Glutathione peroxidase activity in rats poisoned with mercury-vapor and influence of simultaneous administration of selenium

• Published in: Nihon Jinzo Gakkai shi Vol. 29; no. 2; pp. 235 - 241
• Main Authors: SHIMOSAKA, HIROAKI, FUTENMA, ARAO, NAKAMURA, SHINYA, KATO, KATUMI, SAWAKI, SHUNJI
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: Japanese
• Published: Japan Japanese Society of Nephrology 01-02-1987
• Subjects: Administration, Inhalation; Animals; glutathione peroxidase; Glutathione Peroxidase - metabolism; kidney; Kidney - metabolism; mercury; Mercury Poisoning - drug therapy; Mercury Poisoning - enzymology; Mercury Poisoning - prevention & control; Nebulizers and Vaporizers; Rats; Rats, Inbred Strains; selenium; Selenium - therapeutic use
• ISSN: 0385-2385; 1884-0728
• DOI: 10.14842/jpnjnephrol1959.29.235

The effect of mercury administration and simultaneous administration of mercury and selenium on intrarenal concentration of these metals and activity of glutathione peroxidase (GPx) of rat kidney were studied. Control rat was fed by laboratory chow freely. Mercury was administered by mercury vapor at a concentration of 8.0 mg/m3 for a hundred minutes/day during 6 weeks. Selenium was given by 10 ppm sodium selenite tap water, Rat was killed by decapitation and kidney was removed to homogenize by Potter-Elvehjem grinder at 1, 000 rpm for 1 minute. The homogenate was centrifuged to separate mitochondrial and lysosomal fraction at 25, 000×g for 20 minutes, then microsomal fraction was separated from supernatant at 100, 000×g for 60 minutes. GPx was measured by the method of Nakamura et al, Mercury content was assayed by the reducing vapourization method, selenium by the fluorometric method with 2, 3-diaminonaphthalene and protein content by the method of Lowry et al. In mercury vapor inhalted rat, intrarenal concentrations of mercury and selenium were remarkably increased, Further increase was observed in the rat simultaneously administered with mercury and selenium. It was found that mercury mainly concentrated in mitochondrial and lysosomal fraction in all experiments, On the other hand, selenium was mostly found in the supernatant of mercury vapor inhalated rat. But, in the rat simultaneously administered with mercury and selenium, selenium was remakably increased mitochondrial and lysosomal fraction. GPx activity of mercury vapor inhalated rat was significantly depressed in microsomal and supernatant fractions comparing to those of control rat. On the other hand, no significant difference of GPx activity was observed between control rat and the rat simultaneously administered with mercury and selenium. By these results, it was suggested that selenium was effective in prevention of decrease in GPx activity of supernatant and microsomal fractions of mercury vapor inhalated rat.