Laboratory of Functional and Structural Biology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Pará, Street Augusto Corrêa N. 01, Guamá, Belém, Pará 66075-900, Brazil.
Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Pará, Pará, Belém, Pará, Brazil.
Metallomics. 2017 Dec 1;9(12):1778-1785. doi: 10.1039/c7mt00168a. Epub 2017 Oct 30.
Methylmercury (MeHg) is one of the most toxic species of mercury, causing several systemic damages; however, its effect on the salivary glands has rarely been explored to date. This study was aimed at analyzing the mercury deposit, oxidative stress markers, and cell viability in parotid and submandibular rat salivary glands after chronic methylmercury intoxication. Herein, forty male Wistar rats (40 days old) were used in the experiment. The animals of the experimental group were intoxicated by intragastric gavage with MeHg at a dose of 0.04 mg per kg body weight per day for 35 days, whereas the control group received only corn oil, a diluent. After the period of intoxication, the glands were obtained for evaluation of total mercury deposit, cell viability, and the malondialdehyde (MDA) and the nitrite levels. Our results indicated mercury deposits in salivary glands, with a decrease in cell viability, higher levels of MDA in both glands of intoxicated animals, and a higher concentration of nitrite only in the submandibular gland of the mercury group. Thus, the intoxication by MeHg was able to generate deposits and oxidative stress in salivary glands that resulted in a decrease in cell viability in both types of glands.
甲基汞（MeHg）是毒性最强的汞形态之一，可导致多种系统性损伤；然而，迄今为止，其对唾液腺的影响仍鲜有研究。本研究旨在分析慢性甲基汞中毒后大鼠腮腺和颌下腺唾液腺中的汞沉积、氧化应激标志物和细胞活力。在此，实验使用了 40 只雄性 Wistar 大鼠（40 天龄）。实验组动物通过灌胃方式每天摄入 0.04mg/kg 体重的 MeHg 进行染毒，共 35 天，而对照组仅给予玉米油作为稀释剂。染毒期结束后，取腺体评估总汞沉积、细胞活力以及丙二醛（MDA）和亚硝酸盐水平。结果表明，唾液腺中存在汞沉积，细胞活力下降，染毒动物的两种腺体中 MDA 水平升高，而颌下腺中的亚硝酸盐浓度升高。因此，MeHg 染毒可导致唾液腺中产生沉积和氧化应激，从而降低两种腺体的细胞活力。
