Mercury-metallothionein and the renal accumulation and handling of mercury

Abstract

In the present study, we evaluated the renal and hepatic accumulation of mercury, the intrarenal distribution of mercury and the urinary and fecal excretion of mercury in rats injected intravenously with a non-toxic 0.1 mumol/kg-dose of mercury in the form of mercuric chloride (HgCl2) or a complex of mercury-metallothionein (Hg-MT). Between 6 and 72 h after injection, the concentration of mercury in the kidneys of the rats injected with Hg-MT was significantly greater than that in the rats injected with HgCl2. The greatest difference in the renal concentration of mercury between the two groups of rats was detected 6 h after injection. In the kidneys of both experimental groups of rats, the cortex and the outer stripe of the outer medulla contained the highest concentrations of mercury, with the greatest concentrations found in the renal cortex and outer stripe of the outer medulla of the rats injected with Hg-MT. No differences were found between the two experimental groups with respect to the concentration of mercury in the renal inner stripe of the outer medulla and inner medulla throughout 72 h of study. The content of mercury in the blood and liver decreased over time in both groups of rats, but was always significantly greater in the blood and liver of rats injected with HgCl2. The rats injected with Hg-MT excreted more than eight times the amount of mercury in the urine than the corresponding rats injected with HgCl2 during 72 h. These data indicate that there may be decreased tubular reabsorption of filtered Hg-MT and/or tubular secretion of mercury in the rats injected with Hg-MT. In contrast, the rats injected with HgCl2 excreted significantly more mercury in the feces during the same period of time than the corresponding rats injected with Hg-MT. In conclusion, our data clearly indicate that the renal and hepatic uptake and accumulation of mercury, and the urinary and fecal excretion of mercury, are altered significantly when inorganic mercury is administered intravenously as a complex with metallothionein.