Antinucleolar autoantibody induced by mercuric chloride in mice: does sodium selenite inhibit autoantibody...

Repeated exposure of subtoxic doses of mercuric chloride (HgCl2) can induce antinucleolar autoantibodies in susceptible mice. To study the immunopathological mechanism(s), sodium selenite (Na2SeO3), which is known to reduce the toxicity of mercury, is injected simultaneously with HgCl2 into mice. Equimolar Na2SeO3 nor the same amount of Se in Na2SeO3 as Hg in HgCl2 could not reduce antinucleolar autoantibody induction by HgCl2. These results indicate that the mechanism of autoimmunity induction by HgCl2 might be independent of its toxicity.