Scientific research can provide us with factual, repeatable, measurable, and determinable results. As such, scientific research can provide information that can be used in the decision-making process in the care of patients and in public policy. Although it has been suggested that ethylmercury (C₂H₅Hg⁺)-containing compounds do not cross the blood-brain barrier (BBB), this review examines the literature that addresses the question as to whether ethylmercury-containing compounds cross the BBB. The review will begin with cellular studies that provide evidence for the passive and active transport of mercury species across the BBB. Then, animal and clinical studies will be presented that specifically examine whether mercury accumulates in the brain after exposure to ethylmercury-containing compounds or Thimerosal (an ethylmercury-containing compound used as a preservative in vaccines and other drugs that metabolizes or degrades to ethylmercury-containing compounds and thiosalicylate). The results indicate that ethylmercury-containing compounds are actively transported across membranes by the L (leucine-preferring)-amino acid transport (LAT) system, the same as methylmercury-containing compounds. Further, 22 studies from 1971 to 2019 show that exposure to ethylmercury-containing compounds (intravenously, intraperitoneally, topically, subcutaneously, intramuscularly, or intranasally administered) results in accumulation of mercury in the brain. In total, these studies indicate that ethylmercury-containing compounds and Thimerosal readily cross the BBB, convert, for the most part, to highly toxic inorganic mercury-containing compounds, which significantly and persistently bind to tissues in the brain, even in the absence of concurrent detectable blood mercury levels.

科学研究可以为我们提供事实，可重复，可衡量和可确定的结果。这样，科学研究可以提供可用于患者护理和公共政策的决策过程的信息。尽管有人建议乙基汞（C ₂ H ₅ Hg ⁺）的化合物不会穿过血脑屏障（BBB），该评论研究了解决含乙基汞的化合物是否穿过BBB的问题的文献。审查将从细胞研究开始，该研究为整个BBB中汞物种的被动和主动运输提供了证据。然后，将进行动物和临床研究，专门研究汞在暴露于含乙基汞的化合物或硫柳汞（用作疫苗和其他代谢或降解为含乙基汞的药物的防腐剂的含乙基汞的化合物）后是否在大脑中积累化合物和硫代水杨酸酯）。结果表明，含乙基汞的化合物通过L（优先选择亮氨酸）-氨基酸转运（LAT）系统跨膜主动转运，与含甲基汞的化合物相同。此外，1971年至2019年的22项研究表明，暴露于含乙基汞的化合物（静脉内，腹膜内，局部，皮下，肌肉内或鼻内给药）会导致汞在大脑中蓄积。总的来说，这些研究表明，含乙基汞的化合物和硫柳汞容易穿过血脑屏障，并在很大程度上转化为剧毒的含无机无机汞化合物，即使不存在脑汞，其也能与大脑组织显着且持久地结合。同时检测到血液中的汞含量。或鼻腔给药）会导致汞在脑内积聚。总的来说，这些研究表明，含乙基汞的化合物和硫柳汞容易穿过血脑屏障，并在很大程度上转化为剧毒的含无机无机汞化合物，即使不存在脑汞，其也能与大脑组织显着且持久地结合。同时检测到血液中的汞含量。或鼻腔给药）会导致汞在脑内积聚。总的来说，这些研究表明，含乙基汞的化合物和硫柳汞容易穿过血脑屏障，并在很大程度上转化为剧毒的含无机无机汞化合物，即使不存在脑汞，其也能与大脑组织显着且持久地结合。同时检测到血液中的汞含量。