title: In vivo incorporation of [14C]leucine into brain protein of mice treated with methylmercury and thiol complexes of methylmercury.
abstract: The effect of methylmercury and thiol complexes of methylmercury on inhibition of protein synthesis was evaluated. Mice were injected (i.p.) with the following treatments: methylmercuric chloride, methylmercury-glutathione, methylmercury-cysteinylglycine and control (vehicle) for 10 days. Ten animals from each group were injected with [14C]leucine 90 min prior to death. The brains were removed and the extracted protein was subjected to liquid scintillation analysis. Mice receiving the methylmercury and methylmercury-glutathione treatments exhibited significantly greater weight loss than the control while the methylmercury-cysteinylglycine treatment was not significantly different than the control. Incorporation of [14C]leucine into brain protein was significantly depressed in the methylmercury (81% of control) and the methylmercury-glutathione (79% of control) treatments. Protein synthesis in mice receiving the methylmercury-cysteinylglycine complex although not significantly different than the methylmercury treatments was only 92% of the control mice.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D004151:Dipeptides / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005260:Female; D005978:Glutathione / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000494:pharmacology; D007700:Kinetics; D007930:Leucine / Q000378:metabolism*; D008767:Methylmercury Compounds / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051379:Mice; D008813:Mice, Inbred ICR; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis*
chemical_list: D004151:Dipeptides; D008767:Methylmercury Compounds; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; C030587:methylmercury cysteinylglycine; C030588:methylmercury glutathione; D005978:Glutathione; D007930:Leucine; C004925:methylmercuric chloride