Mercury is highly toxic and can be absorbed through skin contact. From December 5, 2020 to February 16, 2021, occupational disease laboratory of the First People's Hospital of Baiyin received 30 urine mercury test samples from a beauty salon in Lanzhou City. The test results showed that 28 samples exceeded the normal value (normal value: 4 μg/g Cr) . 15 patients were treated with sodium dimertopropyl sulfonate for mercury removal and tiopron for liver protection, and the prognosis was good.
Humans ; Mercury/adverse effects* ; Cosmetics/adverse effects* ; Mercury Poisoning ; Skin

OBJECTIVEHerein, the synthesis, component, microstructure and pharmacological and toxicology researches of the Synthetic Mercury Sulfide (S-HgS) a kind of common drug in Chinese, Mongolia, Tibetan medicine, and Indian medicine system were summarized. The similar cognition about mercury toxicity & pharmacological action from some Asian regions was analyzed, and it can supply some useful direction for the traditional Asian medicine system.

METHODRecent literatures both domestic and abroad were summarized and analyzed.

RESULTS-HgS is the basis of Vermilion, Mongolia-Vermilion, Zuotai, and Ras-sindoor. Athough the processes of synthesis are very different, but the microstructure and pharmacological & toxicology of S-HgS is similar.

CONCLUSIONS-HgS has a far-ranging application,and unique curative effect. New technology such as nanotechnology can be used for improving the advancement of traditional Asian medicine.

Humans ; Medicine, Traditional ; Mercury Compounds ; adverse effects ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; Sulfates ; adverse effects ; chemistry ; pharmacology

Adult ; Cosmetics ; adverse effects ; chemistry ; Female ; Humans ; Hypothyroidism ; chemically induced ; Mercuric Chloride ; adverse effects ; analysis ; Mercury ; adverse effects ; analysis

Realgar (90% of AS4S4) and cinnabar (96% of HgS) have been used in traditional Chinese medicines for thousands of years. Both arsenic and mercury are well-known for toxic effects and the safety of realgar-and cinnabar-containing traditional Chinese medicines is of concern. It is considered that any intentional use of known toxic metals in medicine is an unacceptable risk, while an opposing opinion presumes that realgar and cinnabar have clear pharmacological action with tolerable side effects. This review summarized the progress of toxicological study on realgar-and cinnbar-containing traditional Chinese medicines.
Arsenicals ; adverse effects ; Drug-Related Side Effects and Adverse Reactions ; Humans ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; adverse effects ; Mercury Compounds ; adverse effects ; Sulfides ; adverse effects

Air Pollutants, Occupational ; adverse effects ; China ; epidemiology ; Female ; Humans ; Industry ; Male ; Mercury ; urine ; Mercury Poisoning ; epidemiology ; etiology ; Occupational Diseases ; epidemiology ; etiology ; Thermometers

This article made a brief analysis of clinical adverse effects of cinnabar. Except for allergic reaction, almost all the adverse events of cinnabar were caused by unreasonable application. The majority of the poisoning cases were associated with excessive and/or long-term dosage, and improper preparation methods, such as decocting, heating or fumigating. Children showed to be prone to poisoning. The poisoning caused by unreasonable use of cinnabar should be considered to be drug alert, but not advert effect. And the toxicity of cinnabar could be avoided by normalizing the preparation method, controlling the dosage and duration.
Chemical and Drug Induced Liver Injury ; etiology ; Coma ; chemically induced ; Drug Compounding ; adverse effects ; Drug Incompatibility ; Drug Overdose ; Gastrointestinal Diseases ; chemically induced ; Humans ; Hypersensitivity ; etiology ; Mercury Compounds ; adverse effects ; poisoning ; Mercury Poisoning ; prevention & control ; therapy

Cinnabar has been an important traditional Chinese medicine as a sedative and soporific agent for more than 2000 years. It is a naturally occurring mercuric sulfide and containing more than 96% mercuric sulfide (HgS). There are about 10% -30% Chinese patent medicines containing cinnabar according to the Pharmacopoeia of China (2005). It's hard to deny that cinnabar has therapeutic effect in clinic practice. However, cinnabar's extraordinary high containing mercury makes people hesitate to use. Furthermore, the abuse of cinnabar, which caused intoxication cases, has been reported occasionally. The safety and toxicity of cinnabar has been debated for centuries. The exact mechanism of cinnabar is still largely unknown. The present review focused on researches about cinnabar's mechanisms of pharmacological and toxicological effects since 2000.
Animals ; Drug Therapy ; Drug-Related Side Effects and Adverse Reactions ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; toxicity ; Humans ; Mercury Compounds ; pharmacology ; toxicity

Mercury-containing preparations are widely used in surgery department of traditional Chinese medicine and have made remarkable achievements. But they are toxic to human kidney, nerve, immune, etc. Smilacis Glabrae Rhizoma is sweet, tasteless and neutral in nature and able to enter liver and stomach channels and detoxify mercury poisoning. This article summarizes the mercury poisoning and the detoxification effect of Smilacis Glabrae Rhizoma in ancient records, pharmaceutical studies and clinical application, in order to provide ideas and methods for the safe use of mercury-containing preparations in surgery department of traditional Chinese medicine.
Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; therapeutic use ; Humans ; Inactivation, Metabolic ; Liliaceae ; chemistry ; Liver ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Mercury Compounds ; adverse effects ; pharmacokinetics ; therapeutic use ; Mercury Poisoning ; prevention & control ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; Rhizome ; chemistry ; Stomach ; drug effects ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo study the toxicity of Cinnabar and Cinnabar-containing traditional medicines (Zhusha Anshenwan) comparable to common mercurials.

METHODThe toxicity of methylmercury (MeHg), mercuric chloride (HgCl2), Cinnabar and Zhusha Anshenwan was studied in cultured human liver HL-7702 cells and in mice following acute and subacute exposures.

RESULTThe 50% lethal concentrations (LC50) of MeHg, HgCl2, Cinnabar and Zhusha Anshenwan in human liver HL-7702 cells were 4.4, 9.2, 2460, 4050 mg x L(-1), respectively . Oral cinnabar at a dose of 20 g x kg(-1) (clinical dosage 250 times) did not kill mouse, but no mouse could survive MeHg at a dose of 0.1 g x kg(-1) or HgCl2 at a dose of 0. 15 g x kg(-1). Subacute toxicity experiment indicated that HgCl2 retarded body weight gain with significant accumulation of Hg in the liver and kidney. In comparison, mercury accumulation after Cinnabar and Zhusha Anshenwan was insignificant. No apparent hepatic and renal dysfunctions were evident under the experimental conditions, but the metallothionein-2 mRNA levels were much higher in HgCl2 group than in other groups.

CONCLUSIONCinnabar and Zhusha Anshenwan are much less toxic than MeHg and HgCl2.

Animals ; Female ; Gene Expression ; drug effects ; Kidney ; drug effects ; physiology ; Liver ; drug effects ; physiology ; Male ; Mercuric Chloride ; administration & dosage ; adverse effects ; Mercury Compounds ; administration & dosage ; adverse effects ; Methylmercury Compounds ; administration & dosage ; adverse effects ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Random Allocation

OBJECTIVETo study in vivo mercury absorption and accumulation through repeated transdermal administration of Yuhong ointment containing calomel, in order to provide scientific evidences for clinical safe medication.

METHODA total of 100 SD rats were randomly classified into five groups: the control group, the Yuhong ointment group, the double-concentration Yuhong Ointment group, the quadruple-concentration Yuhong ointment group and the 1.6% calomel group. The rats were treated with the dosage of 0.04 g . cm-2 by repeated transdermal administration for 2, 4 weeks. After the drug discontinuance for 4 weeks, the levels of mercury in blood, urine, and tissues of heart, liver, brain and kidney were determined, respectively.

RESULTCompared with the control group, the blood mercury level of the Yuhong ointment group show no obvious change after treatment for 4 weeks. However, the levels of mercury in blood and urine of other experimental groups increased significantly with time and the increase in dosage, and so did the level of mercury in major organ. At 4 weeks, all experimental groups showed increase in the content of mercury, and kidneys displayed the highest level, whereas brain displayed the lowest level After the drug discontinuance for 4 weeks, the mercury level in blood and urine of every dose group recovered to normal, with significant decline in the content of mercury in each organ.

CONCLUSIONAfter transdermal administration in rats for 4 weeks, there was no obvious absorption of mercury in blood. Mercury was mainly accumulated in kidneys and excreted through urine. The results suggest that the patients' mercury content and kidney function indexes need to be monitored in long-term clinical use of Yuhong ointment.

Absorption ; drug effects ; Animals ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; administration & dosage ; adverse effects ; Female ; Male ; Mercury ; analysis ; blood ; pharmacokinetics ; urine ; Ointments ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Safety ; Time Factors