Whole-body retention of mercury and selenium and histopathological and morphological studies of kidneys and liver of rats exposed repeatedly to mercuric chloride and sodium selenite.

Distribution and retention of mercury and selenium was studied in rats exposed repeatedly to HgCl2 injections (0.5 mg Hg/kg to the tail vein every other day) and intragastrically to Na2SeO3 (0.5 mg Se/kg every day), applying combined and separate administration of these metals for 2 weeks. Whole-body retention of mercury in the presence of selenium was augmented by 20% and that of selenium in the presence of mercury by 4% with respect to the administered dose. Combined administration of mercuric chloride and sodium selenite brought about damage to the epithelial cells of renal proximal convolutions and formation of protein casts in their lumen. These changes had the same pattern as those induced by administration of mercuric chloride alone, but the intensity was lower. Submicroscopic studies revealed that repeated combined administration of sodium selenite and mercuric chloride did not completely abolish the mercury-induced mitochondrial swelling and contributed to chromatin destruction in the hepatocyte nuclei.