Mercury mutagenic effects

Genetic and Neonatal Toxicity. The ability of heavy metals readily to cross the placenta and disrupt nucleic acids coupled with the high sensitivity of the fetus and neonate increases the potential dangers of congenital and neonatal toxicity. In mammalian leukocyte cultures, chromosomal aberrations have been reported with lead (112), arsenic (113), mercury (114), and methylmercury (115). Charbonneau, et al. (116) reported a lack of mutagenic effect for methylmercury. 

Zasukhina GD, Vasilyeva IM, Sdirkova NI, et al. 1983. Mutagenic effect of thallium and mercury salts on rodent cells with different repair activities. Mutat Res 124 163-173. 

Metal ions and complexes may induce chromosome aberrations and Cu + and Pb + (Levan, 1945) or phenyl and methyl mercury (Ramel, 1969) very efficiently lead to disturbances of the nuclear spindle which are of a kind that could lead to aneuploidy. Diploids are less suited to detect the phenotypic effect in Xg of chromosome losses. However, a certain mutagenic effect in the pea caused by a number of metal ions was fpund by von Rosen (1964). Sterility at doses above LD50 of the mercury complexes has been recorded in barley (Ehrenberg et aLy unpublished). Scheibe (1959) found a mutagenic effect in barley and wheat of AICI3 when applied to the spike following the method of Oehlkers (1949). 

Mercury is a mutagen, teratogen, and carcinogen, and causes embryocidal, cytochemical, and histopathological effects... 

Selypes a, Nagymajtenyi L and Berencsi G (1984) Study of the mutagenic and teratogenic effect of aerogenic mercury exposition in mouse. Collect Med Leg Toxicol Med 125 65-69. 

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