Effects of dietary mercury on growth and haematological indices in mice, mus musculus

In this study the effect of mercury contaminated diet on bioaccumulation, growth performance, blood parameters and ileum structure, of mice, Mus musculus were investigated. Mice were exposed to lmgHg/kg/day and 2mgHg/kg/day for a period of 7, 14, 21, 28 and 35 days. The accumulation of mercury in the liver and kidneys after 35 days of exposure to lmgHg/kg/day and 2mgHg/kg/day was significantly higher (p<0.001) than controls. The highest amount of mercury accumulation was found in the kidneys. Mercury accumulation in the kidney was 2.01 ± 0.33 jigHg/g dry wt for control, 205.35 ± 17.53 jj.gHg/g dry wt for mice exposed to lmgHg/kg/day and 423.81 ± 19.51 (igHg/g dry wt for those exposed to 2mgHg/kg/day. Mercury accumulation in the liver was found to be 1.06 ± 0.23 jigHg/g dry wt for the control group, 29.31 ± 6.37 ugHg/g dry wt in mice exposed to lmgHg/kg/day and 83.54 ± 4.32 |iigHg/g dry wt in those exposed to 2mgHg/kg/day. Decreased RBC count in mice treated with higher dose of mercury was observed for the first 21 days, however the amounts of haemoglobin was significantly lower for the first 14 days as compared to the control group. Other haematological parameters such as PVC, MCHC, MCH, MVC and plasma Na+, K+ and Cl" were significantly different in mice exposed to mercury compared to the control as days of exposure increased. The structure of the ileum showed slight reduction in the height of the villi. The central part of the ileum showed slight disintegration in the mercury exposed mice.