Table of Contents

1. Thimerosal - Harmless Vaccine Preservative Or Just Another Toxic Organic Mercury Compound?

2. Thimerosal Synonyms

3. Structure of Thimerosal

4. Thimerosal Physical & Chemical Properties

5. Thimerosal Is Composed of Thiosalicylic Acid And Ethyl Mercury, A Known Toxicant

6. Why All The Concern About The Safety Of Thimerosal And Why Now?

7. The Food And Drug Administration’s Response To FDAMA

8. By The First Grade Children In The U.S. Receive 21 Vaccinations, Many Of Which Contain Thimerosal

9. PPT Slide

10. Vaccines And Immunoglobulins Which Contain Thimerosal

11. Vaccines And Immunoglobulins Which Contain Thimerosal

12. “Limiting Infant Exposure to Thimerosal in Vaccines and Other Sources of Mercury.” Neal A. Halsey, MD (1999). JAMA 282:1763-1766.

13. Joint Statement Of The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) And The Public Health Service (PHS) On July 7, 1999 Regarding The Use And Safety Of Thimerosal In Vaccines.

14. Joint Statement Of The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) And The Public Health Service (PHS) On July 7, 1999 Regarding The Use And Safety Of Thimerosal In Vaccines.

15. Joint Statement Of The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) And The Public Health Service (PHS) On July 7, 1999 Regarding The Use And Safety Of Thimerosal In Vaccines.

16. Joint Statement Of The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) And The Public Health Service (PHS) On July 7, 1999 Regarding The Use And Safety Of Thimerosal In Vaccines.

17. Chemicals And Substances Found In Vaccines

18. In Vitro Toxicity Studies of Thimerosal

19. Experimental Protocol For Comparing Thimerosal Toxicity Against That Of HgCl₂ Using Nucleotide Photoaffinity Labeling

20. Schematic Diagram Showing How Cysteine Sulfhydryl (-SH) Groups Are Critical to the Activity of Many Nucleotide Binding Proteins (NBPs)

21. These Critical Cysteine Sulfhydryl (-SH) Groups Are Often Involved In The Nucleotide And/Or Substrate Binding Required For Enzymatic Activity

22. Sulfhydryl Reactive Heavy Metals Such as Mercury (Hg²⁺) and Mercury Containing Compounds Can Bind To Active Site Cysteines And Inhibit Enzyme Activity

23. Reported Neurotoxic Effects Of Thimerosal On Brain Nucleotide Binding Proteins

24. Reported Toxic Effects Of Thimerosal On Tubulin

25. Thimerosal Disrupts The Microtubule Spindle Apparatus Causing Chromosome Aberrations

26. Toxicant Induced Decreases In Enzyme Activity Can Be Detected & Quantified Using Photoaffinity Labeling

27. SDS-PAGE Analysis Of Brain Homogenate Proteins Treated With Increasing Concentrations Of HgCl₂ Or Thimerosal Prior To Photolabeling With [³²P]8N₃GTP

28. At Equimolar Concentrations, HgCl₂ Is A More Potent Inhibitor Of [³²P]8N₃GTP-b-Tubulin Interactions Than Is Thimerosal In Crude Brain Homogenate

29. SDS-PAGE Analysis of Brain Homogenate Proteins Treated with Increasing Concentrations of Thimerosal Vs. 5µM HgCl₂ Prior To Photolabeling with [³²P]GTP-Azidoanilide

30. Autoradiogram Showing That An 8-Fold Greater Concentration Of Thimerosal Is Required To Inhibit [³²P]GTP-AA Photolabeling Of Brain b-Tubulin To The Same Extent As 5 µM HgCl₂

31. SDS-PAGE Analysis of Brain Homogenate Proteins Treated With Increasing Concentrations Of Thimerosal Vs. 5µM HgCl₂ Prior To Photolabeling With [³²P]8N₃GTP

32. Autoradiogram Showing That An 8-10 Fold Greater Concentration of Thimerosal Is Required To Inhibit [³²P]8N₃GTP Photolabeling of Brain b-Tubulin To The Same Extent As 5 µM HgCl₂

33. SDS-PAGE Analysis Of Brain Homogenate Proteins Treated With Increasing Concentrations Of Thiosalicylate Vs. 60µM Thimerasol Prior To Photolabeling with [³²P]GTP-Azidoanilide

34. Thimerasol Inhibition Of [³²P]8N₃GTP Photolabeling Of b-Tubulin In Crude Brain Homogenate Is Not Due To The Thiosalicylate Portion Of The Molecule

35. SDS-PAGE Analysis Of Purified Bovine Brain Tubulin Treated With Increasing Concentrations Of HgCl₂ Vs. Thimerosal Prior To Photolabeling with [³²P]GTP-Azidoanilide

36. In Contrast To Crude Brain Homogenate, Thimerosal Is Just As Potent An Inhibitor of [³²P]GTP-Azidoanilide Photolabeling of Purified Brain Tubulin As Is HgCl₂

37. Possible Explanation For These Apparently Conflicting Results Between The Toxic Effects Of Thimerosal On Brain b-Tubulin

38. SDS-PAGE Analysis Of Purified Mammalian Enzymes Treated With Increasing Concentrations Of Thimerosal Vs. 5µM HgCl₂ Prior To Photolabeling With [³²P]2N₃ATP

39. Autoradiogram Showing That Thimerosal Is A Much More Potent Inhibitor Of [³²P]2N₃ATP Photolabeling Of Purified Mammalian Enzymes Than Is HgCl₂

40. SDS-PAGE Analysis Of Purified Mammalian Enzymes Treated With Increasing Concentrations Of Thiosalicylate Vs. Thimerosal Vs. HgCl₂ Prior To [³²P]2N₃ATP Photolabeling

41. Autoradiogram Showing That Thimerosal Is A More Potent Inhibitor Of [³²P]2N₃ATP Photolabeling Of Purified Mammalian Enzymes Than Is HgCl₂ And Inhibition Is Not Due To Thiosalicylate

42. Conclusions

43. Hypothesis-Exposure To Drugs and Toxicants During Times Of Stress Increases Their Toxic Potential

44. “The Gulf War, Stress And A Leaky Blood-Brain Barrier.” Israel Hanin, (1996). Nature Medicine 2:1307-1308.

45. The Gulf War, Stress And A Leaky Blood-Brain Barrier. Israel Hanin, (1996). Nature Medicine 2:1307-1308.