Abstract
The aims of this study were to evaluate whether chronic intoxication with mercury chloride (HgCl2), in a low concentration over a long time, can be deposited in the central nervous tissue and to determine if this exposure induces motor and cognitive impairments. Twenty animals were intoxicated for 45 days at a dose of 0.375 mg/kg/day. After this period, the animals underwent a battery of behavioral tests, in a sequence of open field, social recognition, elevated T maze and rotarod tests. They were then sacrificed, their brains collected and the motor cortex and hippocampus dissected for quantification of mercury deposited. This study demonstrates that long-term chronic HgCl2 intoxication in rats promotes functional damage. Exposure to HgCl2 induced anxiety-related responses, short- and long-term memory impairments and motor deficits. Additionally, HgCl2 accumulated in both the hippocampus and cortex of the brain with a higher affinity for the cortex.
Highlights
IntroductionMercury is a heavy metal that can be found in the environment in three species: (i) elemental mercury or metallic mercury (Hg0); (ii) inorganic mercury (i.e., mercuric chloride, HgCl2); and (iii) organic mercury (methylmercury, MeHg), which is the most common form of intoxication in humans
Mercury is a heavy metal that can be found in the environment in three species: (i) elemental mercury or metallic mercury (Hg0); (ii) inorganic mercury; and (iii) organic mercury, which is the most common form of intoxication in humans
It is well documented that organic mercury crosses the blood-brain barrier (BBB), and inorganic mercury salts (i.e., HgC12) that are lipid insoluble, which could impede BBB penetration, are detected in the central nervous system (CNS) following a single [21]
Summary
Mercury is a heavy metal that can be found in the environment in three species: (i) elemental mercury or metallic mercury (Hg0); (ii) inorganic mercury (i.e., mercuric chloride, HgCl2); and (iii) organic mercury (methylmercury, MeHg), which is the most common form of intoxication in humans. MeHg is gradually metabolized to inorganic mercury by intestinal microflora at a low rate per day [1]. Inorganic mercury has been used for many years in medications, teething powders, skin creams and germicidal solutions, exposing humans to its toxicological effects [2]. Paresthesia, fatigue, progressive weakness and neuropsychiatric disorders have been reported as nervous system symptoms related to inorganic mercury exposure [3,4]. Inorganic mercury can be detected in the brain, disrupting neuronal homeostasis [5]. Szumafiska et al [6] reported that disruption in Na/K ATPase activity in the cerebral cortical microvessels is a possible pathway for inorganic mercury absorption by the central nervous system (CNS)
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