Carbon–Mercury Bond Breakage in Milk,Cerebrum,Liver,and Kidney of Rats Fed Methyl Mercuric Chloride 1

Summary

A double-label technique was used to determine the carbon–mercury bond breakages in milk and milk fractions, cerebrum, liver and kidneys of rats one day after force-feeding double-labeled methyl mercuric chloride. Breakages of the carbon–mercury bond occurred mainly in the fat and casein fractions and not in the whey of milk. In the cerebrum, liver and kidney, the breakages of the bond were respectively 6.2%, 6.2%, and 8.0%. The ¹⁴C and ²⁰³Hg concentrations (percent of dose/g) were high in fat and casein fractions and low in whey fraction of milk.

The ¹⁴C radioactivities in milk were distributed 46.2% in fat, 32.3% in casein and 21.5% in whey. For ²⁰³Hg radioactivities in milk, distribution was 55.1% in whey, 41.0% in casein and 3.9% in fat. Of the three organs studied, the kidney contained the highest percent of dose/gram tissue whereas the cerebrum contained the lowest.