban Medical Center, Haifa (Israel)

The effect of incubating young explants with HgCl{sub 2} on the activities of aryl hydrocarbon hydroxylase (AHH), quinone reductase (QR), catecholamine-O-methyltransferase (COMT), and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G-6-PD) is described. Mercury (Hg) at low doses significantly elevated placental phase I and phase II enzyme activities, but decreased the activity of G-60PD. The increase in activities, which was time- and dose-dependent, was higher in explants incubated for 24 hr than in those incubated for 6 hr. The decrease in placental G-6-PD activity was drastic at low Hg dose levels but at higher levels of the inhibitory effect was milder for both incubation periods. Placental explants accumulated Hg in amounts proportional to its concentration in the incubation medium and this accumulation was greater in explants incubated for 24 hr. The data suggest that contamination with low Hg levels from the environment during pregnancy may affect placental enzymatic activity. The accumulation of Hg during short incubation indicates a strong placental cell affinity for Hg, which could affect its other metabolic functions. The system used in sensitive, as it shows alteration in enzyme activity even with relatively low concentrations of the metal and the response is dose-related.

• OSTI ID: 7235911
• Journal Information: Environmental Research; (United States), Vol. 57:1; ISSN 0013-9351
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
MERCURY
TOXICITY
METHYL TRANSFERASES
ENZYME ACTIVITY
OXIDOREDUCTASES
BIOLOGICAL ACCUMULATION
DOSE-RESPONSE RELATIONSHIPS
IN VITRO
INHIBITION
MAN
PLACENTA
TIME DEPENDENCE
ANIMALS
CARBON-GROUP TRANSFERASES
ELEMENTS
ENZYMES
FETAL MEMBRANES
MAMMALS
MEMBRANES
METALS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
PRIMATES
PROTEINS
TRANSFERASES
VERTEBRATES
560300* - Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology