Uptake of Mercury by the Hair of Methylmercury-Treated Newborn Mice

The study investigated the incorporation of methylmercury into the hair of newborn Balb/c mice, revealing that mercury levels in the pelt correlated with hair growth stages. Mice were injected with 203Hg-labeled methylmercury, and it was found that mercury concentration in the pelt peaked during rapid hair growth, accounting for 40% of the whole body burden. When hair growth ceased, mercury levels in the pelt dropped to 4%, while concentrations in other tissues, except the brain, increased. Methylmercury was shown to concentrate in hair follicles, particularly in areas rich in high-sulfur proteins. In comparison, inorganic mercury uptake was less than half that of methylmercury during hair growth, and its levels did not decrease as significantly when hair growth stopped.