Organ distribution of mercury vapor inhaled by acatalasemia and hypocatalasemia mice.

Acatalasemia and hypocatalasemia mice had decreased levels of mercury in the lung and blood and increased levels in the liver following exposure in vivo to metallic mercury vapor (1.4 mg/m3 for 2 hours). The decreased uptake of mercury was roughly proportional to the decrease in catalase activity in these organs. Acatalasemia mice injected with ethyl alcohol showed a decrease in the mercury content of the lung and blood and an increase in the liver content in comparison with non-treated acatalasemia mice. The inhibitory effect of ethyl alcohol on the uptake of mercury was considered to derive from the peroxidase action of catalase with ethyl alcohol as substrate.