Bioactivation - A metabolic process wherein an inactive
chemical is converted to an active one in the body.
How does methyl mercury metabolize in the body?
Methyl mercury may be metabolized to inorganic mercury
by the liver and kidneys, with the inorganic form then
entering an oxidation-reduction cycle in the red blood
cells, lungs, and liver. Methyl mercury remaining in
the gastrointestinal tract is converted to inorganic
mercury by the intestinal flora.
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Bioactivation of Methyl Mercury
Methyl Mercury (MeHg) is very stable in the body compared to other
species of mercury. It is slowly demethylated to mercuric mercury
(Hg) in tissue macrophages, intestinal flora, and the fetal liver.
Although these sites of demethylation are known, the enzymes in
mammalian tissues responsible for the biotransformation have not
yet been identified. It is metabolized to ionic mercury at a rate
of around 1% of the body burden per day. The mercuric Hg resides
for long periods of time in the CNS, probably in an inert form.
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