Comparison of Nephrotoxicity Induced By MongolianMeng-Gen-Wu-Su (Mercury) Processed Products, MongolianMeng-Gen-Wu-Su(Mercury)-18-Composition Pill and Mercuric Sulfide, Mercuric Chloride and Mercurous Chloride / 世界科学技术-中医药现代化

ABSTRACT

The renal toxicity of rats after a single dose ofMeng-Gen-Wu-Su (mercury) processed products,Meng-Gen-Wu-Su (mercury)-18-composition pill, mercuric sulfide, mercuric chloride, and mercurous chloride was studied. Fifty-four male Wistar rats were randomly divided into nine groups according to body weights (6 rats in each group) normal control group, low and high dose groups (0.033, 0.33 g·kg-1·d-1) ofMeng-Gen-Wu-Su (mercury) processed products, low and high dose groups (0.29, 2.9 g·kg-1·d-1) ofMeng-Gen-Wu-Su (mercury)-18-composition pill, simplified prescription ofMeng-Gen-Wu-Su (mercury)-18-composition pill group (0.26 g·kg-1·d-1), mercuric sulfide group (17.39 mg·kg-1·d-1), mercuric chloride group (4.06 mg·kg-1·d-1) and mercurous chloride group (35.3 mg·kg-1·d-1). After acclimation for one week, once oral administration was given to each group of rats. After 24 h, function and morphological changes of liver and kidney were detected. Mercury accumulation in kidney was determined by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES) and inductively coupled plasma source mass spectrometer (ICP-MS). Apoptosis of renal cell was determined by terminal-deoxynucleoitidyl transferase mediated Nick End Labeling (TUNEL). Renal typeⅢ collagen protein's expression was determined by immunohistochemical (HIC) method and expression changes of MT-1, MT-2 mRNA in kidney were also determined by real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR (real-time-PCR). There was no significant difference of ALT, AST in serum between normal control group and other groups (P>0.05). CREA and UREA in mercurous chloride group were apparently higher than normal control group and low dose group of Meng-Gen-Wu-Su processed products (P<0.01). Hepatic and renal pathologic examination results showed that liver cell of low dose groups ofMeng-Gen-Wu-Su processed products andMeng-Gen-Wu-Su-18-composition pill swelled to a low degree and glomerular disease was not obvious. In high-dose groups ofMeng-Gen-Wu-Su processed products,Meng-Gen-Wu-Su-18-composition pill and mercuric sulfide group, liver and kidney appeared some pathological changes and such changes were more significant in mercuric chloride and mercurous chloride groups. Compared with normal control group and low dose group ofMeng-Gen-Wu-Su processed products, the mercury kidney volume in mercuric chloride and mercurous chloride groups increased significantly (P<0.01). The apoptosis rate of renal cell and expression of typeⅢ collagen protein increased significantly in the groups of mercuric sulfide, mercuric chloride and mercurous chloride (P<0.01). MT-1and MT-2 mRNA gene expression rised significantly in the groups of mercuric chloride and mercurous chloride (P<0.05 orP<0.01). In summary, the rats renal toxicity after a single dose ofMeng-Gen-Wu-Su (Mercury) processed products or MongolianMeng-Gen-Wu-Su (Mercury)-18-composition pill were both far less than that of mercuric chloride or mercurous chloride.