[Effects of methylmercury chloride on creatine kinase activity in the rat brain].

The effects of methylmercury chloride (MMC) on creatine kinase (CK) activity in the rat brain were studied. Male Wistar rats were injected subcutaneously with 10 mg MMC/kg body weight/day for 7 consecutive days, and sacrificed on the 15th day when all rats showed a crossing phenomenon of the hind limbs. CK activity was mildly inhibited in the anterior, mid and posterior cerebral cortex. Aspartate aminotransferase and lactate dehydrogenase activities were also inhibited in some parts of the cerebral cortex, almost to the same extent as the CK activity. No definite inhibition of the enzyme activity was found in the striatum and the cerebellum. From this study we concluded that the mild inhibition of CK activity does not seem to play an important role in the genesis of neurotoxicity of MMC.