IN-VITRO, CONCENTRATION AND TIME DEPENDENT EFFECT OF PHENYL MERCURIC ACETATE ON THE CHEMICAL STATUS OF GLUTATHIONE (GSH)

Abstract

Mercury toxicity is known since long and is a significant clinical entity as mercury is ubiquitous in the whole environment and poses serious risk to human health. In humans mercury toxicity encompasses direct damage to tissues and enzyme functions. It is the strong oxidant among heavy metal and is a neurotoxin. It was of interest to investiage the concentration and time dependent effect of phenyl mercuric acetate on the chemical status of reduced glutathione (GSH) in vitro conditions. Spectrophotometric analysis shows that with the increase in concentration of PMA (Phenyl Mercuric Acetate) and increase in incubation times cause greater depletion in reduced form of glutathione perhaps due to the conversion of GSH into GSSH or GS-HG complex formation.