A likely placental barrier against methylmercury in pregnant rats exposed to fish-containing diets.
Food Chem Toxicol
; 122: 11-20, 2018 Dec.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-30273633
ABSTRACT
Methylmercury (MeHg) taken up through fish consumption can be transferred from the mother to the fetus during pregnancy. In the present study, pregnant rat mothers were contaminated with environmentally relevant doses of 36 and 76â¯ng MeHg/g of food using diets containing naturally mercury-containing fish. Young female rats fed with fish-containing food after weaning showed decreased locomotion in Y maze for accumulated concentrations in brain as low as 75â¯ng Hg/g dry weight (15â¯ng Hg/g wet weight). Young female rats fed the control diet after weaning yet borne by mothers fed the diet containing 76â¯ng MeHg/g, presented a 58% reduced activity in the open-field labyrinth, meaning that the maternal exposure to fish-containing food exerted an effect in utero that lasted several weeks after birth. Newborns were protected against Hg exposure by the placental barrier since in newborns from mothers fed the diet containing 76â¯ng MeHg/g of food, the concentrations of Hg in brain, kidney, liver and skeletal muscles represented 12, 3, 21 and 18% of those of their mother's tissues, respectively. These results suggest the existence, at least in rats, of a threshold level in terms of MeHg exposure above which the placental barrier collapses.
Palavras-chave
Texto completo:
1
Coleções:
01-internacional
Base de dados:
MEDLINE
Assunto principal:
Placenta
/
Exposição Materna
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Dieta
/
Peixes
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Exposição Dietética
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Troca Materno-Fetal
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Compostos de Metilmercúrio
Limite:
Animals
/
Pregnancy
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Food Chem Toxicol
Ano de publicação:
2018
Tipo de documento:
Article
País de afiliação:
Luxemburgo