Abstract
Overt neurological impairment is the endpoint currently used to document a case of methylmercury poisoning. No consideration is given to possible subtle consequences. Offspring from mice exposed to methylmercury on day 7 or 9 of pregnancy were apparently unaffected during postnatal development. However, subtle behavioral differences between treated and control offspring were found when the overtly normal animals were tested in an open field and evaluated in a swimming apparatus at 1 month of age. Brain weight, protein, choline acetyltransferase, and cholinesterase were not significantly altered.
MeSH terms
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Acyltransferases / analysis
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Animals
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Behavior, Animal / drug effects*
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Brain / enzymology
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Brain Chemistry / drug effects
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Choline
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Cholinesterases / analysis
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Defecation / drug effects
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Exploratory Behavior / drug effects
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Female
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Gestational Age
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Grooming / drug effects
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Locomotion / drug effects
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Male
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Maternal-Fetal Exchange*
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Mercury / pharmacology*
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Methylmercury Compounds / pharmacology
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Methylmercury Compounds / poisoning
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Motor Activity / drug effects
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Nerve Tissue Proteins / analysis
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Organometallic Compounds / pharmacology*
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Pregnancy
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Rats
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Sex Factors
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Urination / drug effects
Substances
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Methylmercury Compounds
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Nerve Tissue Proteins
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Organometallic Compounds
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Acyltransferases
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Cholinesterases
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Mercury
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Choline