Reduction of methylmercury concentration in neonatal rat brains after administration of dimercaptosuccinic acid to dams while pregnant.
Sprague-Dawley rats were gavaged on day 7 of gestation with 1.62, 3.23 or 10 mg methylmercury/kg. Beginning one day later, the dams were administered 0, 20 or 40 mg 2,3-dimercaptosuccinic acid/kg/day until they delivered their pups. Concentrations of methylmercury in the brains of pups whose dams were treated with 20 mg DMSA/kg/day were reduced 50% compared with control pups. 40 mg DMSA/kg/day decreased brain concentrations 70% compared to non-chelated controls. The data indicate that DMSA might be effective in protecting the developing organism against morphological and/or behavioral teratological consequences of methylmercury poisoning in utero.
D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn / Q000378:metabolism; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D008767:Methylmercury Compounds / Q000378:metabolism*; D011247:Pregnancy; D051381:Rats; D004113:Succimer / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013438:Sulfhydryl Compounds / Q000494:pharmacology*
D008767:Methylmercury Compounds; D013438:Sulfhydryl Compounds; D004113:Succimer