Lead reduces the nephrotoxicity of mercuric chloride

The nephrotoxic effect of a single intraperitoneal dose of mercuric chloride (HgCl(2); 6 mg/kg) on adult CD-1 female mice was reduced at 24 and 48 h after injection, by a 48-h pretreatment nontoxic dose of lead acetate (Pb; 5 mg/kg) delivered by intravenous tail-vein injection (intravenous). While protection is temporally associated with lead-induced mitosis, occurring about 39 h after intracardiac lead injection (D. D Choie and G. W. Richter, 1974, Lab. Invest. 30, 447-451), the mechanism of the observed protection remains to be established.