Alteration of endogenous formaldehyde level following mercury accumulation in different pig tissues.

The effect of mercury accumulation on the formaldehyde cycle of different pig tissues resulted by a single dose of mercury (0.4 mg mercury in Hg(II)-chloride form, 500 kBq Hg-203/animal) has been studied. Daily mercury excretion was tracked, and having reached the steady-state mercury level of the body (10th day), samples were taken from the liver, kidney and muscle (musculus longissimus dorsi). After reaction with dimedone the endogenous formaldehyde levels in the samples were measured by high performance liquid chromatography. Our results show that the endogenous formaldehyde level decreased by more than 50% in the liver and the kidney, where the average mercury accumulation was the highest (1017 Bq/100 g and 625 Bq/100 g, respectively). In contrast, the muscle tissues, with a low mercury level (139 Bq/100 g), responded to the stress effect by about a 30% increase in their endogenous formaldehyde level.