Reduction of methylmercury concentration in neonatal rat brains after administration of dimercaptosuccinic acid to dams while pregnant.

Sprague-Dawley rats were gavaged on day 7 of gestation with 1.62, 3.23 or 10 mg methylmercury/kg. Beginning one day later, the dams were administered 0, 20 or 40 mg 2,3-dimercaptosuccinic acid/kg/day until they delivered their pups. Concentrations of methylmercury in the brains of pups whose dams were treated with 20 mg DMSA/kg/day were reduced 50% compared with control pups. 40 mg DMSA/kg/day decreased brain concentrations 70% compared to non-chelated controls. The data indicate that DMSA might be effective in protecting the developing organism against morphological and/or behavioral teratological consequences of methylmercury poisoning in utero.