Toxic effects of mercuric sulfide on immune organs in mice

• Published in: Immunopharmacology and immunotoxicology Vol. 32; no. 2; pp. 277 - 283
• Main Authors: Son, Hee-Young, Lee, Soyoung, Park, Seung-Bin, Kim, Mi-Sun, Choi, Eun-Ju, Singh, Thoudam S.K., Bae, Yunju, Kwack, Seung Jun, Kang, Tae Seok, Shin, Hong-In, Baek, Moon-Chang, Kim, Sang- Hyun
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Informa UK Ltd 01.06.2010; Taylor & Francis
• Subjects: Administration, Oral; Animals; Chemical and Drug Induced Liver Injury - etiology; Chemical and Drug Induced Liver Injury - immunology; Chemical and Drug Induced Liver Injury - pathology; Cytokines - genetics; Cytokines - immunology; Gastrointestinal Tract - metabolism; Gene Expression - drug effects; Hepatocytes - drug effects; Hepatocytes - pathology; Immune systems; Liver - drug effects; Liver - enzymology; Liver - metabolism; Liver - pathology; Liver Function Tests; Lymphocytes - cytology; Lymphocytes - drug effects; Lymphocytes - immunology; Male; Mercuric sulfide; Mercury Compounds - pharmacokinetics; Mercury Compounds - toxicity; Mice; Mice, Inbred ICR; Organ Size - drug effects; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; Spleen - drug effects; Spleen - immunology; Spleen - pathology; T lymphocytes; Thymus Gland - drug effects; Thymus Gland - immunology; Thymus Gland - pathology; Tissue Distribution
• ISSN: 0892-3973; 1532-2513
• DOI: 10.3109/08923970903305499

Mercuric sulfide (HgS) is a major component of cinnabar, which has been used as a sedative drug in China for more than 2000 years. Because its toxicological effects are still unclear, we attempted to verify the toxic effects of HgS, focused on liver and immune organs such as the spleen and thymus. Male ICR mice were administered HgS (0.02, 0.2, 2.0 g/kg/day) by gavage for 4 weeks. During the administration period, HgS-treated mice did not reveal overt signs of clinical toxicity. HgS had no significant effect on body weight, food consumption, water consumption, and organ weights. In spite of its known insolubility, HgS was absorbed by the gastrointestinal tract and accumulated in the liver, spleen and thymus in a dose-dependent manner. In the biochemical and histological examination, HgS did not cause hepatotoxicity. However, HgS significantly increased both CD8+ T lymphocytes and CD4+CD8+ lymphocyte populations in the spleen without changing in the thymus. In the histological evaluation, HgS induced enlargement with marked hyperplasia and increase of lymphoid follicles in the spleen. In addition, HgS induced the gene expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines in the spleen and thymus. Our results suggest that insoluble HgS was absorbed by the gastrointestinal tract, accumulated in the spleen and thymus, and thus could affect immune systems.