Mercury Toxicity and the Mitigating Role of Selenium |
| |
Authors: | Marla J Berry Nicholas V C Ralston |
| |
Institution: | (1) Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Biomedical Sciences Building, Suite 222, 651 Ilalo Street, Honolulu, 96813, HI, USA;(2) Energy and Environmental Research Center, University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, 58202, ND, USA |
| |
Abstract: | Mercury is a well-known environmental toxicant, particularly in its most common organic form, methylmercury. Consumption of
fish and shellfish that contain methylmercury is a dominant source of mercury exposure in humans and piscivorous wildlife.
Considerable efforts have focused on assessment of mercury and its attendant risks in the environment and food sources, including
the studies reported in this issue. However, studies of mercury intoxication have frequently failed to consider the protective
effects of the essential trace element, selenium. Mercury binds to selenium with extraordinarily high affinity, and high maternal
exposures inhibit selenium-dependent enzyme activities in fetal brains. However, increased maternal dietary selenium intakes
preserve these enzyme activities, thereby preventing the pathological effects that would otherwise arise in their absence.
Recent evidence indicates that assessments of mercury exposure and tissue levels need to consider selenium intakes and tissue
distributions in order to provide meaningful risk evaluations. |
| |
Keywords: | mercury selenium toxicity environment heavy metals |
本文献已被 SpringerLink 等数据库收录! |
|