engleski

Influence of selenium dose on mercury distribution and retention in suckling rats

It is well known that metal-metal interactions in the body are, among other factors, age dependent. We studied the influence of increasing selenium doses on mercury distribution and retention in the postnatal period in suckling rats. Seven-day-old Wistar pups were pretreated with three different oral doses of selenium as sodium selenite (6.45, 12.9 and 19.4 mug-mol Se/kg b.w.) over 3 days. This was followed by simultaneous Se (as sodium selenite) and Hg (as mercury chloride) oral administration over 4 days. The molar ration between Se and Hg given to pups was 1:1, 2:1 and 3:1, respectively. Mercury and selenium were measured in the brain, kidney, liver, plasma, erythrocytes and urine of pups on the day after the last administration by atomic absorption spectrometry. Results showed that in all samples selenium concentrations rose almost proportionally to the dose of Se given to pups. Mercury concentrations in organs, plasma and urine decreased with higher oral doses of selenium. However, mercury concentration in erythrocytes increased with increasing selenium dose. There was evidently redistribution of mercury from plasma to erythrocytes at higher ratio of Se:Hg. Approximately equimolar doses of selenium and mercury are necessary to produce maximum uptake of mercury by plasma and liver and minimum retention of mercury in the kidney and erythrocytes.

effect of selenium dose; selenium-mercury interaction; suckling rats

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