Yonsei Med J.  1981 Dec;22(2):122-126. 10.3349/ymj.1981.22.2.122.

Interaction between Inorganic Mercury and Selenium on Tissue Sulfhydryl Groups and Glutathione-linked Enzymes in Rats

• Oh SH
• Lee MH

• KMID: 934619
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3349/ymj.1981.22.2.122

Abstract

The effect of selenium on the tissue sulfhydryl group content and lipid peroxide-destorying enzyme system in the liver, kidney and testis of rat treated with mercury was investigated. The male rats were injected s.c. with HgCl2 (10 micromoles/kg BW) and orally received Na2SeO3 (13 micromoles/kg BW) simultaneously. After 3 days, liver, kidney and testis were removed and analyzed. Mercury decreased the total sulfhydryl group content in the kidney by 25% and the total glutathione content in the kidney and testis by 50% and 36%, respectively, with no changes in other tissues. There was 12% increase in the total sulfhydryl group but not in the total glutathione content in kidney by a simul-taneous treatment of Se and Hg. Glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activities were decreased by 63% in the liver and 69% in the kidney, and glutathione reductase (GSH-Rd) activity was increased in the tests by 16% by the Hg treatment with no changes in Other tissues. Hg had no effect upon glutathione-S-transferase activities in all organs examined. Simultaneous Se treatment increased GSH-Rd activity in the kidney by 23% and GSH-Px activities in liver and kidney by 24% and 21%, respectively, compared to the Hg-treated group. These data indicate that the alleviation of Hg toxicity by Se treatment is well correlated with the protein sulfhydryl group content and GSH-Px activity.

Keyword

Interaction between Hg and Se

MeSH Terms

Animal
Glutathione/metabolism*
Glutathione Peroxidase/analysis
Glutathione Reductase/analysis
Male
Mercury/toxicity*
Rats
Selenium/pharmacology*
Sulfhydryl Compounds/analysis*