title: Inorganic mercury exposure in drinking water alters essential metal homeostasis in pregnant rats without altering rat pup behavior.
abstract: The aim of this work was to investigate the effects of HgCl2exposure in the doses of 0, 10 and 50μg Hg2+/mL in drinking water during pregnancy on tissue essential metal homeostasis, as well as the effects of HgCl2exposure in utero and breast milk on behavioral tasks. Pregnant rats exposed to both inorganic mercury doses presented high renal Hg content and an increase in renal Cu and hepatic Zn levels. Mercury exposure increased fecal Hg and essential metal contents. Pups exposed to inorganic Hg presented no alterations in essential metal homeostasis or in behavioral task markers of motor function. In conclusion, this work showed that the physiologic pregnancy and lactation states protected the offspring from adverse effects of low doses of Hg2+. This protection is likely to be related to the endogenous scavenger molecule, metallothionein, which may form an inert complex with Hg2+.
authors.affiliation: Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Biológicas: Bioquímica Toxicológica, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, 97105-900 Santa Maria, RS, Brazil.
authors.forename: Cláudia S
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Oliveira
authors.affiliation: Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Biológicas: Bioquímica Toxicológica, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, 97105-900 Santa Maria, RS, Brazil.
authors.forename: Vitor A
authors.initials: VA
authors.lastname: Oliveira
authors.affiliation: Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Biológicas: Bioquímica Toxicológica, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, 97105-900 Santa Maria, RS, Brazil.
authors.forename: Lidiane M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Costa
authors.affiliation: Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Biológicas: Bioquímica Toxicológica, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, 97105-900 Santa Maria, RS, Brazil.
authors.forename: Taíse F
authors.initials: TF
authors.lastname: Pedroso
authors.affiliation: Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Biológicas: Bioquímica Toxicológica, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, 97105-900 Santa Maria, RS, Brazil.
authors.forename: Mariana M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Fonseca
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Bioquímica e Biologia Molecular, Centro de Ciências Naturais e Exatas (CCNE), Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, 97105-900 Santa Maria, RS, Brazil.
authors.forename: Jamile S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Bernardi
authors.affiliation: Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Biológicas: Bioquímica Toxicológica, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, 97105-900 Santa Maria, RS, Brazil.
authors.forename: Tiago L
authors.initials: TL
authors.lastname: Fiuza
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Bioquímica e Biologia Molecular, Centro de Ciências Naturais e Exatas (CCNE), Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, 97105-900 Santa Maria, RS, Brazil; Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Biológicas: Bioquímica Toxicológica, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, 97105-900 Santa Maria, RS, Brazil. Electronic address: pereirame@yahoo.com.br.
authors.forename: Maria E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Pereira
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects; D060766:Drinking Water; D005243:Feces / Q000737:chemistry; D005260:Female; D005333:Fetus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D006706:Homeostasis / Q000187:drug effects; D007668:Kidney / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D007774:Lactation; D008099:Liver / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008668:Metallothionein / Q000378:metabolism; D019216:Metals, Heavy / Q000097:blood / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000633:toxicity* / Q000652:urine; D010920:Placenta / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D011247:Pregnancy; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000097:blood / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000633:toxicity* / Q000652:urine
chemical_list: D060766:Drinking Water; D019216:Metals, Heavy; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D008668:Metallothionein
keywords: Behavioral tasks; Essential metals; Inorganic mercury; Metallothionein; Pregnancy