Correlation between selenium and mercury in man following exposure to inorganic mercury

Kosta, L.; Byrne, A. R.; Zelenko, V.

doi:10.1038/254238a0

Cited by 292 publications

(122 citation statements)

References 5 publications

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“…As judged by the current blo od mercury concentration, no occupational exposure to mercury vapor was occurring at the time of the blood sampling, while the difference in the current urinary mercury concentration betw een the expose d subjects and the referents may reflect pre viou s exposure. Kosta et al (2) showed that sub stantial concentrations of mercury were present in form er mercury miners ma ny years after the ce ssation of mercury exposure. Tobacco smoke was probably the mo st importa nt current exposure to mutagens for the subjects under study .…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Chromosome aberrations in chloralkali workers previously exposed to mercury vapor.

Hansteen

Ellingsen²,

Clausen³

et al. 1993

Scand J Work Environ Health

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…However, prior to oxidation, elemental mercury can penetrate into different tissues through biological membranes (I) and persist for many years after the cessation of exposure (2).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Chromosome aberrations in chloralkali workers previously exposed to mercury vapor.

Hansteen

Ellingsen²,

Clausen³

et al. 1993

Scand J Work Environ Health

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“…303,304 The association between Se and inorganic Hg in exposed subjects is well established. 305 In the bloodstream, selenite reacts also with Hg 2+ to form a species with a core of HgSe and GS-moieties ligated on the surface in the form (HgSe) 100 (GS) 5 . 302 This species binds to SelP up to a proportion of 35 units per protein, so that this Se-protein is actively involved in a detoxification mechanism for Hg.…”

Section: Interaction With Toxic Metalsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Selenium biochemistry and its role for human health

Roman¹,

Jitaru²,

Barbante³

2014

Metallomics

629

451

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Despite its very low level in humans, selenium plays an important and unique role among the (semi)metal trace essential elements because it is the only one for which incorporation into proteins is genetically encoded, as the constitutive part of the 21st amino acid, selenocysteine. Twenty-five selenoproteins have been identified so far in the human proteome. The biological functions of some of them are still unknown, whereas for others there is evidence for a role in antioxidant defence, redox state regulation and a wide variety of specific metabolic pathways. In relation to these functions, the selenoproteins emerged in recent years as possible biomarkers of several diseases such as diabetes and several forms of cancer. Comprehension of the selenium biochemical pathways under normal physiological conditions is therefore an important requisite to elucidate its preventing/therapeutic effect for human diseases. This review summarizes the most recent findings on the biochemistry of active selenium species in humans, and addresses the latest evidence on the link between selenium intake, selenoproteins functionality and beneficial health effects. Primary emphasis is given to the interpretation of biochemical mechanisms rather than epidemiological/observational data. In this context, the review includes the following sections: (1) brief introduction; (2) general nutritional aspects of selenium; (3) global view of selenium metabolic routes; (4) detailed characterization of all human selenoproteins; (5) detailed discussion of the relation between selenoproteins and a variety of human diseases.

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“…10 In workers with high lifetime exposure to elemental mercury, deposits of mercury were found in the brain at autopsy, even though exposure to mercury had ceased years previously. 11 In rats, the highest concentrations of mercury were found in the Purkinje cells of the cerebellum and in certain neurons of the spinal cord and midbrain. 12 The toxicity of mercury vapour is dose-dependent.…”

Section: Metallic Mercurymentioning

confidence: 99%

Toxicity of mercury

1999

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A ruling by the European Union heralds the demise of those useful clinical instruments, the mercury thermometer and the mercury sphygmomanometer. The new laws have been passed because of worries about mercury poisoning. Yet you can drink metallic mercury and come to no harm. What does it all mean? There are three forms of mercury from a toxicological point of view: inorganic mercury salts; organic mercury compounds; and metallic mercury. Inorganic mercury salts are water soluble, irritate the gut, and cause severe kidney damage. Organic mercury compounds, which are fat soluble, can cross the blood brain barrier and cause neurological damage. Mercury metal poses two dangers. It can be vaporised: the vapour pressure at room temperature is about 100 times the safe amount, so Keywords: mercury; toxicity; thermometer; sphygmomanometer Toxicity of mercuryA new European Union directive 1 will prohibit the use of mercury in sphygmomanometers and clinical thermometers. We review here the toxic effect of mercury and its compounds and discuss their relevance to the environment and to modern medicine.The Chinese used mercury (II) sulphide 1000 years before the birth of Christ as the red dye pigment vermilion. It was used similarly in the GraecoRoman world, with both Hippocrates and Galen recording its toxic effects. Since then its toxicity has become well known in metalworkers, miners, felthat manufacturers, dyers and paint manufacturers. Despite this, mercury has been incorporated into the treatment of man's maladies from ancient times. Its main use has been to treat syphilis, from its first appearance in the West in the 15th century up to World War II. 2 Mercury and its salts have at various times been used as antiseptics, skin ointments, laxatives, diuretics, bowel washouts for the treatment of colorectal cancer, and scabicides. It is still used today as a solvent for the silver-tin amalgams used in dental fillings. So how toxic is mercury? The hazards of mercuryThere are substantial differences in toxicity of elemental mercury metal, inorganic mercury salts, poisoning can occur if mercury metal is spilled into crevices or cracks in the floorboards. Dentists are occasionally poisoned this way. Mercury easily crosses into the brain, and causes tremor, depression, and behavioural disturbances. A second danger from metallic mercury is that it is biotransformed into organic mercury, by bacteria at the bottom of lakes. This can be passed along the food chain and eventually to man. It was this process that led to the Japanese tragedy at Minimata Bay in the late 1950s when over 800 people were poisoned. It is the need to reduce mercury contamination of the environment which should encourage us to cut the usage of metallic mercury. However, much more metallic mercury is spilled as waste by the chemical industry than is dropped on the floor in the clinic.

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Correlation between selenium and mercury in man following exposure to inorganic mercury

Cited by 292 publications

References 5 publications

Chromosome aberrations in chloralkali workers previously exposed to mercury vapor.

Chromosome aberrations in chloralkali workers previously exposed to mercury vapor.

Selenium biochemistry and its role for human health

Toxicity of mercury

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