Chronic kidney disease in pregnant mothers affects maternal and fetal disposition of mercury.

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) affects over 15 % of the adults in the United States. Pregnant women with CKD present an additional challenge in that they are at increased risk for adverse events such as preterm birth. Exposure to environmental toxicants, such as methylmercury, may exacerbate maternal disease and increase the risk of adverse fetal outcomes. We hypothesized that fetuses of mothers with CKD are more susceptible to accumulation of methylmercury than fetuses of healthy mothers. The current data show that when mothers are in a state of renal insufficiency, uptake of mercury in fetal kidneys is enhanced significantly. Accumulation of Hg in fetal kidneys may be related to the flow of amniotic fluid, maternal handling of Hg, and/or underdeveloped mechanisms for cellular export and urinary excretion. The results of this study indicate that renal insufficiency in mothers leads to significant alterations in the way toxicants such as mercury are handled by maternal and fetal organs.

Co-administration of Selenium with Inorganic Mercury Alters the Disposition of Mercuric Ions in Rats.

Mercury (Hg) is a common environmental toxicant to which humans are exposed regularly through occupational and dietary means. Although selenium supplementation has been reported to prevent the toxic effects of Hg in animals, the mechanisms for this prevention are not well understood. The purpose of the current study was to determine the effects of selenium on the disposition and toxicity of Hg. Wistar rats were injected intravenously with a non-nephrotoxic dose (0.5 µmol kg-1) or a nephrotoxic dose (2.5 µmol kg-1) of HgCl2 (containing radioactive Hg) with or without co-administration of sodium selenite (Na2SeO3). Twenty-four hours after exposure, rats were euthanized, and organs were harvested. Co-administration of SeO32- with HgCl2 reduced the renal burden of Hg and the urinary excretion of Hg while increasing the amount of Hg in blood and spleen. We propose that Hg reacts with reduced selenite in the blood to form large Hg-Se complexes that are unable to be filtered at the glomerulus. Consequently, these complexes remain in the blood and are able to accumulate in blood-rich organs. These complexes, which may have fewer toxic effects than other species of Hg, may be eliminated slowly over the course of weeks to months.

Exposure to mixtures of mercury, cadmium, lead, and arsenic alters the disposition of single metals in tissues of Wistar rats.

Humans throughout the world are exposed regularly to mixtures of environmental toxicants. Four of the most common heavy metal toxicants in the environment are mercury (Hg), cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb), and arsenic (As). Numerous studies have assessed the effects and disposition of individual metals in organ systems; however, humans are usually exposed to mixtures of toxicants or metals rather than to a single toxicant. Therefore, the purpose of the current study was to test the hypothesis that exposure to a mixture of toxic heavy metals alters the disposition of single metals in target organs. Wistar rats (Rattus norvegicus) were exposed to Hg, Cd, Pb, or As as a single metal or as a mixture of metals. Rats were injected intravenously for three days, following which kidneys, liver, brain, and blood were harvested. Samples were analyzed for content of Hg, Cd, Pb, and As via inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. In general, exposure to a mixture of metals reduced accumulation of single metals in target organs. Interestingly, exposure to mixtures of metals with Pb and/or As increased the concentration of these metals specifically in the liver. The findings from this study indicate that exposure to mixtures of toxic heavy metals may alter significantly the distribution and accumulation of these metals in target organs and tissues.

Pregnancy Alters Renal and Blood Burden of Mercury in Females.

Methylmercury (CH3Hg+), a common environmental toxicant, has serious detrimental effects in numerous organ systems. We hypothesize that a significant physiological change, like pregnancy, can alter the disposition and accumulation of mercury. To test this hypothesis, pregnant and non-pregnant female Wistar rats were exposed orally to CH3Hg+. The amount of mercury in blood and total renal mass was significantly lower in pregnant rats than in non-pregnant rats. This finding may be due to expansion of plasma volume in pregnant rats and dilution of mercury, leading to lower levels of mercury in maternal blood and kidneys.