Industrial and environmental agents
James W. Albers, Stanley Berent in Neurobehavioral Toxicology: Neurological and Neuropsychological Perspectives, 2005
Mercury also has had use as a medication, in spite of its established neurotoxic and nephrotoxic potential (Windebank, 1993; Clarkson, 1987; Clarkson, Friberg, Nordberg, & Sager, 1988). In the eighteenth century, the skin lesions of syphilis were treated with mercurial ointments, leading to the expression ‘a night in the arms of Venus; the rest of your life with Mercury.’ Some biographers believe that President Andrew Jackson (1767–1845) developed mercury poisoning from calomel (mercurous chloride), a frequently prescribed purgative from the early nineteenth-century pharmacopeia (Deppisch, Centeno, Gemmel, & Torres, 1999). Direct physical measurement of two hair samples of Jackson’s hair appear to confirm that he had substantial mercury (and also lead) exposure, although the samples do not provide proof of systemic mercurialism (Deppisch et al., 1999). Therapeutic mercury levels produced gingivitis, excessive salivation, anorexia, and abdominal pain; whereas behavioral abnormalities were more likely to result from toxicity (Waldron, 1983). Mercuric chloride antiseptics and mercuric diuretics are occasionally associated with acute mercury toxicity, and several organic mercurial compounds are still available for medicinal use as antiseptics (Goetz, Klawans, & Cohen, 1989).
The Modification of Cysteine
Roger L. Lundblad in Chemical Reagents for Protein Modification, 2020
p-Hydroxymercuribenzoate continues to be of use for the modification of sulfhydryl groups in proteins. The reagent is obtained as p-chloromercuribenzoate but is instantaneously converted to the hydroxy derivative in aqueous solution. This reagent was originally described by Boyer.86 The absorbance change at 255 nm upon modification is 6200 M−1 cm−1 at pH 4.6 and 7600 M−1 cm’1 at pH 7.0. Bai and Hayashi87 have examined the reaction of organic mercurials with yeast carboxypeptidase (carboxypeptidase Y). The titration of the catalytically essential cysteinyl residue in carboxypeptidase Y with p-hydroxymercuribenzoate is shown in Figure 47. Treatment of the modified enzyme with millimolar cysteine resulted in virtually complete recovery of catalytic activity. The inactivation of chalcone isomerase by p-chloromercuribenzoate and mercuric chloride has been studied by Bednar et al.6 The modified protein could be readily reactivated by treatment with either thiols or KCN. The reactivation by KCN is based on the formation of a tight complex between cyanide and either organic or inorganic mercurials. The modification by mercuric chloride can be monitored by the increase in absorbance at 250 nm. Ojcius and Solomon88 have examined the inhibition of erythrocyte urea and water transport by p-chloromercuribenzoate. Other studies with this reagent have included dissociation of erythrocyte membrane proteins,89 NADH peroxidase,25 and sulfobromophthalein transport protein.45
Metallic poisons *
Bev-Lorraine True, Robert H. Dreisbach in Dreisbach’s HANDBOOK of POISONING, 2001
The fatal dose of mercuric salts such as mercuric chloride (corrosive sublimate) is 1 g. Ingested metallic mercury is ordinarily not toxic, since it is not absorbed. However, metallic mercury retained in the lung or injected intravenously can produce toxicity, although often it does not. Mercury vapor is in the monatomic state and is lipophilic. It is transferred to brain cells, where it is oxidized to Hg2+ to produce toxic effects. Inhaled mercury vapor causes acute pneumonitis. Mercurous chloride, ammoniated mercury, mercury protoiodide, and organic antiseptic mercurials such as acetomeroctol, merbromin, mercocresol, nitromersol, phenylmercuric salts and esters, and thimerosal (Merthiolate) are not likely to cause acute poisoning because they are poorly absorbed. The single fatal dose of these compounds is 2–4 times the fatal dose of soluble inorganic mercury salts. The mercurial diuretics (mersalyl, meralluride, mercurophylline, mercumatilin, mercaptomerin, chlormerodrin, and merethoxylline) are almost as toxic as mercuric chloride in experimental animals when mercury content is compared. The exposure limit for mercury or mercury compounds is 0.05 mg/m3 as mercury. Alkyl mercury compounds such as methyl mercury chloride, methyl mercury cyanide, methyl mercury hydroxide, methyl mercury pentachlorophenate, methyl mercury toluene sulfonate, ethyl mercury chloride (Ceresan), ethyl mercury phosphate, and ethyl mercury toluene sulfonate are more toxic than mercuric chloride, and the exposure limit is 0.01 mg of mercury per cubic meter. Other organic mercury compounds, such as hydroxymercuriphenol and cyanomethyl-mercuri-guanidine, are as toxic as an equivalent amount of mercury in mercuric chloride.
Mercuric chloride poisoning: symptoms, analysis, therapies, and autoptic findings. A review of the literature
Published in Critical Reviews in Toxicology, 2019
Simone Cappelletti, Daria Piacentino, Vittorio Fineschi, Paola Frati, Stefano D’Errico, Mariarosaria Aromatario
Mercuric chloride has a relative molecular mass of 271.52 Dalton, a melting point of 277 °C, and a boiling point of 302 °C. It has a vapor pressure of 0.1 kPa at 136.2 °C and a water solubility of 28.6 g/L, which increases to 476 g/L in boiling water; its solubility in alcohol is of 263 g/L (WHO 2003). Mercuric chloride is currently used as a catalyst or reagent in several chemical reactions, and to a lesser extent as a disinfectant or pesticide (Worth et al. 1984). Potential sources of mercuric chloride intoxications are represented by mercuric chloride-containing stool preservatives (Seidel 1980), Ayurvedic medicines remedies (Indian herbo-metallic preparations) (Kew et al. 1993; Kamath et al. 2012; Kumar et al. 2015), mainly containing Rasasindura – a preparation consisting of mercuric sulfide, mixed with honey, milk, butter, or ghee. The latter, which are not subject to Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and European Medicine Agency (EMA) regulation are easily available without prescription (Young-Jin 2011).
Environmental post-processing increases the adhesion strength of mussel byssus adhesive
Published in Biofouling, 2018
Matthew N. George, Emily Carrington
pH electrodes were calibrated using NBS standards before use in each treatment. Bottle samples were collected at three time points throughout each 20-day treatment (1, 12, and 20 days) and poisoned with 0.02% saturated mercuric chloride (HgCl2) to halt all biological activity. All samples that contained mercuric chloride were handled and disposed of in accordance with NIOSH guidelines. For each bottle, total alkalinity (TA) was measured in μmol kg−1 using end-point titration (DL15 titrator, Mettler Toledo, Schwerzenbach, Switzerland; accuracy ± 50 μmol kg−1) following SOP 3b from Dickson et al. (2007). Treatment averages for pCO2 (μatm) and total dissolved inorganic carbon (TC) were calculated using CO2Calc (Van Heuven et al. 2011) with the following constants: CO2: Mehrbach et al. (1973); KHSO4: Dickson (1990); and Boron: Uppström (1974). Means (± SD) for each treatment are listed in Table 1.
Mercurius solubilis attenuates scopolamine-induced memory deficits and enhances the motor coordination in mice
Published in International Journal of Neuroscience, 2018
Simranjeet Kaur, Anudeep Kaur, Gurjit Singh, Rajbir Bhatti
Studies have revealed that treatment with 30X and 200X potencies of merc sol ameliorate the deleterious effects of mercuric chloride [17]. Mercuric chloride is an alarming environmental contaminant with severe health risks. Accidental and chronic exposure to mercury compounds is documented to participate in severe health hazards including minamata disease that is due to exposure of methyl mercury [35]. Post-mortem analysis of brain regions and blood of some patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) has been shown to reveal high mercury concentrations [36]. Studies have shown that immunosuppression is also caused by exposure to mercury [8]. Mercurius treatment has been reported to improve lack of cognition and concentration and behavioural impairment in several case reports [37].
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