Organomercury Compounds

About: Organomercury Compounds is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 392 publications have been published within this topic receiving 6465 citations.

X-ray structural investigation of the products of ring closure of 2-alkenylthiopyridines upon treatment with mercury iodide

Abstract: The products of the reaction of 2-alkenylthiopyridines with mercury iodide have been studied by single crystal X-ray diffraction. It has been demonstrated that the products are organomercury derivatives of salts of 2,3-dihydrothiazolo[3,2-a]pyridinium.

Ways of Decreasing the Oxidative Stress Promoted by Organomercury Compounds

Abstract: The oxidative stress of an organism resulting in metabolism disorder is related to the peroxide oxidation of lipids (POL) and to changes in the structure of cell membranes [1]. Detailed studies of POL processes showed that a number of exogenous agents exist, for example, metal salts and organic radicals, which promote the formation of hydroperoxides or carbonyl compounds, which are products of their decomposition, and accumulation of these products in the cell [2]. In addition, assays carried out for the whole organism indicate that toxic organomercury compounds RHgX and R 2 Hg are accumulated in cell membranes due to their lipophilic properties and accelerate POL [3, 4]. However, scarcity of the available data on the mechanism of toxic action of RHgX and R 2 Hg at the molecular level do not allow one to propose a general concept for the choice of detoxifying agents. Currently, thio derivatives and complexones [5], for example, 2,3-dimercaptopropanol and calcium disodium ethylenediaminetetraacetate, are used most often as detoxifying agents against mercury poisoning. The action of these agents is based on the binding of Hg atoms to give Hg‐S or Hg‐O bonds; however, it does not imply the possibility of deactivation of the reactive C-centered organic radicals resulting from the homolytic cleavage of the Hg‐C bond, which inevitably accompanies the involvement of RHgX and R 2 Hg in biochemical redox and radical processes.

Aspects of Mercury(II) Thiolate Chemistry and theBiological Behavior of Mercury Compounds

Abstract: Complex formation between mercury compounds and thiols, e.g. cysteine, is believed to play a major role in the biological chemistry of mercury. The greater affinity of Hg(II) and MeHg(II) for thiols than other possible biological donor ligands has been well documented by stability constant studies in aqueous solution. Our interest in mercury(II) thiolates stems from studies of the chemistry of the antidote British anti-Lewisite which indicated that the structure and reactivity of simple thiolate complexes was little understood. In this review our recent work on the interaction of inorganic and organomercury compounds with British anti-Lewisite, simple thiols and sulphur containing amino acids is discussed, followed by an account of animal studies of the distribution and metabolism of phenylmercury compounds. In discussing the implications of chemical results, e.g. reactivity of thiolates, for the biological behaviour of mercury compounds it is assumed here that chemical studies provide only plausible pathways for biological behaviour.