Abstract
Metabolism and excretion of alkoxyethylmercury compounds in mice were studied, and their gastrointestinal absorption was discussed. The total mercury and the organic mercury in blood, liver, kidney, and excreta at time intervals after a single subcutaneous injection of methoxyethylmercury chloride (MEMC) and n-propoxyethylmercury chloride (n-PEMC) were determined. Initially, the greater part of mercury in the blood, liver, and kidney was found as organic forms, but thereafter the organic mercury rapidly decreased with decrease of the total mercury. During 120 hr, the ratio of excretion of mercury in urine/feces was 2/1 after injection of MEMC and 1/2 after injection of n-PEMC, and more than half of the mercury in urine were in organic forms. Mercury in the feces was not determined as the organic form and was a chemically stable compound. It is most likely that the fecal mercury is mercuric sulfide, since it was formed from inorganic mercury ion in the cecum. Inorganic mercury was found in the gastric contents initially after oral administration of MEMC. The release of inorganic mercury in the stomach indicates a reason for the poorer gastrointestinal absorption of alkoxyethylmercury compounds.
