Effects of selenium on toxicity and ultrastructural localization of mercury in cultured murine macrophages.
The effects of selenium on cellular toxicity and histochemical distribution of mercury were examined in a cell culture system of mouse peritoneal macrophages. Selenium protected against the toxicity of mercury in cultures exposed to 4 microM of mercuric chloride. Selenomethionine caused a significant increase in cell survival throughout the experiments, while sodium selenite delayed the toxicity of mercury for a while, after which selenite itself had a toxic effect. The amount of mercury visualized by autometallography was increased in macrophage cultures pre-exposed to sodium selenite or selenomethionine. The additional mercury made visible by this histochemical demonstration was located in the cytoplasm as well as in the lysosomes.
Christensen
M
M
Department of Neurobiology, University of Aarhus, Denmark.
Rungby
J
J
Mogensen
S C
SC
D000818:Animals; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D005260:Female; D008264:Macrophages / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D008297:Male; D008627:Mercuric Chloride / Q000032:analysis / Q000633:toxicity*; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D010529:Peritoneal Cavity / Q000166:cytology; D012643:Selenium / Q000494:pharmacology*
D008627:Mercuric Chloride; D012643:Selenium