Change in the Level of Tissue Selenium After a Single Administration of Mercuric Chloride in Mice

Selenium concentrations in mouse tissues were analyzed at 1 24 h after the animals received an injection of 1 mu mol/kg of mercuric chloride. Liver Se levels of mercury-treated groups were higher than in controls at 1 and 3 h after Hg injection. A similar degree of increase was noted in the kidney, while the plasma Se level declined in the Hg-exposed groups. The latter also displayed higher Se concentrations in liver and kidney at 24 h postinjection. Livers of Hg-treated mice contained several to tenfold higher Hg levels than controls, and kidneys of treated mice contained 50-fold higher Hg concentrations.