Korean J Occup Environ Med.  1998 Aug;10(3):310-319.

A Study of Protective Effect of Selenium Against Cytotoxicity of Methylmercury Chloride

• Koh DH
• Youm JH
• Koh YS
• Joh SH
• Oh TS

Abstract

The purpose of the present study was to elucidate the cytotoxical influence of mercurial compounds and the protective effect of selenium against mercurial compounds. The effects of mercury compounds and selenium on the syntheses of nitrite(NO2-) and ATP were observed in the cell cultures of EMT-6 cells and peritoneal macrophages from Balb/c mouse. The viabilities of EMT-6 cells and peritoneal macrophages at the end of culture were significantly decreased in dose-dependent manner by methylmercury chloride (CH3HgCl) added into the media. NO2- and ATP syntheses of the cells were dose-dependently inhibited by CH3HgCl. Simultaneous addition of the equimolar dose of selenium completely prevented mercury-induced inhibitions of NO2- and ATP syntheses, which were observed in both of EMT-6 cells and peritoneal macrophages. But these effects of selenium were not appeared in the new medium containing mercurials only which were removed the selenium after the pretreatment of selenium for 6 hours. These results suggest that protective effect of selenium against mercurial compounds was archived by the formation of a complex consisting of Se-Hg or Se-Hg-protein. Though its mechanism was not clear, the protective role of selemium against the mercury toxicity would be exhibited in the immunological system.

Keyword

CH3HgCl; Selenium; Nitrite; Nitric oxide; ATP; EMT-6 cell

MeSH Terms

Adenosine Triphosphate
Animals
Cell Culture Techniques
Macrophages, Peritoneal
Mercury Compounds
Mice
Nitric Oxide
Selenium*
Adenosine Triphosphate
Mercury Compounds
Nitric Oxide
Selenium