Open AccessOral methylmercury intoxication aggravates cardiovascular risk factors and accelerates atherosclerosis lesion development in ApoE knockout and C57BL/6 mice
Author(s) -
Janayne Luihan Silva,
Paola Caroline Lacerda Leocádio,
Jonas Martins Reis,
Gianne Paul Campos,
Luciano dos Santos Aggum Capettini,
Giselle Foureaux,
Anderson J. Ferreira,
Cláudia Carvalhinho Windmöller,
Flávia Almeida Santos,
Reinaldo B. Oriá,
María Elena Crespo-López,
Jacqueline Isaura AlvarezLeite
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
toxicological research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.872
H-Index - 30
eISSN - 2234-2753
pISSN - 1976-8257
DOI - 10.1007/s43188-020-00066-x
Subject(s) - apolipoprotein e , knockout mouse , medicine , arteriosclerosis , inflammation , blood pressure , endocrinology , lesion , pathology , physiology , disease , receptor
Methylmercury (MeHg) intoxication is associated with hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, and atherosclerosis by mechanisms that are not yet fully understood. We investigated the effects of MeHg intoxication in atherosclerosis-prone (ApoE-KO) and resistant C57BL/6 mice. Mice were submitted to carotid stenosis surgery (to induce atherosclerosis faster) and received water or MeHg solution (20 mg/L) for 15 days. Tail plethysmography was performed before and after MeHg exposure. Food and MeHg solution intakes were monitored weekly. On the 15th day, mice were submitted to intravital fluorescence microscopy of mesenteric vasculature to observe in vivo leukocyte rolling and adhesion. Results showed that despite the high hair and liver Hg concentrations in the MeHg group, food and water (or MeHg solution) consumption and liver function marker levels were similar to those in controls. MeHg exposure increased total cholesterol, the atherogenic (non-HDL) fraction and systolic and diastolic blood pressure. MeHg exposure also induced inflammation, as seen by the increased rolling and adhered leukocytes in the mesenteric vasculature. Atherosclerosis lesions were more extensive in the aorta and carotid sites of MeHg-ApoE knockout mice. Surprisingly, MeHg exposure also induced atherosclerosis lesions in C57BL/6 mice, which are resistant to atherosclerosis formation. We concluded that MeHg intoxication might represent a risk for cardiovascular diseases since it accelerates atherogenesis by exacerbating several independent risk factors.