title: Zinc protection in fetal rats for maternal mercury exposure-induced growth retardation is probably associated with S100B expression.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The study was conducted to investigate the effects of maternal mercury exposure on fetal rat development and zinc protection in mercury-exposed rats.
  
  
  METHODS
  Pregnant rats were subjected to zinc sulfate pre-feeding, mercury exposure and zinc sulfate co-feeding. The control rats were administered distilled water. On day 19, the placental weight, overall weight, size and tail length of fetal rats, mercury content and S100B level in the placenta were determined using Western blot analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Compared with the control, mercury exposure at 2.0 mg/kg.d significantly reduced placental weight and fetal development, resulting in reduced fetal weight, size and tail length, while zinc pre-feeding increased placental weight and other fetal developmental parameters. Compared with mercury exposure, co-feeding with zinc significantly reduced mercury-induced injury in the fetal rats. S100B and mercury content levels were significantly elevated in rats maternally exposed to methylmercury chloride, compared with the unexposed control, while co-feeding with methylmercury chloride and zinc sulfate significantly reduced S100B and mercury levels in the placenta.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Maternal exposure to mercury results in increased S100B in the placenta. Zinc sulfate feeding could reduce S100B and mercury levels, thereby protecting the rats from mercury damage. S100B level may be used to measure the antagonism between zinc and mercury during pregnancy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics, Qingdao Municipal Hospital, Qingdao, China.
authors.forename: Zhanping
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Weng
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics, Qianfoshan Hospital Affiliated to Shandong University, Qingdao, China.
authors.forename: Zonghua
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics, Qingdao Municipal Hospital, Qingdao, China.
authors.forename: Shuping
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics, Qingdao Municipal Hospital, Qingdao, China.
authors.forename: Hong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tao
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics, Qingdao Municipal Hospital, Qingdao, China.
authors.forename: Xianghong
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Ji
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D005317:Fetal Growth Retardation / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D008297:Male; D018811:Maternal Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects*; D008767:Methylmercury Compounds / Q000633:toxicity*; D010920:Placenta / Q000378:metabolism; D011247:Pregnancy; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D064568:S100 Calcium Binding Protein beta Subunit / Q000378:metabolism*; D019287:Zinc Sulfate / Q000008:administration & dosage*
chemical_list: D008767:Methylmercury Compounds; D064568:S100 Calcium Binding Protein beta Subunit; C579158:S100b protein, rat; D019287:Zinc Sulfate; C004925:methylmercuric chloride
keywords: S100B; fetal rat; methyl mercury chloride; zinc sulfate