Methylmercury (MeHg) is known to cause neurobehavioral impairment in human and experimental animals. We previously reported that MeHg (5 mg Hg/kg) induced severe neurobehavioral dysfunction in 4-week-old KK-Ay mice, although it is difficult to evaluate quantitatively the neurobehavioral impairment in MeHg-treated KK-Ay mice because of their obesity. The aim of this study was to evaluate MeHg-induced neurobehavioral dysfunction in KK-Ay mice using the dynamic weight-bearing test, which analyzes the animal's weight distribution between the four limbs. Male 12-week-old KK-Ay mice were treated with MeHg (5 mg Hg/kg) three times per week for 5 weeks. Body weight loss began after approximately 2 weeks of MeHg treatment, and decreased significantly at 4 weeks. Seven of the nine MeHg-treated mice exhibited overt neurological symptoms such as ataxia and gait disturbance. The weight-bearing load was lower for the forelimb than for the hindlimb at baseline and until 1 week after MeHg treatment was initiated. In weeks 2-4, the dynamic weight-bearing loads on the forelimb and hindlimb were similar. The load on the forelimb exceeded the load on the hindlimb after 5 weeks of treatment. This finding indicates that the dynamic weight-bearing test is useful for semi-quantitative evaluation of neurobehavioral impairment in MeHg-treated rodents, and is less stressful for the animals. Infiltration of CD204-positive macrophages was observed in the sciatic nerve of MeHg-treated mice, suggesting that CD204 can serve as a useful marker of tissue injury in peripheral nerves and a possible target in regenerating peripheral nerves and controlling neuropathies.

-People are exposed to methylmercury (MeHg) mainly through fish consumption, which is increasing in Vietnam. However, little information is available on estimating the health risk of MeHg exposure through fish consumption in Vietnam. The present study examined the association between mercury (Hg) levels in hair and selenium (Se) levels in toenails of 196 Vietnamese people and their fish consumption, using a dietary questionnaire to obtain information pertinent for assessing health risk owing to MeHg exposure. The geometric mean of Hg levels in the hair of males and females was 617 ng/g and 575 ng/g, respectively. We found that Hg levels in the hair of 98% of the Vietnamese study subjects were lower than the provisional tolerable weekly intake for MeHg (1.6 μg Hg/kg body weight; which is equivalent to a hair Hg concentration of approximately 2,300 ng/g, with an uncertainty factor of 6.4). There were significant differences in the age-adjusted geometric mean of Hg levels found in hair from females related to their frequency of freshwater fish consumption. The levels of Hg in hair and Se in toenails increased with an increased frequency of marine fish consumption, and both showed a significant positive correlation in subjects who consumed marine fish ≥ once/week. This is the first cross-sectional study to investigate the association between hair Hg levels and fish consumption in Vietnam. These findings provide valuable information for future assessments of the health risk of MeHg exposure through fish consumption in Vietnam.

The Japanese shrimp industry depends on importing shrimp from other countries. However, little information is available on mercury speciation and selenium (Se) concentrations in commercial shrimp available in Japan. The present study determined the concentrations of total mercury (T-Hg), methylmercury (MeHg), and Se in the muscles (wet weight) of imported and domestic commercial shrimp from Kumamoto and Kagoshima prefectures to obtain information for assessing the risk of MeHg exposure. The median concentrations of T-Hg, MeHg and Se in shrimp imported from three different countries were, respectively: black tiger shrimp (n = 18), 15.8, 14.4, and 415 ng/g; Vannamei shrimp (n = 25), 11.4, 11.2, and 292 ng/g; and white shrimp (n = 26), 26.8, 26.1, and 396 ng/g. There were significant differences in T-Hg and MeHg concentrations between shrimp imported from different countries. The median concentrations of T-Hg, MeHg and Se in shrimp of Japanese origin were, respectively: Shiba shrimp (n = 10), 15.9, 15.0, and 270 ng/g; Kuruma shrimp (n = 10), 79.9, 75.9, and 390 ng/g; and Ashiaka shrimp (n = 10), 36.1, 34.1, and 303 ng/g. The percentages of MeHg in T-Hg were between 90% and 99%, with MeHg levels in the imported and domestic commercial shrimp lower than the Japanese regulation of 300 ng/g for fish. The mean Se/T-Hg molar ratios (16-160) were comparatively higher than those previously reported in fish. Overall, this survey suggests that shrimp commercially available in Japan will not pose a particularly high risk regarding MeHg exposure to consumers.