Endo T, Hotta Y, Haraguchi K, Sakata M
Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Health Sciences University of Hokkaido, 1757 Ishikari-Tobetsu, Hokkaido 061-0293, Japan.
Chemosphere. 2005 Dec;61(8):1069-73. doi: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2005.03.050.
Toothed-whales and dolphins have been hunted for human consumption in Japan, and their muscles (red meats) are highly contaminated with mercury (Hg). We investigated the distribution and toxicity of Hg in rats after oral administration of Hg-contaminated whale red meat marketed for human consumption in Japan. Rats were orally administered the red meat homogenate for seven consecutive days (0.5 g red meat/kg-bw/day). The red meat administered to rats contained 81microg/g of total mercury (T-Hg) and 13.4 microg/g of methyl mercury (M-Hg). This dose corresponds to the human consumption of 210 g red meat/60 kg-bw/week, exceeding by about 29 times the provisional tolerable weekly intake of M-Hg at 1.6 microg/kg-bw/week set by JECFA [JECFA, 2003. Joint FAO/WHO expert committee on food additives. 61st meeting, Rome]. Twenty-four hours after the last administration, the distribution of T-Hg in rat organs and biochemical parameters in serum were analyzed. The administration of red meat significantly elevated T-Hg concentrations in the liver, kidney, erythrocytes, cerebral cortex and medulla oblongata from the control levels but did not elevate the T-Hg concentration in serum, showing the typical distribution pattern of M-Hg, not of inorganic Hg. The administration slightly but significantly increased GTP activity and P concentration and decreased BUN concentration in serum, although no abnormalities were observed in rat body weight gain and movement during the 7 days. The occasional consumption of red meat from small cetaceans, therefore, could pose a health problem for not only pregnant women but also for the general population.
在日本，齿鲸和海豚一直被猎杀以供人类食用，它们的肌肉（红肉）被汞（Hg）高度污染。我们研究了口服在日本市场上销售的受汞污染的鲸类红肉后，汞在大鼠体内的分布和毒性。连续7天给大鼠口服红肉匀浆（0.5克红肉/千克体重/天）。给大鼠投喂的红肉中总汞（T-Hg）含量为81微克/克，甲基汞（M-Hg）含量为13.4微克/克。这个剂量相当于人类每周食用210克红肉/60千克体重，超过了食品添加剂联合专家委员会（JECFA）[JECFA，2003年。粮农组织/世卫组织食品添加剂联合专家委员会。第61次会议，罗马]设定的1.6微克/千克体重/周的甲基汞暂定每周耐受摄入量约29倍。最后一次给药24小时后，分析了大鼠器官中总汞的分布和血清中的生化参数。投喂红肉显著提高了肝脏、肾脏、红细胞、大脑皮层和延髓中总汞浓度，使其高于对照水平，但未提高血清中总汞浓度，显示出甲基汞而非无机汞的典型分布模式。尽管在7天内大鼠体重增加和活动未观察到异常，但投喂红肉轻微但显著增加了血清中的谷草转氨酶（GTP）活性和磷浓度，并降低了血清尿素氮（BUN）浓度。因此，偶尔食用小型鲸类的红肉不仅可能给孕妇，也可能给普通人群带来健康问题。
