Chronic Effects of Mercury on Organisms:

Morphological changes in organs and tissues affected by mercury


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MORPHOLOGICAL CHANGES IN ORGANS AND TISSUES AFFECTED BY MERCURY Summary only First of all, the data indicate that even very low mercury concentrations in organs and tissues produce pathological changes of different intensity. On the whole these changes are reversible and only in special cases is there irreversible destruction. The latter is definitely connected with individual sensitivity, the duration of total exposure and the respective mercury concentration in the organs and tissues. Pathomorphological changes develop first in and are most damaging to the depot organs. As a rule, low mercury concentrations are associated with dystrophic changes in the neurons of the brain (primarily in the cortex) and also a thickening and thinning of the basic argyrophilic substance. Under the later influence of mercury dystrophic changes appear (granular, vacuole, fatty), seldom necrobiotic, in the liver, kidneys myocardium, thyroid and adrenal glands. By the end of the experiment morphological changes in the internal organs were more highly developed and hemodynamic and dystrophic disorders were accompanied by necrosis and neurotic disturbance. Low mercury concentrations often produce these changes without visible evidence of micromercurialism - on a background of apparent health. This agrees with the data of Ye. I. Makovshaya, S. G. Serebryanaya, Ye. A. Antonovich (1962). Prolonged exposure to mercury inhibits protein resynthesis, depresses the reactive capacity of protein molecules, inactivates free SH- groups of cell proteins. Naturally, these disruptions of protein metabolism must be reflected in morphological changes. Dystrophic changes in organs and tissues are a consequence of metabolic disturbance. Observations of organs and tissues of animals subjected to the prolonged action of low mercury concentrations, hemodynamic disruption and vascular changes, evidently, are caused by trophic destruction and lead to the development of hypoxia. On the basis of the preceding studies and comparison of our results with literature data, it becomes evident that the dynamics of pathological changes arising during micromercurialism play as crucial role as CNS and consequent vascular disorders with the appearance of hypoxia, thus the effect of mercury on the cardiovascular system, especially, on vascular permeability applies to all organs and tissues. Apparently, both indicated mechanisms are closely linked and mutually effect one another in the course of forming in the organism, affected by mercury, of corresponding morphological disorders.