Fluctuation of Trace Elements During Methylmercury Toxication and Chelation Therapy

The aim of the present investigation was to check the fluctuation in essential elements, such as Na, K, Mg, Mn, Cu, Zn, Cr and Ni in the brain, spinal cord, liver and kidney of mice during methylmercury chloride (MMC) toxication and therapy with monothiols (N-acetyl-DL-homocysteine thiolactone and glutathione) and vitamins (vitamin B complex and E). Mercury deposition and its elimination during chelation therapy were also screened for comparative purposes. The animals were dosed for 7 days with MMC 1 mg/kg/d and some were then kept without treatment for a further 7 days. Other MMC-treated animals were immediately given one of the above antidotes for 7 days. All the animals were sacrificed on the 15th day. There was a decrease in all elements during MMC toxication with few exceptions, for example, copper was increased in the liver as was sodium in the kidney. Treatment with the thiols and vitamins restored the levels of these elements in certain tissues towards normal, but their concentrations remained abnormal in most instances. The fluctuations in the concentration of these elements were attributed to their association with various macromolecules.