Urinary mercury excretion in the early phase of mercury vapor exposure in rabbits

✍ Scribed by Nobuo Ishihara; Kenji Nakaaki; Hiroshi Satoh; Akihiko Sasaki; Reiko Yamamoto; Yoshinori Miyasaka; Kenji Urushiyama; Tsuguyoshi Suzuki

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1982
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 441 KB
• Volume: 2
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0260-437X
• DOI: 10.1002/jat.2550020306

✦ Synopsis

Abstract

Rabbits were exposed to mercury vapor at concentrations from 0.03 to 10 mg Hg m^−3^ for 3 and 8 h. Mercury concentrations in urine, red blood cells and plasma, activities of several enzymes in urine, urinary protein and creatinine concentrations, and catalase activities in red blood cells were determined before and during the exposure. During latent periods for the detection of mercury after the start of exposure in urine, red blood cells or plasma showed an inverse correlation with the level of mercury in the inspired air. When the air mercury level was 1.5 mg Hg m^−3^ or below, mercury was not detected in plasma, in spite of a clear rise of urinary and erythrocytic mercury levels in the early time period during exposure. However, with air mercury higher than 2 mg Hg m^−3^, mercury was detected in urine, red blood cells and plasma. Urinary protein, urinary enzyme activities and blood catalase were unaffected during the course of exposure.