Biomaterial Database

Detection of mercury in rat spinal cord and dorsal root ganglia after exposure to mercury vapor. 1993

J D Schiønning, and R Eide, and B Møller-Madsen, and E Ernst

Department of Neurobiology, University of Aarhus, Denmark.

Adult male Wistar rats were exposed to mercury vapor, 50 micrograms Hg/m3, 6 hr/day, 5 days/week, over 1-, 2-, 3-, 4-, 6-, and 8-week periods. Sections from the spinal cord and dorsal root ganglia from spinal levels C1, C5, T6, and L1 were stained with the autometallographical technique and the distribution of mercury deposits described at light and electron microscopical levels. A quantitative analysis of the amount of mercury in blocks of the spinal cord was performed using cold vapor atomic absorption spectrophotometry. After an exposure period of 2 weeks, silver-enhanced mercury grains could be observed in spinal cord neurons located in Rexed laminae IV-X. Ventral horn motoneurons were heavily stained in all of the spinal cord segments. Ependymal cells and glial cells of both the spinal gray and white matter contained cytoplasmatic mercury accumulations in rats exposed to mercury vapor for 4 weeks. In the dorsal root ganglia, only ganglion cells showed a faint mercury staining and the amount of staining was notably less than that seen in the ventral horn motoneurons. At the ultrastructural level, mercury was seen primarily within lysosomes of target cells. The quantitative mercury measurements demonstrated that spinal cords from rats exposed to mercury vapor for 6 or 8 weeks contained a significantly higher concentration of mercury than those from control animals.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008247	Lysosomes	A class of morphologically heterogeneous cytoplasmic particles in animal and plant tissues characterized by their content of hydrolytic enzymes and the structure-linked latency of these enzymes. The intracellular functions of lysosomes depend on their lytic potential. The single unit membrane of the lysosome acts as a barrier between the enzymes enclosed in the lysosome and the external substrate. The activity of the enzymes contained in lysosomes is limited or nil unless the vesicle in which they are enclosed is ruptured or undergoes MEMBRANE FUSION. (From Rieger et al., Glossary of Genetics: Classical and Molecular, 5th ed).	Autolysosome,Autolysosomes,Lysosome
D008297	Male		Males
D008628	Mercury	A silver metallic element that exists as a liquid at room temperature. It has the atomic symbol Hg (from hydrargyrum, liquid silver), atomic number 80, and atomic weight 200.59. Mercury is used in many industrial applications and its salts have been employed therapeutically as purgatives, antisyphilitics, disinfectants, and astringents. It can be absorbed through the skin and mucous membranes which leads to MERCURY POISONING. Because of its toxicity, the clinical use of mercury and mercurials is diminishing.
D008854	Microscopy, Electron	Microscopy using an electron beam, instead of light, to visualize the sample, thereby allowing much greater magnification. The interactions of ELECTRONS with specimens are used to provide information about the fine structure of that specimen. In TRANSMISSION ELECTRON MICROSCOPY the reactions of the electrons that are transmitted through the specimen are imaged. In SCANNING ELECTRON MICROSCOPY an electron beam falls at a non-normal angle on the specimen and the image is derived from the reactions occurring above the plane of the specimen.	Electron Microscopy
D009131	Muscle, Smooth, Vascular	The nonstriated involuntary muscle tissue of blood vessels.	Vascular Smooth Muscle,Muscle, Vascular Smooth,Muscles, Vascular Smooth,Smooth Muscle, Vascular,Smooth Muscles, Vascular,Vascular Smooth Muscles
D009474	Neurons	The basic cellular units of nervous tissue. Each neuron consists of a body, an axon, and dendrites. Their purpose is to receive, conduct, and transmit impulses in the NERVOUS SYSTEM.	Nerve Cells,Cell, Nerve,Cells, Nerve,Nerve Cell,Neuron
D002196	Capillaries	The minute vessels that connect arterioles and venules.	Capillary Beds,Sinusoidal Beds,Sinusoids,Bed, Sinusoidal,Beds, Sinusoidal,Capillary,Capillary Bed,Sinusoid,Sinusoidal Bed
D003712	Dendrites	Extensions of the nerve cell body. They are short and branched and receive stimuli from other NEURONS.	Dendrite
D005727	Ganglia, Spinal	Sensory ganglia located on the dorsal spinal roots within the vertebral column. The spinal ganglion cells are pseudounipolar. The single primary branch bifurcates sending a peripheral process to carry sensory information from the periphery and a central branch which relays that information to the spinal cord or brain.	Dorsal Root Ganglia,Spinal Ganglia,Dorsal Root Ganglion,Ganglion, Spinal,Ganglia, Dorsal Root,Ganglion, Dorsal Root,Spinal Ganglion
D000280	Administration, Inhalation	The administration of drugs by the respiratory route. It includes insufflation into the respiratory tract.	Drug Administration, Inhalation,Drug Administration, Respiratory,Drug Aerosol Therapy,Inhalation Drug Administration,Inhalation of Drugs,Respiratory Drug Administration,Aerosol Drug Therapy,Aerosol Therapy, Drug,Drug Therapy, Aerosol,Inhalation Administration,Administration, Inhalation Drug,Administration, Respiratory Drug,Therapy, Aerosol Drug,Therapy, Drug Aerosol