The embryotoxic response produced by inorganic mercury in different strains of hamsters

This report compares the mercury-induced embryotoxicity among one noninbred (LVG) and five inbred (CB, LHC, LSH, MHA, PD4) strains of hamsters. A single dose of mercuric acetate (15 mg/kg, sc) was injected into pregnant hamsters on the morning of the 8th gestation day. Treated and control animals were killed on either the 12th or 15th gestation day and studied for the types and frequency of external and internal abnormalities as well as the incidence of resorption sites. The hamster strains exhibited significant resorption rates as well as a variety of abnormalities including edema, retardation, ventral wall defects, pericardial cavity distention, cleft palate, hydrocephalus, and heart defects. Significant but varied interstrain differences were observed for most of these indicators of mercury-induced embryotoxicity. The results of this study were compared with prior work in which the same hamster strains were exposed to cadmium or lead.