Kimiko Hirayama

Methylmercury transport across the placenta via neutral amino acid carrier

Abstract Methylmercury (MeHg) penetrates the placental barrier to affect developing fetuses in the uterus. However, the mechanism of placental MeHg transport is not well defined. To clarify the MeHg transport system that functions in the placenta, pregnant rats were intravenously administered MeHg on day 18 of gestation. The fetal blood was collected from the umbilical cord at 30 and 60 min after the administration, and its mercury concentration was measured. MeHg was found to be rapidly transported to the fetal blood in a time- and dose-dependent manner, and predominantly distributed in the blood cells there. MeHg transport was effectively suppressed by the co-injection of neutral amino acids, i.e., L-methionine and L-phenylalanine, suggesting that MeHg is actively transported as its cysteine conjugate via the neutral amino acid carrier system. The suppression by methionine was not so marked as by phenylalanine. Since methionine administration caused a rapid increase of the cysteine, which functioned as a predominant carrier in MeHg transport, in the maternal plasma, newly synthesized cysteine seemed to accelerate the mercury uptake. Accordingly, the acceleration by the extra cysteine would compensate partly the competitive effect of methionine as a neutral amino acid.

Inhibition of stress-induced gastric injury in the rat by glutathione

Glutathione metabolism occurs via interorgan cycles in which hepatic synthesis of reduced glutathione and its transfer to extrahepatic tissues play an important role. To elucidate the physiologic significance of the cycles and tissue thiol status during stress-induced gastric mucosal injury, dynamic aspects of glutathione metabolism were analyzed in rats that were treated with water-immersion restraint. This treatment induced gastric mucosal lesion with concomitant decrease in the levels of perchloric acid-soluble thiols in various tissues, particularly in the liver and stomach. During the treatment, glutathione levels markedly decreased in the liver but not in other tissues. Depletion of hepatic glutathione by buthionine sulfoximine, a specific inhibitor for gamma-glutamyl cysteine synthetase, markedly decreased hepatic glutathione levels and increased the gastric injury. Intraperitoneal injection of reduced glutathione significantly increased plasma levels of glutathione and inhibited the occurrence of gastric injury without affecting intracellular glutathione levels. These results indicate that extracellular glutathione and its interorgan metabolism might play a critical role in the protection of gastric mucosa particularly when animals were challenged with various stress.

Mechanism of urinary excretion of methylmercury in mice

To elucidate the mechanism by which methylmercury (MeHg) is eliminated from organisms, male C57BL/6N mice were orally administered with MeHg chloride (5 mg/kg) and the chemical forms of its metabolites in plasma, urine and the kidney were determined by column chromatographic analysis. Orally administered MeHg rapidly entered the circulation, accumulated in the kidney and other tissues, and was slowly excreted in the urine. Ultrafiltration and gel filtration analysis revealed that most of plasma MeHg was accounted for by its albumin conjugate. Cell fractionation analysis revealed that about 80% of renal MeHg was recovered from the 15 000 g supernatant fraction of the kidney homogenate. If the kidney was homogenized in the presence of serine-borate complex, a potent inhibitor of γ-glutamyltranspeptidase (γ-GTP), about 50% of the MeHg in the supernatant fraction was recovered as its glutathione S-conjugate while the rest was bound to cytosolic protein(s). The major part of urinary MeHg was accounted for by its cysteine conjugate. However, urinary excretion of its glutathione conjugate increased significantly if animals were pretreated with acivicin, an affinity labeling reagent for γ-GTP. These and other results suggested that MeHg bound to albumin accumulated in the kidney predominantly via some non-filtrating peritubular mechanism, and localized in renal cytosolic compartment as its glutathione- and protein-bound forms. The glutathione S-conjugate of MeHg in the tubule cells might be transferred to the lumenal space, hydrolyzed to the cysteine S-conjugate, and then excreted in urine. These sequential events might constitute an important eliminatory pathway for a hazardous mercurial metabolite in mice.

Sex and age differences in mercury distribution and excretion in methylmercury‐administered mice

Sex differences in mercury distribution and excretion after single administration of methylmercury chloride (MMC, 5 mg/kg) were studied in mice. A sex difference in urinary mercury excretion was found in sexually mature mice (age of 7 wk) of C57BL/6N and BALB/cA strains. Males showed higher mercury levels in urine than females, though no significant difference was found in fecal mercury levels 24 h post exposure to MMC. The higher urinary excretion rates in males accounted for significant lowering of mercury levels in the brain, liver, and blood, but not in the kidney, which showed higher values. At 5 min, however, these sex difference was found only in the kidney, showing higher levels in males. Changes in mercury distribution with time were studied in C57BL/6N mice. The brain mercury increased in both sexes up to 3 d, and decreased only in males on d 5. Liver and blood mercury decreased with time in both sexes, and these were constantly higher in females than in males. Renal mercury in males decreased to similar levels to females on d 3. The sex differences at various ages were studied with C57BL/6N mice 24 h after dosing. Two-week-old mice, the youngest in this study, did not show significant sex difference in the mercury distribution and excretion, and their urinary mercury levels were much lower as compared to the older mice. Then, urinary mercury excretion in both sexes increased at 4 wk of age and then decreased at 45 wk of age. At 4, 7, 10, and 45 wk of age, males showed higher urinary mercury levels than females. These studies demonstrated sex and age differences in the mercury distribution and urinary excretion after methylmercury administration in mice. From these findings, it has been suggested that urinary mercury excretion may be related to sex hormones, especially androgens.

Degradation of methyl and ethyl mercury into inorganic mercury by hydroxyl radical produced from rat liver microsomes.

Liver microsomes were prepared from Wistar rat by the Ca2+ aggregation method. Under various conditions, ethyl mercury chloride (EtHgCl) or methyl mercury chloride (MeHgCl) was incubated with the microsomal preparations. After the incubation, the amounts of inorganic Hg and hydroxyl radical (·OH) in the preparations were determined. Although the preparations alone produced a small amount of inorganic Hg and ·OH, the addition of NADPH to the preparations increased both inorganic Hg and ·OH production, which were further accelerated by the addition of KCN. The addition of Fe(III)EDTA, a ·OH formation promoter, to the microsome-NADPH-KCN system increased inorganic Hg production, whereas the addition of diethylenetriamine pentaacetic acid, a ·OH formation inhibitor, decreased inorganic Hg production. When ·OH scavengers such as mannitol and dimethyl sulfoxide were added to this system, the inorganic Hg production decreased. These results suggested that the ·OH produced from liver microsomes was responsible for the degradation of MeHg and EtHg. Since both ·OH and inorganic Hg production decreased with a concomitant decrease in NADPH-cytochrome P-450 reductase activities, it is suggested that this enzyme may be involved in the microsomal degradation of MeHg and EtHg.

Induction by mercury compounds of brain metallothionein in rats: Hg0 exposure induces long-lived brain metallothionein.

Abstract Metallothionein (MT) is one of the stress proteins which can easily be induced by various kind of heavy metals. However, MT in the brain is difficult to induce because of blood-brain barrier impermeability to␣most heavy metals. In this paper, we have attempted to induce brain MT in rats by exposure to methylmercury (MeHg) or metallic mercury vapor, both of which are known to penetrate the blood-brain barrier and cause neurological damage. Rats treated with MeHg (40 μmol/kg per day × 5 days, p.o.) showed brain Hg levels as high as 18 μg/g with slight neurological signs 10␣days after final administration, but brain MT levels remained unchanged. However, rats exposed to Hg vapor for 7 days showed 7–8 μg Hg/g brain tissue 24 h after cessation of exposure. At that time brain MT levels were about twice the control levels. Although brain Hg levels fell gradually with a half-life of 26 days, MT levels induced by Hg exposure remained unchanged for >2␣weeks. Gel fractionation revealed that most Hg was in the brain cytosol fraction and thus bound to MT. Hybridization analysis showed that, despite a significant increase in MT-I and -II mRNA in brain, MT-III mRNA was less affected. Although significant Hg accumulation and MT induction were observed also in kidney and liver of Hg vapor-exposed rats, these decreased more quickly than in brain. The long-lived MT in brain might at least partly be accounted for by longer half-life of Hg accumulated there. The present results showed that exposure to Hg vapor might be a suitable procedure to provide an in vivo model with enhanced brain MT.

Degradation of methyl and ethyl mercury by singlet oxygen generated from sea water exposed to sunlight or ultraviolet light

Photodegradation of methyl mercury (MeHg) and ethyl Hg (EtHg) in sea water was studied by sunlight or ultraviolet (UV) light exposure, and by determining inorganic Hg produced by degradation. Sea water containing 1 μM MeHg or EtHg was exposed to sunlight or UV light. N-Acetyl-l-cysteine was added to the solution for preventing Hg loss during the light exposure. MeHg and EtHg in sea water were degraded by sunlight (>280 nm), UV light A (320–400 nm) and UV light B (280–320 nm), though the amounts of inorganic Hg produced from MeHg were 1/6th to 1/12th those from EtHg. Inorganic Hg production was greater with increasing concentration of sea water. Degradation of MeHg and EtHg by the UV light A exposure was inhibited by singlet oxygen (1O2) trappers such as NaN3, 1,4-diazabicyclo[2,2,2]octane, histidine, methionine and 2,5-dimethylfuran. On the other hand, inhibitors or scavengers of Superoxide anion, hydrogen peroxide or hydroxyl radical did not inhibit the photodegradation of alkyl Hg. These results suggested that (1O2) generated from sea water exposed to sunlight, UV light A or UV light B was the reactive oxygen species mainly responsible for the degradation of MeHg and EtHg.

Mechanism of methylmercury efflux from cultured astrocytes

To study the mechanism of methylmercury (MeHg) efflux from the central nervous system cells, cultured astroglia obtained from neonatal rats were incubated with 10 microM MeHg-cysteine (CySH) for 30 min. After being washed four times, cells were incubated in Hg-free medium, and the release of MeHg from the cells was monitored. The amount of MeHg released in the medium approached a plateau level (ca. 31% of the loaded amount) at 4 hr. Treatment of the cells with a CySH precursor, 2-oxothiazolidine-4-carboxylic acid (OTC), resulted in a significant increase of cellular levels of CySH and glutathione (GSH). OTC also increased 1.5-fold the MeHg efflux from the loaded cells. Another GSH enhancer, GSH isopropyl ester, also stimulated MeHg export from the cells. Ion-exchange column chromatography using DEAE-Sephadex revealed that the MeHg metabolite thus released was exclusively MeHg-GSH conjugate, both with and without OTC. Since the MeHg efflux was suppressed significantly by the presence of probenecid, the efflux occurred via the probenecid-sensitive organic acid transport system. Even though the cellular GSH levels were depleted drastically by treatment with L-buthionine-(S,R)-sulfoximine (BSO), a considerable level (90% of the control) of Hg efflux was detected. Since neither GSH- nor CySH-MeHg was detected in the culture medium of the BSO-treated cells, GSH depletion may trigger some other secretion system(s) in the cells. These results suggest that conjugation with GSH is the major pathway for MeHg efflux in rat astroglia, and that elevation in the cellular GSH level would possibly be a logical therapy for MeHg poisoning, promoting the accelerated elimination of MeHg from the critical tissues.

Role of nitric oxide in the cerebellar degeneration during methylmercury intoxication.

To investigate the role of nitric oxide in the cerebellar degeneration during methylmercury intoxication, interaction of the change in nitric oxide synthase activity and degeneration of the granular layer neurons was examined in rats after methylmercury administration. Both reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH)-diaphorase and anti-nitric oxide synthase antibody staining, and measurement of glutamate, and nitrite and nitrate levels in the cerebrospinal fluid were performed after oral administration of 5 mg/kg of methylmercury for 12 days. Nitric oxide synthase activity in the cerebellum was also assayed by monitoring the conversion of arginine to citrulline. Methylmercury levels in the blood and the cerebellum gradually increased up to day 13 after the initial methylmercury administration, and neurological disturbances, such as hindleg crossing and abnormal gait, were observed from day 17 after administration. Although a significant decrease in the number of granular layer neurons was recognized at day 84, no such decrease either in NADPH-diaphorase or anti-nitric oxide synthase antibody positive neurons was seen. Glutamate levels in the cerebrospinal fluid transiently increased at day 9 and finally decreased at day 84. Also a transient increase in both nitrite and nitrate levels in the cerebrospinal fluid and nitric oxide synthase activity in the cerebellum was seen prior to the start of degeneration of the granular layer neurons. These results suggest that nitric oxide may play an important role in the degeneration process of the granular layer neurons during methylmercury intoxication.

Evaluation of methylmercury biotransformation using rat liver slices.

Abstract. To examine the demethylation reaction of methylmercury (MeHg) in rat liver, slices prepared from MeHg-treated rats were incubated in L-15 medium under 95% O2/5% CO2 atmosphere. During the incubation, the amount of inorganic Hg in the slices markedly increased in a time-dependent manner, although the concentration of total Hg remained unchanged. Since the C-Hg bond in MeHg was demonstrated to be cleaved by the action of some reactive oxygen species, the effects on MeHg demethylation of several reagents that could modify reactive oxygen production were examined in the present system. Methylviologen was found to be an effective enhancer of the demethylation reaction with only a minor effect on lipid peroxidation. On the other hand, ferrous ion added to the medium showed no effect on demethylation in the presence or absence of methylviologen, although lipid peroxide levels were increased significantly by ferrous ion. Similarly, deferoxamine mesylate, which effectively suppressed the increase in lipid peroxide levels, also had no effect on demethylation. Furthermore, hydroxy radical scavengers, such as mannitol and dimethylsulfoxide, had no effect on inorganic Hg production. Rotenone, an inhibitor of complex I in the mitochondrial electron transport system, increased levels of both inorganic Hg and lipid peroxide. However, other inhibitors, such as antimycin A, myxothiazole and NaCN, significantly suppressed the demethylation reaction. Cell fractionation of the MeHg-treated rat liver revealed that the ratio of inorganic Hg to total Hg was highest in the mitochondrial fraction. Furthermore, superoxide anion could degrade MeHg in an organic solvent but not in water. These results suggested that the demethylation of MeHg by the liver slice would proceed with the aid of superoxide anion produced in the electron transfer system at the hydrophobic mitochondrial inner membrane. Furthermore, the involvement of hydroxy radicals, which have been demonstrated to be effective in cleaving the C-Hg bond in the aqueous media, might be minimal. Here, we also demonstrated that liver slices are a useful experimental model for mimicking the MeHg biotransformation reaction.