title: Inorganic mercury pre-exposures protect against methyl mercury toxicity in NSC-34 (neuron x spinal cord hybrid) cells.
abstract: A neuron spinal chord x hybrid (NSC-34) cell culture derived from neonatal mouse was characterized for studies on mercury toxicity. Exposure of NSC-34 cells to methyl mercury chloride (MeHgCl) (0-16 microM) resulted in significant dose-dependent cell damage and death (P < 0.05). MeHgCl was more toxic than inorganic mercury (Hg2+) for both the NSC-34 cells and its parent neuroblastoma cell line N18TG-2 (P < 0.05). Hg2+, but not ZnCl2 or MeHg exposure induced metallothionein (MT) (P < 0.05). To mimic the increase in Hg2+ in the mammalian brain with long term MeHg exposure, the cells were treated with 1 microM mercuric chloride (HgCl2) for five passages before exposure to MeHgCl (1-16 microM) for 48 h. MeHgCl toxicity was measured by trypan blue exclusion, reduction of resazurin dye and acid phosphatase activity. Pre-exposure to HgCl2 lessened the toxicity as shown by trypan blue exclusion (P = 0.0559) and reduction of resazurin (P = 0.0001). Pre-exposure to HgCl2 also resulted in induction of MT (P = 0.0066) and lessened the decrease of reduced glutathione (GSH) (P = 0.0013). These results suggest that MT and GSH may play a protective role in methyl mercury induced neurotoxicity of neuron spinal chord cells. The NSC-34 hybrid cell line can be a useful model for the study of MeHg neurotoxicity.
authors.affiliation: School of Dietetics and Human Nutrition and the Centre for Indigenous Peoples' Nutrition and Environment, McGill University, Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue, Quebec, Canada.
authors.forename: L A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Chapman
authors.forename: H M
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Chan
mesh_terms: D000135:Acid Phosphatase / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D005978:Glutathione / Q000032:analysis; D006822:Hybrid Cells; D008628:Mercury / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008668:Metallothionein / Q000032:analysis; D008767:Methylmercury Compounds / Q000633:toxicity*; D051379:Mice; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects*; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000187:drug effects*; D015032:Zinc / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D008767:Methylmercury Compounds; D008668:Metallothionein; D000135:Acid Phosphatase; D008628:Mercury; D005978:Glutathione; D015032:Zinc; C004925:methylmercuric chloride