Effect of mercuric chloride on urinary excretion of free hydroxyproline.

BACKGROUND The present study was undertaken to study the effect of mercuric chloride (HgCl2) on the collagen metabolism in rats and the protective effect of 2, 3-dimercapto-1-propane sulfonic acid (DMPS) in HgCl2-treated rats. MATERIAL/METHODS The experimental groups studied were (i) a control group (ii) rats injected with a single intraperitoneal (ip) dose of 2 mg of HgCl2/kg body weight (HgCl2-treated group, n=10 rats), (iii) Rats injected with a single dose (ip) of 100 mg of DMPS/kg body weight (DMPS group, n=10 rats), (iv) rats injected with a single dose (ip) of 100 mg of DMPS/kg body weight followed by a single dose (ip) of 2 mg of HgCl2/kg body weight 1 hour after a 100-mg DMPS injection (DMPS + HgCl2-treated group, n=10 rats). Half of the rats from each group were sacrificed after 24 hours and the other half after 48 hours of treatment. RESULTS A dose of 2.0 mg HgCl2/kg body weight caused an impairment of glomerular function, which was reflected by significant increases in the levels of serum creatinine and serum urea nitrogen in HgCl2-treated rats compared with control rats. Administration of 2.0 mg of HgCl2/kg body weight significantly increased urinary excretion of free hydroxyproline in HgCI2-treated rats compared with the control rats, reflecting increased collagen breakdown. CONCLUSIONS Administration of DMPS one hour before HgCl2 treatment caused the restoration of altered parameters to near normal levels.