AJP - Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology, Vol 271, Issue 4 941-R945, Copyright © 1996 by American Physiological Society
No evidence of renal toxicity from amalgam fillings
G. Sandborgh-Englund, A. T. Nygren, J. Ekstrand and C. G. Elinder
Department of Dental Toxicology, Karolinska Institute, Huddinge, Sweden.
Dental amalgam continuously releases mercury. Studies of sheep [Boyd et
al., Am. J. Physiol. 261 (Regulatory Integrative Comp. Physiol. 30):
R1010-R1014, 1991] showed decreased renal function after placement of
amalgam fillings. In this study, renal function was investigated in 10
healthy volunteers before and after amalgam removal. The subjects had an
average of 18 tooth surfaces filled with amalgam, which was removed during
one dental session. One week before and sixty days after removal, the
glomerular filtration rate (GFR) was determined by 51Cr-EDTA clearance
technique. Blood and urine samples were collected for analysis of mercury,
creatinine, beta 2-microglobulin, N-acetyl-beta-glucosaminidase (NAG), and
albumin 1 wk before and 1, 2, and 60 days after amalgam removal. The plasma
mercury concentration increased significantly 1 day after removal. Sixty
days later, significantly lower mercury levels were found in blood, plasma,
and urine. The GFR values were similar before and after mercury exposure
(mean 94 and 94 ml/min per 1.73 m2, respectively). No detectable effects
occurred on excretion of NAG, beta 2-microglobulin, or albumin. It is
concluded that no signs of renal toxicity could be found in conjunction
with mercury released from amalgam fillings.
