Abstract
Inorganic mercury has been proposed as a neurotoxin that could cause sporadic motor neuron disease (SMND). We were therefore interested to see if mercury could be detected in the upper and lower motor neurons of SMND patients, and if mercury accumulated within motor neurons during life. Paraffin sections of formalin-fixed spinal cord (22 control adults, 20 SMND adults, 25 infants) and frontal primary motor cortex (9 control adults, 18 SMND adults, 20 infants) were stained with silver nitrate autometallography to detect ionic mercury. Mercury was found in the spinal motor neurons of 36% of adult control cases and 45% of adult SMND cases, with no significant difference between groups. No mercury was seen in infant spinal motor neurons, or in any adult or infant corticomotoneurons. In conclusion, many humans appear to accumulate mercury in their spinal motor neurons by the time they are adults, but mercury does not appear to play a major role in the loss of upper or lower motor neurons in SMND.
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
Avoid common mistakes on your manuscript.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
Received: 27 December 1997 / Revised, accepted: 12 May 1998
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Pamphlett, R., Waley, P. Mercury in human spinal motor neurons. Acta Neuropathol 96, 515–519 (1998). https://doi.org/10.1007/s004010050927
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s004010050927