The Prevalence of Inorganic Mercury in Human Kidneys Suggests a Role for Toxic Metals in Essential Hypertension

Pamphlett, R; Doble, PA; Bishop, DP

The Prevalence of Inorganic Mercury in Human Kidneys Suggests a Role for Toxic Metals in Essential Hypertension

Pamphlett, R Doble, PA Bishop, DP

Permalink

Publisher:: MDPI
Publication Type:: Journal Article
Citation:: Toxics, 2021, 9, (3), pp. 1-19
Issue Date:: 2021-03-21

Open Access

Copyright Clearance Process

Recently Added
In Progress
Open Access

This item is open access.

Adobe PDF

Download full textAdobe PDF (5.48 MB)

View on publisher's site

View statistics

Full metadata record

Field	Value	Language
dc.contributor.author	Pamphlett, R
dc.contributor.author	Doble, PA
dc.contributor.author	Bishop, DP
dc.date.accessioned	2022-01-19T00:00:15Z
dc.date.available	2021-03-17
dc.date.available	2022-01-19T00:00:15Z
dc.date.issued	2021-03-21
dc.identifier.citation	Toxics, 2021, 9, (3), pp. 1-19
dc.identifier.issn	2305-6304
dc.identifier.issn	2305-6304
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10453/153310
dc.description.abstract	The kidney plays a dominant role in the pathogenesis of essential hypertension, but the initial pathogenic events in the kidney leading to hypertension are not known. Exposure to mercury has been linked to many diseases including hypertension in epidemiological and experimental studies, so we studied the distribution and prevalence of mercury in the human kidney. Paraffin sections of kidneys were available from 129 people ranging in age from 1 to 104 years who had forensic/coronial autopsies. One individual had injected himself with metallic mercury, the other 128 were from varied clinicopathological backgrounds without known exposure to mercury. Sections were stained for inorganic mercury using autometallography. Laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) was used on six samples to confirm the presence of autometallography-detected mercury and to look for other toxic metals. In the 128 people without known mercury exposure, mercury was found in: (1) proximal tubules of the cortex and Henle thin loops of the medulla, in 25% of kidneys (and also in the man who injected himself with mercury), (2) proximal tubules only in 16% of kidneys, and (3) Henle thin loops only in 23% of kidneys. The age-related proportion of people who had any mercury in their kidney was 0% at 1–20 years, 66% at 21–40 years, 77% at 41–60 years, 84% at 61–80 years, and 64% at 81–104 years. LA-ICP-MS confirmed the presence of mercury in samples staining with autometallography and showed cadmium, lead, iron, nickel, and silver in some kidneys. In conclusion, mercury is found commonly in the adult human kidney, where it appears to accumulate in proximal tubules and Henle thin loops until an advanced age. Dysfunctions of both these cortical and medullary regions have been implicated in the pathogenesis of essential hypertension, so these findings suggest that further studies of the effects of mercury on blood pressure are warranted.
dc.format	Electronic
dc.language	eng
dc.publisher	MDPI
dc.relation.ispartof	Toxics
dc.relation.isbasedon	10.3390/toxics9030067
dc.rights	info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
dc.title	The Prevalence of Inorganic Mercury in Human Kidneys Suggests a Role for Toxic Metals in Essential Hypertension
dc.type	Journal Article
utslib.citation.volume	9
utslib.location.activity	Switzerland
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Science
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Strength - CFS - Centre for Forensic Science
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Science/School of Mathematical and Physical Sciences
utslib.copyright.status	open_access	*
pubs.consider-herdc	false
dc.date.updated	2022-01-19T00:00:07Z
pubs.issue	3
pubs.publication-status	Published
pubs.volume	9
utslib.citation.issue	3

Abstract:

The kidney plays a dominant role in the pathogenesis of essential hypertension, but the initial pathogenic events in the kidney leading to hypertension are not known. Exposure to mercury has been linked to many diseases including hypertension in epidemiological and experimental studies, so we studied the distribution and prevalence of mercury in the human kidney. Paraffin sections of kidneys were available from 129 people ranging in age from 1 to 104 years who had forensic/coronial autopsies. One individual had injected himself with metallic mercury, the other 128 were from varied clinicopathological backgrounds without known exposure to mercury. Sections were stained for inorganic mercury using autometallography. Laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) was used on six samples to confirm the presence of autometallography-detected mercury and to look for other toxic metals. In the 128 people without known mercury exposure, mercury was found in: (1) proximal tubules of the cortex and Henle thin loops of the medulla, in 25% of kidneys (and also in the man who injected himself with mercury), (2) proximal tubules only in 16% of kidneys, and (3) Henle thin loops only in 23% of kidneys. The age-related proportion of people who had any mercury in their kidney was 0% at 1–20 years, 66% at 21–40 years, 77% at 41–60 years, 84% at 61–80 years, and 64% at 81–104 years. LA-ICP-MS confirmed the presence of mercury in samples staining with autometallography and showed cadmium, lead, iron, nickel, and silver in some kidneys. In conclusion, mercury is found commonly in the adult human kidney, where it appears to accumulate in proximal tubules and Henle thin loops until an advanced age. Dysfunctions of both these cortical and medullary regions have been implicated in the pathogenesis of essential hypertension, so these findings suggest that further studies of the effects of mercury on blood pressure are warranted.

Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item:

http://hdl.handle.net/10453/153310