Abstract
This study evaluated the toxic effects of inorganic mercury (Hg) in pregnant and lactating rats, as well as the possible protective effect of zinc (Zn) and N-acetylcysteine (NAC). Pregnant and lactating rats were pre-treated with ZnCl2 (27 mg/kg) and/or NAC (5 mg/kg) and after 24 h, they were exposed to HgCl2 (10 mg/kg). Animals were sacrificed 24 h after Hg exposure, and biochemical tests and metal determination were performed. Regarding pregnant rats, Hg exposure caused kidney, blood, and placenta δ-aminolevulinic acid dehydratase (δ-ALA-D) activity inhibition, and the pre-treatments showed a tendency of protection. Moreover, all the animals exposed to Hg presented high Hg levels in the kidney, liver, and placenta when compared with control group. Pregnant rats pre-exposed to Zn (Zn-Hg and Zn/NAC-Hg groups) presented an increase in hepatic metallothionein levels. Therefore, lactating rats exposed to Hg presented renal and blood δ-ALA-D inhibition; the pre-treatments showed a tendency to prevent the renal δ-ALA-D inhibition and prevented the blood δ-ALA-D inhibition caused by Hg. Lactating rats exposed to Hg presented high Hg levels in the kidney and liver. These results showed that 10 mg/kg of HgCl2 causes biochemistry alterations in pregnant and lactating rats, and Zn and NAC present promising results against these damages.
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Acknowledgments
The authors would like to thank the Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq 311082/2014-9), Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES/PROEX (23038.005848/2018-31; 0737/2018).
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Oliveira, V.A., de Souza da Costa, N., Mesquita, M. et al. Mercury toxicity in pregnant and lactating rats: zinc and N-acetylcysteine as alternative of prevention. Environ Sci Pollut Res 27, 40563–40572 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-020-09836-4
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-020-09836-4