Open AccessFURTHER OBSERVATION ON THE LACK OF ACTIVE UPTAKE SYSTEM FOR SUBSTANCE P IN THE CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM
Author(s) -
Yoshio Ohmiya,
Kengo Nakai
Publication year - 1977
Publication title -
japanese journal of pharmacology/japanese journal of pharmacology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1347-3506
pISSN - 0021-5198
DOI - 10.1254/jjp.27.545
Subject(s) - methylmercury , ethanol , chemistry , alcohol dehydrogenase , alcohol , mercury (programming language) , in vivo , metabolism , ethanol metabolism , toxicity , biochemistry , yeast , chromatography , pharmacology , environmental chemistry , organic chemistry , biology , bioaccumulation , microbiology and biotechnology , computer science , programming language
In an attempt to assess the effects of methylmercury on ethanol metabolism, Sprague-Dawley rats were treated with a daily dose (10 mg/kg i.p.) of methylmercuric chloride for 2 consecutive days and given a test dose (0.4 g/kgi.v.) of ethanol 24 hr after the last treatment. Blood ethanol levels were measured using gaschromatography by the direct introduction of blood samples into the sample vaporizing apparatus attached to the chromatograph. While treatment with methylmercury elicited a slight retardation in the ethanol elimination from the blood during 30 to 90 min, methylmercury did not essentially alter ethanol metabolism. There was no significant change in hepatic alcohol dehydrogenase activity of methylmercury-treated rats. By contrast, the activity of alcohol dehydrogenase purified from liver or yeast was remarkably inhibited by methyl-mercury and the type of inhibition proved to be non-competitive. Moreover, the inhibited activity was reactivated easily by sulfhydryl agents. From these results, it is conceivable that methylmercury has little influence on ethanol metabolism in vivo because of its non-specific binding with sulfhydryl groups in the organism.