Neurobiological disruptions induced in brains of the rats fed with mercury contaminated rice collected from experimental fields in Guizhou Province, China

Guizhou Province, located in the southwestern China, is an important mercury (Hg) production center. High levels of Hg were found in local environmental and biomass samples. The neurobiological disruptions induced in brains of rats fed with Hg polluted rice collected from two experimental plots in Guizhou Province were studied. The plots are close to the Hg mine of Wanshang area and a chemical plant (where Hg is used as a catalyst for the production of acetaldehyde) of Qingzhen area. Rats were fed for 30 d before toxicological end points were tested. The results showed that the accumulations of Hg in rat's brain of Qingzhen chemical plant group and Wanshang mine group were significantly higher than those of Shanghai group (control group) (P < 0.01). The neural transmitters, including acetylcholine (Ach), acetylcholine enzyme (AchE), nitric oxide and nitricoxide synthase (NOS), in rat's brain were significantly affected. Oxidative stress was observed in the exposure groups. The expression levels of the immediately early gene (IEG), c-fos and c-FOS proteins were induced by the Hg polluted rice. It was noted that the IEG (c-fos) participated in the neurotoxic process induced by the Hg polluted rice. IEG response to Hg might be dependent on interactions between neural transmitter and oxidative damage. c-fos could be used as an effective index of detecting and assessing the neurotoxicity of Hg. The results suggested that it should be alert to mental health problem in human beings eating Hg-polluted food. More efforts are necessary to protect the local ecosystem and human health in the Hg polluted areas such as Wangshan and Qingzhen in Guizhou Province of China.