Abstract:

Abstract:Objective To study the effects of methylmercury chloride (MMC) on protein kinase C ( PKC) activity in rat developing hippocampus. Methods The animals in experimental groups were fed with standard rat chow including  0.75 mg/kg MMC,1.5 mg/kgMMC and 3.0 mg?kg-1 MMC respectively for 90 d before gestation to 30 d post parturition. Hippocampus of pups from each group on postnatal days ( PND) 3,7,17,21 and 30 were dissected. All the samples were separated into cytosol and membrane subcellular fractions and assayed for PKC activity by the improved Takai’s method. Results The membrane and cytosolic PKC activities of pup hippocampus in experimental groups were significantly higher than those in control group.The PKC activities of rats in 3.0 mg/kg MMC group and PND 21,30 in 1.5 mg?kg-1 MMC group were significantly increased compared with control group (P<0.05).Conclusion The damage of the rat developing hippocampus by chronic exposure to MMC is possibly correlative with the enhanced effect of MMC on PKC activity.

Key words: methylmercury compounds/ toxicity;protein kinase C;mercury poisoning,nervous system