Virchows Archiv B

, 39:159 | Cite as

Decreased renal lysosomal protein digestion following short term mercury exposure

  • Kirsten M. Madsen
  • Erik Ilsø Christensen
Article
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Accepted:

Summary

The effect of mercury on lysosomal protein digestion was studied using isolated lysosomal fractions and tissue slices prepared from the renal cortex of rats exposed to mercuric chloride in the drinking water for 2, 5 or 10 weeks. Lysozyme, labeled with iodine-125, was used as substrate protein, and incubated with the isolated lysosomal fractions or injected intravenously into the animals 1 h before incubation of the renal slices. The digestion of labeled lysozyme was determined as the trichloroacetic acid soluble radioactivity produced during incubation. Exposure to mercuric chloride for 2 weeks had no significant effect on the digestion of lysozyme by isolated lysosomes. However, after 5 weeks of mercury exposure there was a statistically significant decrease in the digestion of protein by isolated lysosomes and following 10 weeks of exposure, protein digestion was decreased in renal cortical slices as well as in isolated lysosomal fractions. In the lysosomal fractions from rats exposed to mercuric chloride for 5 or 10 weeks, the initial rate of digestion was only about half the rate obtained in control experiments. Electron microscopy of the proximal tubule revealed electron dense deposits in mitochondria and lysosomes, and crystalline inclusions in lysosomes of the pars recta. These results suggest that relatively short exposure to low doses of mercuric chloride causes a decrease in the catabolism of protein in the renal proximal tubule.

Key words

Mercury Proximal tubule Ultrastructural changes Lysozyme 
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Copyright information

© Springer-Verlag 1982

Authors and Affiliations

  • Kirsten M. Madsen
    • 1
  • Erik Ilsø Christensen
    • 1
  1. 1.Department of Cell Biology, Institute of AnatomyUniversity of AarhusAarhus CDenmark

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