[Levels of mercury in the organs and tissues of sheep after administration of very low doses].

Experiments were carried out with six sheep of the Slovak Merino breed, weighing 22-28 kg. For 28 days the animals were given 4 mg inorganic Hg2+ in the feed per animal/day. In contrast with the controls, the following residual mercury concentrations were determined in the single organs and tissues: liver 1.580 +/- 0.326 mg.kg-1 Hg2+ and 0.091 +/- 0.014 mg.kg-1 Hg2+, respectively muscle 0.064 +/- 0.009 mg.kg-1 Hg2+, and 0.026 +/- 0.006 mg.kg-1 Hg2+, resp. spleen 0.142 +/- 0.025 mg.kg-1 Hg2+, and 0.022 +/- 0.010 mg.kg-1 Hg2+, resp. kidney 9.054 +/- 3.794 mg.kg-1 Hg2+, and 0.128 +/- 0.080 mg.kg-1 Hg2+, resp. (Fig. 1), abomasal contents 0.309 +/- 0.069 mg.kg-1 Hg2+, and 0.021 +/- 0.007 mg.kg-1 Hg2+, resp. large intestinal contents 0.267 +/- 0.058 mg.kg-1 Hg2+, and 0.043 +/- 0.004 mg.kg-1 Hg2+, resp. The results suggest that the long-term ingestion of mercury with feed leads to a pronounced Hg accumulation in the kidneys and liver. Much lower levels were observed in the muscle tissue and spleen. The affinity of mercury to the kidney and liver is probably related to the preferential bonds of organic mercury compounds to the SH- groups of the plasma proteins in these organs. It is the bond to the sulphydryl groups of proteins that results in the inhibition of proteosynthesis and thus enzyme and antibody inhibition. Under the conditions of continuing chemical contamination of the environment, a permanent supply of low concentrations of heavy metals the animal organism is observed.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)