title: Correlation of mercury and selenium in the human kidney.
abstract: The total mercury (Hg) and selenium (Se) concentrations were determined in kidney cortex samples of 195 deceased, non-occupationally burdened individuals. Mercury was determined by means of Cold-vapour Atomic Absorption Spectrometry (CV-AAS) and selenium by Graphite-Furnace Atomic Absorption Spectrometry (GF-AAS). The molar Se/Hg ratio is high (up to (a) 300) in cases with relatively low mercury concentrations [Hg]. The ratio decreases with increasing [Hg]. At [Hg] of 700-1000 ng/g it reaches unity, where it remains constant even at larger [Hg]. Since in vitro mercury and selenium form relatively stable adducts, our results suggest the formation of a 1:1 Hg-Se compound that may explain mercury detoxification by selenium. This effect also results in the trapping of available selenium by mercury, too. Decreasing the reserve of free (i.e. not Hg-bound) selenium. The effect of this decrease of free selenium is under further investigation.
authors.affiliation: Institut für Rechtsmedizin der Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Germany.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Drasch
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Wanghofer
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Roider
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Strobach
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000378:metabolism; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004347:Drug Interactions; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007672:Kidney Cortex / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D008628:Mercury / Q000378:metabolism*; D008875:Middle Aged; D012643:Selenium / Q000378:metabolism*; D013054:Spectrophotometry, Atomic
chemical_list: D008628:Mercury; D012643:Selenium