Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Comparative study on toxicity of methylmercury chloride and methylmercury hydroxide to the human neuroblastoma cell line SH-SY5Y

  • Research Article
  • Published:
Environmental Science and Pollution Research Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Toxicities of methylmercury chloride (CH3HgCl) and methylmercury hydroxide (CH3HgOH) to cultured neuroblastoma cell line SH-SY5Y in vitro are evaluated. This is the comparative study between two methylmercury compounds to find out the extent of toxicity of these compounds are toxic to SH-SY5Y cell line. Both cytotoxicity and genotoxicity experiments were carried out to find out the more toxic compound. For cytotoxicity study, four staining assay methods independently with trypan blue (TB), acridine orange/ethidium bromide (AO/EB), 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl) 2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide (MTT), and neutral red (NR) were used and the comet assay method was done for genotoxicity study. The obtained toxicity data were used for probit analysis. In cytotoxicity, CH3HgCl had minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) value in each assay method as 3 mg/L invariably; LC25 values were in the range 7.41 to 10.23 mg/L, and LC50 values were 14.79 to 15.48 mg/L; while LC75 values were 20.89 to 26.91 mg/L. Moreover, LC100 value was 30 mg/L, known from comet assay experiments for CH3HgCl. Similarly for CH3HgOH, the MIC value in each assay method was invariably 3 mg/L, the LC25 values were in the range 12.58 to 16.59 mg/L, and LC50 values were 19.49 to 23.44 mg/L; LC75 values were 27.54 to 30.90 mg/L and LC100 value was 42 mg/L in each assay done for cytotoxicity and genotoxicity studies. Computed DNA fragmentation indices in comet assays were 98.6 ± 0.57 30 mg/L with CH3HgCl and 76 ± 5.29 30 mg/L with CH3HgOH. This study clearly indicated that methylmercury chloride is more toxic than methylmercury hydroxide to SH-SY5Y cell line. Toxicity of Hg had been quantified with in vitro cultured human neuroblastoma cell line; since it has neurotoxic effects, its neural evaluation has implications in environmental health issues.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Algarve TD, Barbisan F, Ribeiro EE, Duarte MMMF, Manica-Cattani MF, Mostardeiro CP, Lenz AF, da Cruz IBM (2013) In vitro effects of Alal6val manganese superoxide dismutase gene polymorphism on human white blood cells exposed to methylmercury. Genet Mol Res 12:5134–5144

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Amorim MIM, Mergler D, Bahia MO, Dubeau H, Miranda D, Lebel J, Burbano RR, Lucotte M (2000) Cytogenetic damage related to low levels of methyl mercury contamination in the Brazilian Amazon. An Acad Bras Cienc 72:497–507

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Baeyens W, Leermakers M, Papina T, Saprykin A, Brion N, Noyen J, De Gieter M, Elskens M, Goeyens L (2003) Bioconcentration and biomagnification of mercury and methylmercury in North Sea and Scheldt estuary fish. Arch Environ Contam Toxicol 45:498–508

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bjomberg AK, Vahter M, Graw KP, Berglund M (2005) Methylmercury exposure in Swedish women with high fish consumption. Sci Total Environ 341:45–52

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Clarkson TW (1993) Mercury: major issues in environmental health. Environ Health Perspect 100:31–38

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Clarkson TW, Vyas JB, Ballatori N (2007) Mechanisms of mercury disposition in the body. Am J Ind Med 50:757–764

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • De Flora S, Benniceli C, Bagnasco M (1994) Genotoxicity of mercury compounds. A review. Mutat Res 317:57–79

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ehrenstein C, Shu P, Wickenheiser EB, Hirner AV, Dolfen M, Emons H, Obe G (2002) Methyl mercury uptake and associations with the induction of chromosomal aberrations in Chinese hamster (CHO) cells. Chem Biol Interact 141:259–274

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Fok TF, Lam HS, Ng PC, Yip AS, Sin NC, Chan IH, Gu GJ, So HK, Wong EM, Lam CW (2007) Fetal methylmercury exposure as measured by cord blood mercury concentrations in a mother–infant cohort in Hong Kong. Environ Int 33:84–92

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Guzzi G, Pigatto PD, Spadari F, La Porta CA (2012) Effect of thimerosal, methylmercury, and mercuric chloride in Jurkat T cell line. Interdiscip Toxicol 5:159–161

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Haney A, Lipsey RL (1970) Accumulation and effects of methyl mercury hydroxide in a terrestrial food chain under laboratory conditions. Environ Pollut 5:305–316

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hassauer M, Kaiser E, Schneider K, Schuhmacher WU (2012) Collate the literature on toxicity data on mercury in experimental animals and humans. Part I—data on organic mercury. External scientific report. Supporting publications 2012: EN-297. Research and advisory institute for hazardous substances, FoBig- Forschungs - undBeratungsinstitutGefahrstoffe; Fobig, www.efsa.europa.eu/publications

  • He PJ, Xue JF, Shao LM, Lia GJ, Lee DJ (2006) Dissolved organic matter (DOM) in recycled leachate of bioreactor landfill. Water Res 40:1465–1473

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Horvat M, Nolde N, Fajon V, Jereb V, Logar M, Lojen S, Jacimovic R, Falnoga I, Liya Q, Faganeli J, Drobne D (2003) Total mercury, methylmercury and selenium in mercury polluted areas in the province Guizhou, China. Sci Total Environ 304:231–256

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Imai K, Kusakawa S, Tanoue A, Kuwagata M, Senuma M, Furuya M, Takashima H (2008) In vitro embryotoxicity testing of mercury vapour by differentiation of ES-D3 cells. Altern Anim Test Exp 13:118–122

    Google Scholar 

  • Jedrychowski WA, PereraFP PA, Jacek R, Whyatt RM, Spengler JD (2006) Variability of total exposure to PM related to indoor and outdoor pollution sources. Krakow study in pregnant women. Sci Total Environ 366:47–54

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kovalevich J, Langford D (2013) Considerations for the use of SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells in neurobiology. Methods Mol Biol 1078:9–21

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lerebours A, Cambier S, Hislop L, Adam-Guillermin C, Bourdineaud JP (2013) Genotoxic effects of exposure to waterborne uranium, dietary methylmercury and hyperoxia in zebrafish assessed by the quantitative RAPD-PCR method. Mutat Res 7:55–60

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lohren H, Bornhorst J, Fitkau R, Pohl G, Galla HJ, Schwerdtle T (2016) Effects on and transfer across the blood-brain barrier in vitro—comparison of organic and inorganic mercury species. BMC Pharmacol Toxicol 17:63. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40360-016-0106-5

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • McElwee MK, Ho LA, Chou JW, Smith MV, Freedman JH (2013) Comparative toxicogenomic responses of mercuric and methyl-mercury. BMC Genomics 14:698. https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2164-14-698

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Morgan DL, Price HC, Fernando R, Chanda SM, O’Connor RW, Barone SS, Herr DW, Beliles RP (2006) Gestational mercury vapour exposure and diet contribute to mercury accumulation in neonatal rats. Environ Health Perspect 114:735–739

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Neustadt JND, Pieczenik S (2007) Heavy-metal toxicity—with emphasis on mercury. Integrat Med 6:26–32

    Google Scholar 

  • Patnaik R, Padhy RN (2015) Cellular and nuclear toxicity of HgCl2 to in vitro grown lymphocytes from human umbilical cord blood. Proc Natl Acad Sci India Sect B Biol Sci 85:821–830

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Patnaik R, Padhy RN (2016) Evaluation of geno-toxicity of methyl parathion and chlorpyrifos to human liver carcinoma cell line (HepG2). Environ Sci Pollut Res 23:8492–8499

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Petroni D, Tsai J, Mondal D, George W (2013) Attenuation of low dose methylmercury and glutamate induced-cytotoxicity and tau phosphorylation by an N-methyl-D-aspartate antagonist in human neuroblastoma (SHSY5Y) cells. Environ Toxicol 28:700–706

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Schurz F, Sabater-Vilar M, Fink-Gremmels J (2000) Mutagenicity of mercury chloride and mechanisms of cellular defence: the role of metal-binding proteins. Mutagenesis 15:525–530

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Takizawa Y, Kitamura S (2001) Estimation of the incidence of mercury exposure in the Minamata and Niigata areas using mathematical model from Iraqi poisonings. In: Takizawa Y, Osame M (eds) Understanding Minamata diseases: methyl mercury poisoning in Minamata and Niigata. Japan of Public Health Association, Tokyo, pp 27–32

    Google Scholar 

  • Tchounwou PB, Ayensu WK, Ninashvili N, Sutton D (2003) Environmental exposure to mercury and its toxicopathologic implications for public health. Environ Toxicol 18:149–175

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Tice RR, Agurell E, Anderson D, Burlinson B, HartmannA KH, Miyamae Y, Rojas E, Ryu JC, Sasaki YF (2000) Single cell gel/comet assay: guidelines for in vitro and in vivo genetic toxicology testing. Environ Mol Mutagen 35:206–221

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Tollefson L, Cordle F (1986) Methylmercury in fish: a review of residue levels, fish consumption and regulatory action in the United States. Environ Health Perspect 68:203–208

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Vimercati L, Santarelli L, Pesola G, Drago I, Lasorsa G, Valentino M, Vacca A, Soleo L (2001) Leukocytes in workers exposed to low levels of monocyte-macrophage system and polymorphonuclear metallic mercury. Sci Total Environ 270:157–163

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Zahir F, Rizwi SJ, Haqb SK, Khan RH (2005) Low dose mercury toxicity and human health. Environ Toxicol Pharmacol 20:351–360

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Zimmermann LT, Santos DB, Naime AA, Leal RB, Dorea JG, Barbosa F, Aschner M, Rocha JBT, Farina M (2013) Comparative study on methyl- and ethylmercury-induced toxicity in C6 glioma cells and the potential role of LAT-1 in mediating mercurial-thiol complexes uptake. Neurotoxicology 38:1–8

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

We are grateful to Prof. M.R. Nayak, President, Siksha ‘O’ Anusandhan University, Bhubaneswar for facilities. Especially, thanks are due to Mr. Somadatta Das (DEO) for his support for recording data. R Patnaik is supported by an INSPIRE Fellowship from DST, Govt. of India, New Delhi (code no. IF120548).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Central Research Laboratory, IMS and Sum Hospital, Siksha ‘O’ Anusandhan University, Kalinga Nagar, Bhubaneswar, Odisha, 751003, India

    Rajashree Patnaik & Rabindra N. Padhy

Authors
  1. Rajashree Patnaik
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Rabindra N. Padhy
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Rabindra N. Padhy.

Additional information

Responsible editor: Philippe Garrigues

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Patnaik, R., Padhy, R.N. Comparative study on toxicity of methylmercury chloride and methylmercury hydroxide to the human neuroblastoma cell line SH-SY5Y. Environ Sci Pollut Res 25, 20606–20614 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-018-2164-2

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-018-2164-2

Keywords

Search

Navigation