Genetic Polymorphisms in Glutathione (GSH-) Related Genes Affect the Plasmatic Hg/Whole Blood Hg Partitioning and the Distribution between Inorganic and Methylmercury Levels in Plasma Collected from a Fish-Eating Population

• Published in: BioMed research international Vol. 2014; no. 2014; pp. 1 - 8
• Main Authors: de Oliveira, Andréia Ávila Soares, Souza, Marilesia Ferreira de, Lengert, André van Helvoort, de Oliveira, Marcelo Tempesta, Camargo, Rossana Batista de Oliveira Godoy, Braga, Gilberto Úbida Leite, Cólus, Ilce Mara de Syllos, Barbosa Junior, Fernando, Barcelos, Gustavo Rafael Mazzaron
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Cairo, Egypt Hindawi Puplishing Corporation 01-01-2014; Hindawi Publishing Corporation; John Wiley & Sons, Inc; Hindawi Limited
• Subjects: Animals; Biomarkers; Biomarkers - blood; Blood; Brazil; Enzymes; Feeding Behavior; Fishes; Gene Frequency - genetics; Genes; Genetic polymorphisms; Genotype; Glutathione - genetics; Glutathione transferase; Humans; Life Style; Meat; Mercury; Mercury - blood; Methylmercury; Methylmercury Compounds - blood; Multivariate Analysis; Plasma; Polymorphism, Genetic; Studies; Brazil
• ISSN: 2314-6133; 2314-6141
• DOI: 10.1155/2014/940952

This study aims to evaluate the effects of polymorphisms in glutathione (GSH-) related genes (GSTM1, GSTT1, GSTP1, GCLM, and GCLC) in the distribution of Hg in the blood compartments in humans exposed to methylmercury (MeHg). Subjects (n=88), exposed to MeHg from fish consumption, were enrolled in the study. Hg species in the plasma compartment were determined by LC-ICP-MS, whereas genotyping was performed by PCR assays. Mean total Hg levels in plasma (THgP) and whole blood (THgB) were 10±4.2 and 37±21, whereas mean evels of plasmatic MeHg (MeHgP), inorganic Hg (IHgP), and HgP/HgB were 4.3±2.9, 5.8±2.3 µg/L, and 0.33±0.15, respectively. GSTM1 and GCLC polymorphisms influence THgP and MeHgP (multivariate analyses, P<0.050). Null homozygotes for GSTM1 showed higher THgP and MeHgP levels compared to subjects with GSTM1 (THgP β=0.22, P=0.035; MeHgP β=0.30, P=0.050) and persons carrying at least one T allele for GCLC had significant higher MeHgP (β=0.59, P=0.046). Also, polymorphic GCLM subjects had lower THgP/THgB than those with the nonvariant genotype. Taken together, data of this study suggest that GSH-related polymorphisms may change the metabolism of MeHg by modifying the distribution of mercury species iin plasma compartment and the HgP/HgB partitioning.