TRANSPLACENTAL EFFECT OF ORGANOMERCURIAL .2. ALANINE AND ASPARTATE-AMINOTRANSFERASE ACTIVITIES IN THE LIVER

The effect of intraperitoneal injection of 0-hydroxymercuribenzoic acid anhydride on ALT and AST activities in liver was studied and the results compared with those obtained in transplacental micronucleus test. Three various concentration of organomercurial compound were injected to pregnant mice in the 15th day of pregnancy. 22 hours after the administration the mice were killed, the living and dead foetuses counted and the ALT and AST activities in livers of dams and living foetuses estimated. Paralelly to increased concentration of mercury also the number of dead foetuses has increaseed. Both AST and ALT activities were enhanced in foetuses after mercury compound injection and the enhancement became higher after greater dose of mercury. The differences were more pronounced in the case of AST. The changes are fully in concordance with the transplacental micronucleus test, which was done under the same conditions. The placental transfer of mercury was confirmed.