Whole-body retention of mercury and selenium and histopathological and morphological studies of kidneys and liver of rats exposed repeatedly to mercuric chloride and sodium selenite

Has selenium a beneficial role in human exposure to inorganic mercury?

Laboratory experiments have indicated that selenium acts as a powerful antagonist to mercury intoxication. The literature is reviewed and from this it is concluded that mercury and selenium react in various ways. 1) The mercuric ion binds to selenium to form a biologically inert complex leading to increased body burden of both elements. This reaction seems to take place only when a threshold of mercury exposure is exceeded. 2) Selenium influences the oxidation rate of elemental mercury and as such the distribution pattern. This reaction is influenced by the nature of the antioxidative system. In species with low glutathione peroxidase activity, mercury oxidation seems decreased which can lead to an increased brain uptake. In this process there is no threshold. 3) Selenium can, as part of the antioxidative defence system, counteract mercury induced lipid peroxidation. Other antioxidants e.g. vitamin E might be just as effective. Based upon the literature it is hypothesised that to man selenium is of no benefit in cases of exposure to mercury either as mercuric mercury or as vapours. The only protection against mercury will still be a low exposure level.

Kidney concentrations and urinary excretion of mercury, zinc and copper following the administration of mercuric chloride and sodium selenite to rats

The effect of single (SC) administration of mercuric chloride (1 mg Hg/kg) alone or jointly with (PO) sodium selenite (0.39 mg Se/kg) on kidney disposition of mercury (Hg) and metallothionein (MT) and urinary excretion of Hg, zinc (Zn) and copper (Cu) has been studied in the female rat. The excretion of Hg and essential metals was determined every day following exposure. Daily excretion of endogenous Cu and Zn the Hg-exposed group was about threefold and fourfold, respectively, in comparison with control groups of rats. Sodium selenite prevented the urinary excretion of endogenous Cu and partly of Zn.

A kinetic analysis of the interaction between methylmercury and selenium

Guinea pigs were given radiolabelled methyl(203)mercuric chloride at a dose of 3 mg/kg p.o. alone or with an equimolar dose of sodium selenite, every second day for 3 weeks (10 doses). Whole-body mercury levels were measured during the course of the study and multi-compartment analysis carried out by computer least-squares curve fitting. Results indicated that mercury given alone behaved according to a single compartment model with half-life of 23.6 days, while in the presence of selenium a two-compartment behaviour resulted with one clearing rapidly (half-life 8.7 +/- 5.3 days) and the other clearing more slowly (half-life 40.8 +/- 13.0 days). Selenium decreased excretion of mercury in feces (2-fold) and urine (7-fold). Approximately 70% of the total mercury in the feces and 90% of that in the urine was in organic form. Tissue distribution of total, organic and inorganic mercury was determined 1, 14 and 28 days after the final dose. Selenium decreased the levels of mercury 1 day after the final dose, but produced a slower clearance after that. In all organs examined most of the mercury was in the organic form, except in the kidney which had over 70% inorganic mercury. Selenium increased the relative amounts of inorganic mercury in the liver, spleen, pancreas, large and small bowels, but not in the kidney.

The effect of methylmercury on the distribution and excretion of selenium by the guinea pig

The influence of methylmercury (MeHg) on the tissue and subcellular binding of selenium was determined. Adult female guinea pigs received either 75Se (as sodium selenite) or MeHg (as chloride) followed 5 h later by an equimolar dose of 75Se. Animals were sacrificed 1, 3, 7, and 13 days after administration. Pretreatment with MeHg significantly altered the organ distribution of 75Se, particularly during the first week of the study. 75Se concentrations were markedly reduced in most organs of animals receiving both 75Se and MeHg except the liver, which contained markedly elevated 75Se levels. The subcellular distribution of 75Se was also altered by MeHg. Within liver, kidney and brain, 75Se was primarily bound to nuclear and mitochondrial fractions in both treatment groups, but nuclear binding was higher in animals receiving both compounds. Within nuclear fractions, most 75Se was bound to insoluble-nonhistone proteins. In the presence of MeHg, total nuclear binding of 75Se increased, but total binding to insoluble-nonhistone proteins decreased. MeHg also reduced the total 75Se binding to high molecular weight proteins of the soluble fraction. Alterations in tissue and subcellular binding of MeHg and Se may contribute to the lower degree of toxicity observed in animals receiving both compounds.

Organ and subcellular distribution of selenium in rats exposed to cadmium, mercury, and selenium

Three groups of rats were given sodium selenite (Se), sodium selenite and cadmium chloride (Se + Cd), or sodium selenite, cadmium chloride, and mercuric chloride (Se + Cd + Hg), respectively. All animals received subcutaneous doses of 115CdCl2 (0.3 mg Cd/kg) every other day for a fortnight. Mercuric chloride was administered intravenously at doses of 0.5 mg Hg/kg every other day and Na2 75SeO3 intragastrically at doses of 0.1 mg Se/kg every other day for 2 weeks. The whole-body retention of selenium was slightly elevated by cadmium and increased threefold by cadmium with mercury (mainly blood, liver, and kidneys). Cadmium did not affect subcellular levels of selenium in the kidneys and slightly increased the selenium content in the soluble fraction of the liver. On the other hand, combined administration of mercury and cadmium induced a significant elevation of the selenium content in all subcellular fraction of the kidneys and in the nuclear and mitochondrial fractions of the liver. In all animal groups selenium was bound in the soluble fractions of both the liver and kidneys by high-molecular-weight proteins.

Organ and subcellular distribution of cadmium in rats exposed to cadmium, mercury, and selenium

Four groups of rats were given: cadmium chloride (Cd), cadmium chloride and mercuric chloride (Cd + Hg), cadmium chloride and sodium selenite (Cd + Se), or cadmium chloride, mercuric chloride, and sodium selenite (Cd + Hg + Se). All animals received subcutaneous doses of 115mCdCl2 (0.3 mg Cd/kg) every other day for 2 weeks. Mercuric chloride was administered intravenously at doses of 0.5 mg Hg/kg every other day, and Na2 75SeO3 intragastrically at doses of 0.1 mg Se/kg every day for a fortnight. The whole-body and organ retention of cadmium changed slightly with the type of exposure. A significant interaction effect of the examined elements was noted in the nuclear and soluble fractions of the liver and kidneys. Mercury decreased the cadmium concentration in both the nuclear and soluble fractions of the kidneys and diminished the effect of selenium on the cadmium level in the soluble fraction of the kidneys. In the liver the presence of mercury contrary to selenium, lowered the cadmium level in the nuclear fraction. The pattern of cadmium binding to proteins of the soluble fraction of the kidneys and liver remained the same in all groups of animals.

Effect of interaction between 65Zn, mercury and selenium in rats (retention, metallothionein, endogenous copper)

Interaction of zinc with mercuric chloride and sodium selenite was studied in the rat at the organ and subcellular levels (liver and kidneys). Zinc chloride was administered subcutaneously at dose of 5 mg Zn/kg, mercury chloride into the tail vein at a dose of 0.5 mg Hg/kg (both metals every other day during 2 weeks) and sodium selenite intragastrically, at doses of 0.1 mg Se/kg, every day. Zinc retention in the rat did not exceed 20% and was unchanged in the presence of mercury. An interaction effect was reflected by an increased whole-body retention of zinc by selenium, mercury, and selenium. In the presence of selenium no peak of metallothionein-like proteins stimulated by zinc or mercury was found in the soluble fraction of the kidneys. The metallothionein level did not differ from that typical for control group animals, too. A significant increase in the level of endogenous copper was found only in the kidneys of rats exposed to zinc in the presence of mercury and selenium.

Activity of chosen indicator enzymes in blood serum of guinea pigs exposed to ethyl- and phenylmercuric chloride alone or jointly with sodium selenite

The effect of sodium selenite on the activity of the selected enzymes in blood serum and on mercury concentration in some tissues of guinea pigs exposed to ethyl- (EtHg) or phenylmercuric chloride (PhHg) was investigated. Every second day for a 3-month period animals were given intragastrically a solution of mercuric compounds (2.5 mg Hg/kg) with or without sodium selenite (1 mg Se/kg). The activity of malate dehydrogenase (MDH, EC 1.1.1.37), phosphohexoizomerase (PHI, EC 5.3.1.9), and gamma-glutamyltranspeptidase (GGTP, EC 2.3.2.2) in blood serum of control animals was ca. 3.8, 325, and 48 IU. After 10 weeks of exposure to EtHg and PhHg, the activities (IU) of the above enzymes were, respectively, 5.9 and 6.5 (MDH), 585 and 600 (PHI) and 211 and 86.5 (GGTP). Sodium selenite administered with mercuric compounds did not prevent in increases in enzyme activity. During the experiment the level of inorganic as well as organic mercury accumulated in kidneys and liver was estimated. After a 12-week exposure, sodium selenite decreased the level of total mercury in the liver (in the case of both EtHg and PhHg: from 47.0 to 31.8 and from 41.3 to 25.4 micrograms Hg/g tissue, respectively). It also slightly decreased the mercury level in the kidneys of animals exposed to PhHg (from 889 to 73.3 micrograms Hg/g tissue) but did not change the mercury concentration in the kidneys of guinea pigs exposed to ethylmercuric chloride.