Effect of thimerosal, methylmercury, and mercuric chloride in Jurkat T Cell Line

Mercury is a ubiquitous environmental toxicant that causes a wide range of adverse health effects in humans. Three forms of mercury exist: elemental, inorganic and organic. Each of them has its own profile of toxicity. The aim of the present study was to determine the effect of thimerosal, a topical antiseptic and preservative in vaccines routinely given to children, methyl mercury, and mercuric chloride on cellular viability measured by MTT in Jurkat T cells, a human T leukemia cell line. The treatment of Jurkat T cells with thimerosal caused a significant decrease in cellular viability at 1 \u3bcM (25%, p<0.05; IC50: 10 \u3bcM). Methyl mercury exhibited a significant decrease in cellular viability at 50 \u3bcM (33%, p