[Lipid peroxidation induced by methylmercury in rats]

The ability of methylmercury (MMC) to induce lipid peroxidation was tested in rats. One group of 5 rats (MMC group) took a diet to which 10 ppm of methylmercury was added while another group of 5 rats was fed a diet containing no MMC as a control. During the experimental period of 14 weeks (98 days) on these diets, body weight gain and amount of food consumption were checked individually for each two-day interval. Samples of expired air and blood were obtained every two weeks and analysed for ethane and pentane production and for plasma fatty acid composition, respectively. Results obtained were as follows: 1. During the first half of the 14-week experimental period, there was no significant difference in the amount of food consumption between the MMC group and the control group. However, a significantly smaller amount of food consumption was found in the MMC group as compared to the control group during the latter half of the experiment. The amount of food consumption was directly reflected in the body weight gain throughout the experimental period. 2. The amount of expired ethane was generally higher in the MMC group than in the control group throughout the experimental period. During the last 2 weeks of the experimental period, the difference in the amount of expired ethane between the two groups was statistically significant. 3. The amount of expired pentane was also higher in the MMC group than in the control group during all the weeks of the experimental period.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)