Cerebral changes in the course of intoxication with mercury phenylacetate

A histoenzymic study of cerebral phosphatases and esterases was performed on rats subjected to experimental intoxication with mercury phenylacetate. Following intragastric application of mercury phenylacetate to experimental animals, decreased activities of cerebral ATPase, acP and AChE were observed. The intoxicated animals displayed enhanced cerebral TPPase and partially also NsChE activities. Apart from changes in the histoenzymic pattern of the experimental brains, the ingestion of mercury phenylacetate brought about evident morphological changes in form of neuronal vacuolisation and spongious degeneration of the white matter. The extent of morphological as well as histoenzymic alterations was dependent on the duration of the experimental poisoning.