title: Selenium compounds prevent the effects of methylmercury on the in vitro phosphorylation of cytoskeletal proteins in cerebral cortex of young rats.
abstract: In this study we investigated the protective ability of the selenium compounds ebselen and diphenyldiselenide against the effect of methylmercury on the in vitro incorporation of 32P into intermediate filament (IF) proteins from the cerebral cortex of 17-day-old rats. We observed that methylmercury in the concentrations of 1 and 5 microM was able to inhibit the phosphorylating system associated with IF proteins without altering the immunocontent of these proteins. Concerning the selenium compounds, diselenide (1, 15, and 50 microM) did not induce alteration of the in vitro phosphorylation of IF proteins. Conversely, 15 microM diselenide was effective in preventing the toxic effects induced by methylmercury. Otherwise, ebselen induced an altered in vitro phosphorylation of the cytoskeletal proteins in a dose-dependent manner. Ebselen at intermediate concentrations (15 and 30 microM) increased the in vitro phosphorylation. However, at low (5 microM) or high (50 and 100 microM) concentrations it was ineffective in altering the cytoskeletal-associated phosphorylating system. Furthermore, 5 microM ebselen presented a protective effect against the action of methylmercury on the phosphorylating system. In conclusion, our results indicate that the selenium compounds ebselen and diselenide present protective actions toward the alterations of the phosphorylating system associated with the IF proteins induced by methylmercury in slices of the cerebral cortex of rats.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Bioquímica, Instituto de Ciências Básicas da Saúde, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brasil.
authors.forename: M B
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Moretto
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Funchal
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Zeni
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Pessoa-Pureur
authors.forename: J B T
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Rocha
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001393:Azoles / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001555:Benzene Derivatives / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D015151:Immunoblotting; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D054833:Isoindoles; D008767:Methylmercury Compounds / Q000633:toxicity*; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D016566:Organoselenium Compounds / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010766:Phosphorylation; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar
chemical_list: D001393:Azoles; D001555:Benzene Derivatives; D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins; D054833:Isoindoles; D008767:Methylmercury Compounds; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents; D016566:Organoselenium Compounds; C061132:diphenyldiselenide; C042986:ebselen