title: Selenium: relation to decreased toxicity of methylmercury added to diets containing tuna.
abstract: Japanese quail given 20 parts per million of mercury as methylmercury in diets containing 17 percent (by weight) tuna survived longer than quail given this concentration of methylmercury in a corn-soya diet. Tuna has a relatively high content of selenium and tends to accumulate additional selenium when mercury is present. A content of selenium in the diet comparable to that supplied by tuna decreased methylmercury toxicity in rats. Selenium in tuna, far from being a hazard in itself, may lessen the danger to man of mercury in tuna.
mesh_terms: D000821:Animal Feed; D000818:Animals; D001717:Birds; D001835:Body Weight; D005260:Female; D005396:Fish Products / Q000032:analysis*; D008297:Male; D008628:Mercury / Q000633:toxicity*; D008767:Methylmercury Compounds / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000032:analysis / Q000633:toxicity; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D012643:Selenium / Q000032:analysis*; D013025:Glycine max; D014811:Vitamin E Deficiency; D014867:Water; D003313:Zea mays
chemical_list: D008767:Methylmercury Compounds; D014867:Water; D008628:Mercury; D012643:Selenium