Accumulation and Retention of Mercury in the Mouse

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Abstract
A method for the determination of the order of the highest isotope concentration in the organs of the mouse, by densitometric comparison in autoradiograms between the darkening caused by whole body sections and by an isotope standard "staircase," was worked out and applied to 24 mice given single intravenous injections of Hg203 Cl2 and then killed at various times up to 16 days afterwards. A highly differentiated distribution of mercury was found. Hg accumulated in the kidney, liver, myocardium, in the mucosa of the intestines, the upper respiratory tract, and the mouth, in the interstitial tissue of the testes and in the skin, among other organs. Accumulation also occurred in the brain, but the uptake was much slower than in the other organs. Slow elimination and considerable retention were found in some parts of the brain and in the interstitial tissue of the testes, in the skin, in the buccal mucosa, and in the kidney. Signs and symptoms in man and mammals ascribed in the literature to Hg were discussed in relation to the present findings.

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