1985 Volume 27 Issue 2 Pages 417-422
The mercury contents in the brains, livers and kidneys of rats given an amalgam powderdiet were investigated in this study.
The rats were divided into 5 groups of four rats. Group 1 (control) was given distilled water. Groups 2 and 3 received 10 ppm and 20 ppm mercurous nitrate solutions, respectively. Group 4 was feda 10% amalgam powder diet and group 5 received 20%. The rats were killed after four weeks ofan experimental period and mercury in the tissues of the 5 groups was measured with a flameless atomicabsorption photometer using quartz tube combustion-gold amagamation. A histological examination wasalso performed on the tissues.
In groups 2 and 3, mercury contents were higher in the kidneys than in the brains and livers. Contents of mercury in the brains and livers were almost the same. In groups 4 and 5, the contentsof mercury were the highest in the kidneys, intermediate in the brains and lowest in the livers. Histologically, none of the rats showed any pathological changes in their tissues.
