(Murcia : F. Hernández, 1987) Curle, D.C.; Ray, M.; Persaud, T.V.N.; Bertalanffy, F.D.
Adult male mice of the ICRISwiss Webster
strain received a single intragastric administration of
methylmercuric chloride 1,000 ppm, at dose levels of
5,10,15,20,25 and 30 mglkg of body weight. The animals
were killed six hours later. Tissue samples from the
duodenum were fixed in 10% neutral buffered formalin
for light microscopy. Chromosome clumping was
observed in dividing cells at all dose levels, resembling a
C-mitotic effect. It would lead to reduced mitotic cell
formation on account of the subsequent lysis of the
arrested metaphases. The cytostatic effect was brought
about by the inactivation of the microtubule spindle fiber
polymerization mechanism induced by methylmercuric
chloride. There was a direct positive correlation between
the varying dose levels of methylmercury and the
proportion of cells arrested in metaphase in the crypts of
the duodenum.