Supaporn Kongsawat. A study on the effect of phloracetophenone on biliary excretion of methylmercury in rats. Master's Degree(Toxicology). Mahidol University. : Mahidol University, 2009-07-23.
A study on the effect of phloracetophenone on biliary excretion of methylmercury in rats
Abstract:
Methylmercury (MeHg) is a worldwide pollutant and environmental toxicant which causes public disasters in many countries. Liver is one of the main organs responsible for the elimination of the ingested MeHg via biliary excretion. In this study, the effect of phloracetophenone or 2,4,6-trihydroxyacetophenone (THA), a
choleretic agent, on biliary excretion of MeHg was investigated in adult male Wistar rats. Administration of MeHg (20-80 µmol/kg BW) into the portal vein immediately
decreased bile secretion in a dose-related manner. Concurrent with the decreased bile flow rate by the MeHg, activities of plasma alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) in both plasma and bile were increased whereas hepatic and biliary glutathione (GSH) contents were decreased. The initial excretion rate of mercury (Hg) increased with the administered dose during the first 30 min. After 30 minutes, the biliary Hg excretion rate was steadily maintained and not dependent on the dose, indicating a limitation of the liver to dispose. Administration of THA (300 and 600 µmol/kg BW, intraduodenally) enhanced bile secretion in the MeHg-treated animals but markedly reduced the biliary excretion of the mercury and GSH. However, the liver GSH and Hg content were not significantly altered (P<0.05). Furthermore, the activities of plasma ALT, AST, ALP in both bile and plasma, and cytosol glutathione S-transferase (GST) in the liver were not altered as compared with those in the MeHg-treated rats. The involvement of THA with cellular GSH content was supported by a reduction of its stimulatory activity after giving the GSH depletors, buthionine sulfoximine (BSO) or acivicin. The biliary secretion of GSH and Hg were further decreased after administration of THA in the GSH-depleted rats. However, THA induced an increase in urine flow rate and enhanced Hg excretion in the urine. It is suggested that THA modulated the hepatic excretion of mercury by diverting the excretion to other routes such as via urinary excretion. An understanding on the excretory mechanism of mercury, and the actual interactions to the transport systems are essential for setting detoxification strategies."