Skip to main content
Advertisement

Main menu

  • Home
  • Articles
    • Current Issue
    • Fast Forward
    • Latest Articles
    • Special Sections
    • Archive
  • Information
    • Instructions to Authors
    • Submit a Manuscript
    • FAQs
    • For Subscribers
    • Terms & Conditions of Use
    • Permissions
  • Editorial Board
  • Alerts
    • Alerts
    • RSS Feeds
  • Virtual Issues
  • Feedback
  • Submit
  • Other Publications
    • Drug Metabolism and Disposition
    • Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics
    • Molecular Pharmacology
    • Pharmacological Reviews
    • Pharmacology Research & Perspectives
    • ASPET

User menu

  • My alerts
  • Log in
  • My Cart

Search

  • Advanced search
Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics
  • Other Publications
    • Drug Metabolism and Disposition
    • Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics
    • Molecular Pharmacology
    • Pharmacological Reviews
    • Pharmacology Research & Perspectives
    • ASPET
  • My alerts
  • Log in
  • My Cart
Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics

Advanced Search

  • Home
  • Articles
    • Current Issue
    • Fast Forward
    • Latest Articles
    • Special Sections
    • Archive
  • Information
    • Instructions to Authors
    • Submit a Manuscript
    • FAQs
    • For Subscribers
    • Terms & Conditions of Use
    • Permissions
  • Editorial Board
  • Alerts
    • Alerts
    • RSS Feeds
  • Virtual Issues
  • Feedback
  • Submit
  • Visit jpet on Facebook
  • Follow jpet on Twitter
  • Follow jpet on LinkedIn
Abstract

Effects of mercury on spermatogenesis studied by velocity sedimentation cell separation and serial mating.

I P Lee and R L Dixon
Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics July 1975, 194 (1) 171-181;
I P Lee
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
R L Dixon
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
  • Article
  • Info & Metrics
  • eLetters
  • PDF
Loading

Abstract

Recently the potential toxicity of environmental mercury has become a major concern. Human tissues contain mercury due to daily environmental exposure. Nearly all of the mercury contaminating food is in the form of methylmercury complexes, due to the biotransformation of inorganic mercury. This report compares the reproductive effects of methylmercury hydroxide and mercuric chloride in male mice. The mercuric compounds were administered intraperitoneally once at a dose of 1 mg/kg (based on Hg++ concentration), or spermatogenic cells were exposed in vitro to Hg+ concentrations ranging from 10(-3) to 10(-8)M. Spermatogenic cells were separated for biochemical studies using the velocity sedimentation technique, and in vivo serial mating was used to assess fertility. The effects of CH3Hg+ or Hg++ on the uptake of 3H-thymidine by spermatogonia, 3H-uridine by early elongated spermatids, and 3H-L-leucine by late elongated spermatids were studied. These in vitro experiments indicated that at 1-(-3) m CH2HgOH reduced thymidine incorporation by spermatogonia by 40%, uridine incorporation by elongated spermatids by 39% and L-leucine incorporation by late elongated spermatids by 40%. Results obtained with HgCl2 were similar but of lesser magnitude. In vivo administration of CH3HgOH and HgCl2 significantly inhibited the uptake of thymidine, uridine and L-leucine by their respective spermatogenic cells. Fertility profiles obtained from serial mating studies indicated that the primary effect of CH3HgOH was on spermatogonial cells, premeiotic spermatocytes and early elongated spermatids, with no apparent effect on spermatozoa in testis, peididymis or vas deferentia. HgCl2 also primarily affected spermatogonial and premeiotic cells, but the effect was less than that seen with CH3HgOH. Statistical analysis indicated significant antifertility effects. Inhibition of uptake of thymidine and uridine was well correlated with the functionality of these cells as reflected in the fertility profile, excep for L-leucine uptake. Mercury ion-induced antifertility effects at the dosage used in these experiments are reversible. Thus, these results suggest spermatogenic effects of methylmercury complexes which might have important health consequences in man.

JPET articles become freely available 12 months after publication, and remain freely available for 5 years. 

Non-open access articles that fall outside this five year window are available only to institutional subscribers and current ASPET members, or through the article purchase feature at the bottom of the page. 

 

  • Click here for information on institutional subscriptions.
  • Click here for information on individual ASPET membership.

 

Log in using your username and password

Forgot your user name or password?

Purchase access

You may purchase access to this article. This will require you to create an account if you don't already have one.
PreviousNext
Back to top

In this issue

Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics
Vol. 194, Issue 1
1 Jul 1975
  • Table of Contents
  • Table of Contents (PDF)
  • Index by author
  • Editorial Board (PDF)
  • Front Matter (PDF)
Download PDF
Article Alerts
Sign In to Email Alerts with your Email Address
Email Article

Thank you for sharing this Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics article.

NOTE: We request your email address only to inform the recipient that it was you who recommended this article, and that it is not junk mail. We do not retain these email addresses.

Enter multiple addresses on separate lines or separate them with commas.
Effects of mercury on spermatogenesis studied by velocity sedimentation cell separation and serial mating.
(Your Name) has forwarded a page to you from Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics
(Your Name) thought you would be interested in this article in Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics.
CAPTCHA
This question is for testing whether or not you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions.
Citation Tools
Abstract

Effects of mercury on spermatogenesis studied by velocity sedimentation cell separation and serial mating.

I P Lee and R L Dixon
Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics July 1, 1975, 194 (1) 171-181;

Citation Manager Formats

  • BibTeX
  • Bookends
  • EasyBib
  • EndNote (tagged)
  • EndNote 8 (xml)
  • Medlars
  • Mendeley
  • Papers
  • RefWorks Tagged
  • Ref Manager
  • RIS
  • Zotero

Share
Abstract

Effects of mercury on spermatogenesis studied by velocity sedimentation cell separation and serial mating.

I P Lee and R L Dixon
Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics July 1, 1975, 194 (1) 171-181;
del.icio.us logo Digg logo Reddit logo Twitter logo Facebook logo Google logo Mendeley logo
  • Tweet Widget
  • Facebook Like
  • Google Plus One

Jump to section

  • Article
  • Info & Metrics
  • eLetters
  • PDF

Related Articles

Cited By...

Similar Articles

Advertisement
  • Home
  • Alerts
Facebook   Twitter   LinkedIn   RSS

Navigate

  • Current Issue
  • Fast Forward by date
  • Fast Forward by section
  • Latest Articles
  • Archive
  • Search for Articles
  • Feedback
  • ASPET

More Information

  • About JPET
  • Editorial Board
  • Instructions to Authors
  • Submit a Manuscript
  • Customized Alerts
  • RSS Feeds
  • Subscriptions
  • Permissions
  • Terms & Conditions of Use

ASPET's Other Journals

  • Drug Metabolism and Disposition
  • Molecular Pharmacology
  • Pharmacological Reviews
  • Pharmacology Research & Perspectives
ISSN 1521-0103 (Online)

Copyright © 2022 by the American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics