The influence of selenium on the level of mercury and metallothionein in rat kidneys in prolonged exposure to different mercury compounds.

Mercuric chloride, phenylmercuric chloride, ethylmercuric chloride /0,23 mg Hg/kg/ and methylmercurycyan guanidine /0,46 mg Hg/kg/ were orally administered to rats every second day for 14 weeks. The same doses of the above mentioned mercury compounds were administered alternately with sodium selenite /0,18 mg Se/kg/ to parallel groups of rats at the same time. The level of total and inorganic mercury and of metallothionein was determined. All mercury compounds increased the level of metallothionein in rat kidneys. In rats which received only selenium the level of metallothionein was twice lower in the kidneys in relation to the physiological level of this protein. Selenium eliminated the stimulation of biosynthesis of metallothionein by mercury.