Induction of lipid peroxidation in rats by mercuric chloride

Twenty-four hr after the subcutaneous injection of 0.015 mmol of mercuric chloride/kg/day into male rats for 2 days, the rats exhibited biochemical alterations in the kidneys, including diene conjugation absorption in the microsomal lipids, increased malonic dialdehyde content, decreased soluble glutathione (GSH) peroxidase activity. Simultaneous injections of 0.025 mmol of sodium selenite/kg/day restored the malonic dialdehyde content and the GSH peroxidase activity to normal levels. Incubation of kidney microsomes with low concentrations of mercuric chloride resulted in increased formation of lipid peroxides in the presence and the absence of ascorbate, but not in the presence of NADPH.