Thyroid Hormones and Methylmercury Toxicity.

Soldin OP, O’Mara DM, Aschner M.
Departments of Medicine, Oncology and Physiology, Center for Sex Differences, Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, LL, S-166, Georgetown University Medical Center, 3800 Reservoir Road, N.W., Washington, DC, 20057, USA, os35@georgetown.edu.

Thyroid hormones are essential for cellular metabolism, growth, and development. In particular, an adequate supply of thyroid hormones is critical for fetal neurodevelopment. Thyroid hormone tissue activation and inactivation in brain, liver, and other tissues is controlled by the deiodinases through the removal of iodine atoms. Selenium, an essential element critical for deiodinase activity, is sensitive to mercury and, therefore, when its availability is reduced, brain development might be altered. This review addresses the possibility that high exposures to the organometal, methylmercury (MeHg), may perturb neurodevelopmental processes by selectively affecting thyroid hormone homeostasis and function.

PMID: 18716716 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18716716?dopt=AbstractPlus