Effect of aminotriazole on mercury uptake by the fetus of normal and acatalasemic mice exposed to metallic mercury.

Pregnant normal (N) and acatalasemic (A) mice treated with aminotriazole (AT) were exposed to metallic mercury. The mercury contents of the fetus and maternal organs were subsequently determined. The fetal and placental mercury contents were the highest in the AT-treated A mice (A-AT), and the contents decreased in the order of AT-treated N mice (N-AT), non-treated N mice (N-C) and non-treated A mice (A-C). Statistically significant differences in the fetal mercury levels were observed between N-C and A-C, A-C and N-AT, and N-AT and A-AT. The ratios of the mercury concentration in the fetus to that in the maternal blood decreased in the order of A-AT, N-AT, A-C and N-C. The differences in the ratio were significant between these groups. Similar results were obtained when the ratios of the maternal liver level to the maternal blood level or the ratios of the placental level to the maternal blood level were compared. The effect of AT on mercury uptake is remarkable in the fetus of both normal and acatalasemic mice exposed to metallic mercury.