Abstract
The protective effect of six selenium compounds (sodium selenite, sodium selenate, selenocystine, selenocysteamine, selenocystamine, and selenomethionine) on the acute toxicity of methylmercuric chloride on rats was compared on the basis of survival rate and body weight change. Distribution of mercury and selenium in the rat tissues 24 hr and 1 week after the simultaneous injection of methylmercuric chloride and various selenium compounds was determined by non-destructive neutron activation analysis. All of the six selenium compounds were found to have some protective effect on the acute toxicity of methylmercuric chloride. The protective effect of six selenium compounds decreased in the order of selenomethionine, sodium selenate, selenocysteamine, selenocystine, selenocystamine, and sodium selenite. Correlation between the distribution of mercury and selenium was rarely found in the animals given simultaneous injection of methylmercuric chloride and various selenium compounds. This result suggests that the protective effect of selenium is not due to the direct binding of methylmercury and selenium.
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