Protection against mercury toxicity

Antagonism The effect of mixture is less than that estimated for additivity on the basis of the toxici-ties of the components. The protection against mercury toxicity by selenium is a typical example of this category. This group is further classified into inhibition - a component does not have effect and decreases the effect of another component or other components and masking - one component overrides the effect of other. 

Sugiura, Y., Y. Hojo, Y. Tamai, and H. Tanaka. 1976. Selenium protection against mercury toxicity. Binding of methylmercury by the selenohydryl-containing ligand.. Amer. Chem. 98 2339-2341. 

Penicillamine is reported to be more than 80% bound to plasma protein. The compound is metabolized in the liver. N-acetylpenicillamine is more effective than penicillamine in protecting against the toxic effect of mercury, presumably because it is even more resistant to metabolism [7,2]. 

Methylmercury and other mercury compounds have a strong affinity for sulfur and selenium. Although selenium has been suggested to provide protection against the toxic effect of methylmercury, no such effect has been demonstrated. 

Lindh U and Johansson E (1987) Protective effects of selenium against mercury toxicity as studied in the rat liver and kidney by nuclear analytical techniques. 

Selenium protects against the toxic effects of arsenic, cadmium, copper, mercury, and silver. Likewise, these elements counteract the toxic effects of selenium. 

Ban M, de Ceaurriz J. 1988. Probenecid-induced protection against acute hexachloro-1,3-butadiene and methyl mercury toxicity to the mouse kidney. Toxicol Lett 40 71-76. 

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