Binding and Uptake of Mercuric Chloride in Human Lymphoid Cells

Abstract

Animal and human lymphoid cells are stimulated in their DNA synthesis by mercuric chloride. A direct binding of labelled mercuric chloride (²⁰³HgCl₂) to the membranes of human thymocytes and peripheral blood lymphocytes could be demonstrated as early as 15 min after isotope addition. There was also an uptake of mercury in the nuclei, as determined by liquid scintillation. The isotope activity was recovered in the phenol-soluble nuclear fraction, i.e. containing non-histone phosphoproteins.

Influence of Beta-Endorphin, Somatostatin, Substance P and Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide on the Proliferative Response of Human Peripheral Blood T Lymphocytes to Mercuric Chloride

“…With the addition of neuropeptide 3 days after mercuric chloride, there was a more evident influence on the proliferative response compared to addition after 1 h. This may be due to the fact that the lympho cytes stimulated by mercuric chloride at 3 days are proliferating cells with a maximum at 6 days [12] and are more easy to influence by neuropeptides than rest ing lymphocytes at an early incubation time, when the uptake of mercuric chloride into the nuclei has just started [14], This is in contrast to the findings for PHA-stimulated T lymphocytes, where a modulating effect of //-endorphin on the proliferative response was difficult to obtain, when the blastogenesis had been established at 48 h by prior exposure to the lectinic mitogen [11]. However, lectinic mitogens primarily act on cell membrane receptors and, in addition, also give a maximum effect on the DNA synthesis at 48-72 h.…”

“…Mercuric chloride stimulates the DNA synthesis of in vitro cultured animal [5] and human [12,13,20) lymphoid cells (both thymocytes and peripheral blood lymphocytes), probably as a direct effect on the cells via an uptake in the nuclei [14].…”

Phosphorylation of Nuclear Proteins of Peripheral Blood T Lymphocytes Activated by Nickel Sulfate and Mercuric Chloride

“…The stimulation, as regards mercuric chloride, might be mediated through a direct action on the lympho cytes via nuclear uptake [4], As regards nickel sulfate, the stimulation might partly be mediated by a direct action via nuclear uptake [5] and partly via participa tion of macrophages [3].…”

Stimulating Effect of Unfractionated Heparin and a Low Molecular Weight Heparin Fragment on the DNA Synthesis Response of Human Thymocytes to Mercuric Chloride

“…The modulating effect of the heparin preparations might be explained on the basis of an influence on the cellular uptake of mercuric chloride by the heparin preparations; both heparin [5,11] and mercuric chlo ride [15] are taken up by lymphoid cells. On the other hand, there might also be a change in the structure of the heparin molecules caused by mercuric chloride; an importance of the structure of the polysaccharide chain for the mitogenic effect on lymphocytes was postulated before [17], In relation to the earlier reported in vivo findings [3,9,12], where anticoagulants inhibited the expres sion of cell-mediated allergic reactions of the delayed type, the results here, with a stimulated lymphoid DNA synthesis response to mercuric chloride, indi cate the possibility that anticoagulants might have different effects in different phases of the inflamma tory process.…”