PMID- 23340980
OWN - NLM
STAT- MEDLINE
DCOM- 20130909
LR  - 20211021
IS  - 1573-3017 (Electronic)
IS  - 0963-9292 (Linking)
VI  - 22
IP  - 3
DP  - 2013 Apr
TI  - Mercury exposure and neurochemical biomarkers in multiple brain regions of 
      Wisconsin river otters (Lontra canadensis).
PG  - 469-75
LID - 10.1007/s10646-013-1040-6 [doi]
AB  - River otters are fish-eating wildlife that bioaccumulate high levels of mercury 
      (Hg). Mercury is a proven neurotoxicant to mammalian wildlife, but little is 
      known about the underlying, sub-clinical effects. Here, the overall goal was to 
      increase understanding of Hg's neurological risk to otters. First, Hg values 
      across several brain regions and tissues were characterized. Second, in three 
      brain regions with known sensitivity to Hg (brainstem, cerebellum, and occipital 
      cortex), potential associations among Hg levels and neurochemical biomarkers 
      [N-methyl-D-aspartic acid (NMDA) and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABAA) receptor] 
      were explored. There were no significant differences in Hg levels across eight 
      brain regions (rank order, highest to lowest: frontal cortex, cerebellum, 
      temporal cortex, occipital cortex, parietal cortex, basal ganglia, brainstem, and 
      thalamus), with mean values ranging from 0.7 to 1.3 ug/g dry weight. These brain 
      levels were significantly lower than mean values in the muscle (2.1 +/- 1.4 ug/g), 
      liver (4.7 +/- 4.3 ug/g), and fur (8.8 +/- 4.8 ug/g). While a significant association 
      was found between Hg and NMDA receptor levels in the brain stem (P = 0.028, rp = 
      -0.293), no relationships were found in the cerebellum and occipital cortex. For 
      the GABA receptor, no relationships were found. The lack of consistent 
      Hg-associated neurochemical changes is likely due to low brain Hg levels in these 
      river otters, which are amongst the lowest reported.
FAU - Dornbos, Peter
AU  - Dornbos P
AD  - Department of Environmental Health Sciences, University of Michigan School of 
      Public Health, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA.
FAU - Strom, Sean
AU  - Strom S
FAU - Basu, Niladri
AU  - Basu N
LA  - eng
PT  - Journal Article
PT  - Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
DEP - 20130123
PL  - United States
TA  - Ecotoxicology
JT  - Ecotoxicology (London, England)
JID - 9885956
RN  - 0 (Biomarkers)
RN  - 0 (Water Pollutants, Chemical)
SB  - IM
MH  - Animals
MH  - Biomarkers/metabolism
MH  - Brain/*metabolism
MH  - Brain Stem/metabolism
MH  - Cerebellum/metabolism
MH  - Hair/metabolism
MH  - Liver/metabolism
MH  - Occipital Lobe/metabolism
MH  - Otters/*metabolism
MH  - Rivers/*chemistry
MH  - Water Pollutants, Chemical/*metabolism
MH  - Wisconsin
EDAT- 2013/01/24 06:00
MHDA- 2013/09/10 06:00
CRDT- 2013/01/24 06:00
PHST- 2013/01/09 00:00 [accepted]
PHST- 2013/01/24 06:00 [entrez]
PHST- 2013/01/24 06:00 [pubmed]
PHST- 2013/09/10 06:00 [medline]
AID - 10.1007/s10646-013-1040-6 [doi]
PST - ppublish
SO  - Ecotoxicology. 2013 Apr;22(3):469-75. doi: 10.1007/s10646-013-1040-6. Epub 2013 
      Jan 23.