Fine-scale tissue distribution of cadmium, inorganic mercury, and methylmercury in nymphs of the burrowing mayfly Hexagenia rigida studied by whole-body autoradiography.

The distribution of inorganic 109Cd(II), inorganic 203Hg(II), and [203Hg] methylmercury (MeHg) in nymphs of the burrowing mayfly Hexagenia rigida after exposure via water and sediments was studied. To better understand the mechanisms underlying the fate of Cd, Hg, and MeHg in this animal and to identify target organs, autoradiography of whole-body cryosections was used to obtain a detailed view of the distribution of the radiolabels. The gut and exoskeleton were the only structures labeled in nymphs exposed to Cd via water or sediments. After exposure to inorganic Hg via water, the Malpighian tubules exhibited a very high labeling, indicating that these organs may be a target for Hg toxicity. The distribution of Hg after exposure via sediments was similar, though the labeling of Malpighian tubules was less intense. Distribution of MeHg strongly differed between treatment groups. Nymphs were rather uniformly labeled after exposure via water, whereas in those exposed to MeHg in sediments, the intense labeling of all internal tissues contrasted with the very low labeling of the hemolymph, indicating that the translocation rate of the absorbed MeHg was faster in the latter group. This may be related to the complexation of MeHg by small thiol ligands in the gut as a result of the digestion process.