Methylmercury and diphenyl diselenide interactions in Drosophila melanogaster: effects on development, behavior, and Hg levels

• Published in: Environmental science and pollution research international 2018-08, Vol.25 (22), p.21568-21576
• Main Authors: Leão, Mayara B., da Rosa, Paulo C. C., Wagner, Caroline, Lugokenski, Thiago H., Dalla Corte, Cristiane L.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; Antidotes; Aquatic Pollution; Atmospheric Protection/Air Quality Control/Air Pollution; Behavior, Animal - drug effects; Benzene Derivatives - pharmacology; Body Burden; Dimethylmercury; Drosophila melanogaster; Drosophila melanogaster - drug effects; Drosophila melanogaster - growth & development; Drosophila melanogaster - metabolism; Drug Interactions; Earth and Environmental Science; Ecotoxicology; Environment; Environmental Chemistry; Environmental Health; Environmental science; Exposure; Fluoresceins; Insects; Locomotion; Male; Mercury; Mercury (metal); Mercury - metabolism; Methylmercury; Methylmercury Compounds - toxicity; Organoselenium Compounds - pharmacology; Reactive oxygen species; Reactive Oxygen Species - metabolism; Research Article; Survival; Toxicity; Waste Water Technology; Water Management; Water Pollution Control
• ISSN: 0944-1344; 1614-7499
• DOI: 10.1007/s11356-018-2293-7

Methylmercury (MeHg) is a highly toxic environmental pollutant which binds with a high affinity to selenol groups. In view of this, seleno-compounds have been investigated as MeHg antidotes. In the present study, we evaluated the effects of the co-exposure to MeHg and the seleno-compound diphenyl diselenide (PhSe) 2 on Drosophila melanogaster . We measured the survival rate, developmental survival, locomotor ability, reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, and Hg levels in D. melanogaster exposed to MeHg and/or (PhSe) 2 in the food. Exposure to MeHg caused a reduction in the survival rate, developmental survival, and locomotion in D. melanogaster . In addition, MeHg increased the ROS production and mercury levels in flies. The co-exposure to MeHg and (PhSe) 2 did not prevent the toxic effects of MeHg in D. melanogaster . On the contrary, the co-exposure enhanced the toxic effects on the locomotor ability and developmental survival. This effect may be explained by the fact that the co-exposure increased the Hg levels in body when compared to flies exposed only to MeHg, suggesting that MeHg and (PhSe) 2 interaction may increase Hg body burden in D. melanogaster which could contribute for the increased toxicity observed in the co-exposure.