Yoshida M, Satoh H, Kojima S, Yamamura Y
Department of Public Health, St. Marianna University School of Medicine, Kawasaki, Japan.
Tohoku J Exp Med. 1991 May;164(1):13-22. doi: 10.1620/tjem.164.13.
Neonatal guinea pigs were exposed to mercury vapor on the day of birth, and the following mercury distribution and concentrations of metallothioneins (MTs) in the liver and kidney were observed. In the liver, two hours after exposure, an appreciable amount of mercury accumulated and a substantial portion of this was associated with MTs. During postnatal development, the mercury concentration increased, whereas the hepatic concentration of MTs decreased. The mercury in the soluble fraction of the liver shifted from the region of MTs to the high-molecular-weight region and, finally, the mercury peak in the MT region was not detected. The kidney mercury concentration was high even 2 hr after the exposure and on days 3 and 7 postpartum. The peak concentration was observed on day 3 postpartum. The mean renal concentration of MTs in the mercury-exposed neonates was significantly higher than that of the control at all times observed. The changes in both the mercury level and the concentration of MTs were strongly correlated. Furthermore, most mercury in the soluble fraction was associated with MTs on day 7. These findings indicated enhanced synthesis of MTs in the kidney, but not in the liver, after mercury vapor exposure in the neonatal period, with corresponding elevated copper and zinc concentrations in the kidney.
新生豚鼠在出生当天暴露于汞蒸气中，随后观察其肝脏和肾脏中的汞分布以及金属硫蛋白（MTs）的浓度。在肝脏中，暴露两小时后，大量汞积累，其中很大一部分与MTs结合。在出生后的发育过程中，汞浓度升高，而肝脏中MTs的浓度降低。肝脏可溶性部分中的汞从MTs区域转移到高分子量区域，最终在MT区域未检测到汞峰。即使在暴露后2小时以及产后第3天和第7天，肾脏中的汞浓度也很高。在产后第3天观察到峰值浓度。在所有观察时间点，汞暴露新生豚鼠肾脏中MTs的平均浓度均显著高于对照组。汞水平和MTs浓度的变化密切相关。此外，在第7天，可溶性部分中的大部分汞与MTs结合。这些发现表明，新生期汞蒸气暴露后，肾脏中MTs的合成增强，而肝脏中未增强，同时肾脏中铜和锌的浓度相应升高。
