Inorganic mercury is transported from muscular nerve terminals to spinal and brainstem motoneurons

The distribution of mercury within the brainstem and spinal cord of mice was investigated with the autometallographic technique after intramuscular administration of a single dose of mercuric mercury (HgCl2). Deposits of mercury were localized to motor neurons of the spinal cord and to brainstem motor nuclei; i.e., neurons with their peripheral projections outside the blood-brain barrier. Unilateral ligation of the hypoglossal nerve prior to the injection of HgCl2 prevented the accumulation of mercury deposits in the ipsilateral hypoglossal nucleus. The selective accumulation of mercury in spinal and brainstem motoneurons is most probably due to a leakage of metal-protein complexes from capillaries in muscle into myoneural junctions, followed by uptake into nerve terminals and retrograde axonal transport. The possible link between this process and the development of motor neuron degeneration in ALS is discussed.