[Health effect of long-term diet mercury contaminated tuna. Part II. Accumulation and retention of mercury and selenium in organs and clinical symptoms (author's transl)].

Health effects of long-term tuna diet in cats were examined. The cats were fed daily with three kinds of tuna, containing different concentrations of mercury and selenium. The following results were obtained. 1) A high correlation was noted between the amount of fish intake and the mercury level in hair and blood samples of cats. 2) Mercury levels in organs were elevated corresponding with the amount of tuna consumption, but the distribution of mercury in organs of cats exposed to mercury in tuna flake differed from that in tuna fresh meat. In the liver, the ratio of methyl mercury to the total mercury was very low with an average of 11.5% of the ratio. 3) With regard to selenium, there was no correlation between intake of selenium and selenium levels in the cerebrum, celebellum, and kidneys, exept in the liver (r=0.766). 4) None of the cats had definite methyl mercury poisoning, but some slight disturbances were noted in several cats.