Influence of mercury bioaccessibility on exposure assessment associated with consumption of cooked predatory fish in Spain.

BACKGROUND: Predatory fish tend to accumulate high levels of mercury (Hg). Food safety assessment of these fish has been carried out on the raw product. However, the evaluation of the risk from Hg concentrations in raw fish might be modified if cooking and bioaccessibility (the contaminant fraction that solubilises from its matrix during gastrointestinal digestion and becomes available for intestinal absorption) were taken into account. Data on Hg bioaccessibility in raw predatory fish sold in Spain are scarce and no research on Hg bioaccessibility in cooked fish is available. The aim of the present study was to evaluate Hg bioaccessibility in various kinds of cooked predatory fish sold in Spain to estimate their health risk. RESULTS: Both Hg and bioaccessible Hg concentrations were analysed in raw and cooked fish (swordfish, tope shark, bonito and tuna). There were no changes in Hg concentrations during cooking. However, Hg bioaccessibility decreased significantly after cooking (42 ± 26% in raw fish and 26 ± 16% in cooked fish), thus reducing in swordfish and tope shark the Hg concentration to which the human organism would be exposed. CONCLUSION: In future, cooking and bioaccessibility should be considered in risk assessment of Hg concentrations in predatory fish.

Medical nephrectomy: the use of metallic salts for treatment of end stage massive proteinuria and renal hypertension.

The first two cases outlined above with intractable massive proteinuria and uremia, were followed and treated with standard medical therapy and dialysis. After a period of study and demonstration of clinical deterioration both patients were given solutions containing sodium mercaptomerin. Within days there was a decline in urine protein excretion and a variable increase in serum protein concentration. The patients demonstrated an increase in blood pressure, which made hemodialysis treatment possible. No deleterious effects from the mercury salts were noted. These observations suggest that in selected cases nephrotoxic agents may be of value in decreasing massive proteinuria, and improving protein homeostasis in uremic patients. The ideal agent should be non-toxic to other organs and produce selective renal ablation (15). Although mercury is not the ideal agent, in these cases it did not produce observable side effects. This new method, applicable to dialysis patients with massive proteinuria, and of help in the control of uncontrollable hypertension in uremia, is an interesting new approach for our therapeutic armamentarium.

[Effect of several diuretics on ischemic damage to the kidneys]. / Vliianie nekotorykh diuretikov na ishemicheskoe povrezhdenie pochek.

Furosemide, etacrynic acid and mannitol administered to the survival of rats. However, these drugs prove ineffective in the event they are indicated after the action of the ischemic factor is discontinued. Etacrynic acid and novurit inhibit the functional activity of isolated mitochondria incubated under hypoxia and at a temperature of 37 degrees C.

Thimerosal positivities: the role of organomercury alkyl compounds.

Contact allergy to thimerosal (TH) has not been considered a marker for mercury allergy, since there is a low degree of cross-sensitivity to inorganic as well as to organic mercury salts. 40 subjects, who previously gave a positive patch test reaction only to thimerosal 0.1% pet. (Hermal), when simultaneously repatch-tested to solutions containing TH, mersalyl acid, p-amino-phenylmercuric acid, mercuric acetate and thiosalicylic acid, respectively, gave positive reactions only to TH. 36 out of 40 subjects were divided into 2 groups of 18 subjects and simultaneously repatch-tested to solutions containing TH, methylmercury chloride (MeHgCl), thiosalicylic acid, and, ethylmercury chloride (EtHgCl), respectively. EtHgCl was tested in the 1st group at 0.031% and in the 2nd group at 0.015%. The results showed that all subjects gave concomitant positive reactions to TH, EtHgCl and MeHgCl. EtHgCl 0.031% gave a higher number of reactions than EtHgCl 0.015%, underlining the rôle of the solvent in these reactions. Patch test results in 300 consecutive patients to a standard series, to which MeHgCl was added, showed that MeHgCl and TH were never able to give isolated positive reactions, and that the concomitant positive reactions occurred in only 3.6% of subjects. In conclusion, our data seem to suggest that the positive reactions to TH found in our patients were due to EtHgCl, and that the structural similarities with MeHgCl were so close that the skin reacted against each as if they were identical.