Skip to main content
NCBI home page
Biochemical Journal logoLink to Biochemical Journal
. 1984 Oct 15;223(2):475–479. doi: 10.1042/bj2230475

Biliary excretion of metallothionein and a possible degradation product in rats injected with copper and zinc.

M Sato, I Bremner
PMCID: PMC1144321  PMID: 6497858

Abstract

The concentrations of metallothionein-I (MT-I) and related immunoreactive products in bile from adult female rats were measured by radioimmunoassay. Concentrations in normal animals were 20-30 ng/ml, but increased to 600 and 75 ng/ml after injection of Cu2+ and Zn2+ respectively (3 mg of metal/kg body wt.). However, only 1-2% of the biliary Cu was bound to MT, and less than 1% of the total liver MT in control or Cu2+-injected rats appeared to be secreted in intact form into bile. Other major immunoreactive components in bile from Cu2+-injected rats included an aggregated form of MT-I and a possible degradation product of the isoprotein.

Full text

PDF
475

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Alexander J., Aaseth J. Biliary excretion of copper and zinc in the rat as influenced by diethylmaleate, selenite and diethyldithiocarbamate. Biochem Pharmacol. 1980 Aug 1;29(15):2129–2133. doi: 10.1016/0006-2952(80)90184-7. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Bremner I., Hoekstra G., Davies N. T., Young B. W. Effect of zinc status of rats on the synthesis and degradation of copper-induced metallothioneins. Biochem J. 1978 Sep 15;174(3):883–892. doi: 10.1042/bj1740883. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Bremner I., Hoekstra W. G., Davies N. T., Young B. W. Metabolism of 35S-labelled copper-, zinc-and cadmium-thionein in the rat. Chem Biol Interact. 1978 Dec;23(3):355–367. doi: 10.1016/0009-2797(78)90096-0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Cain K., Griffiths B. L. A comparison of isometallothionein synthesis in rat liver after partial hepatectomy and parenteral zinc injection. Biochem J. 1984 Jan 1;217(1):85–92. doi: 10.1042/bj2170085. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Cain K., Holt D. E. Metallothionein degradation: metal composition as a controlling factor. Chem Biol Interact. 1979;28(1):91–106. doi: 10.1016/0009-2797(79)90117-0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Cherian M. G., Shaikh Z. A. Metabolism of intravenously injected cadmium-binding protein. Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 1975 Aug 4;65(3):863–869. doi: 10.1016/s0006-291x(75)80465-7. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. De Duve C., Wattiaux R. Functions of lysosomes. Annu Rev Physiol. 1966;28:435–492. doi: 10.1146/annurev.ph.28.030166.002251. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Evans G. W., Cornatzer W. E. Biliary copper excretion in the rat. Proc Soc Exp Biol Med. 1971 Mar;136(3):719–721. doi: 10.3181/00379727-136-35349. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Feldman S. L., Cousins R. J. Degradation of hepatic zinc-thionein after parenteral zinc administration. Biochem J. 1976 Dec 15;160(3):583–588. doi: 10.1042/bj1600583. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Feldman S. L., Failla M. L., Cousins R. J. Degradation of rat liver metallothioneins in vitro. Biochim Biophys Acta. 1978 Dec 18;544(3):638–646. doi: 10.1016/0304-4165(78)90338-0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Garvey J. S., Chang C. C. Detection of circulating metallothionein in rats injected with zinc or cadmium. Science. 1981 Nov 13;214(4522):805–807. doi: 10.1126/science.7292012. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Lewis K. O. The nature of the copper complexes in bile and their relationship to the absorption and excretion of copper in normal subjects and in Wilson's disease. Gut. 1973 Mar;14(3):221–232. doi: 10.1136/gut.14.3.221. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Mehra R. K., Bremner I. Development of a radioimmunoassay for rat liver metallothionein-I and its application to the analysis of rat plasma and kidneys. Biochem J. 1983 Aug 1;213(2):459–465. doi: 10.1042/bj2130459. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Mehra R. K., Bremner I. Metallothionein-I in the plasma and liver of neonatal rats. Biochem J. 1984 Feb 1;217(3):859–862. doi: 10.1042/bj2170859. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Mehra R. K., Bremner I. Species differences in the occurrence of copper-metallothionein in the particulate fractions of the liver of copper-loaded animals. Biochem J. 1984 Apr 15;219(2):539–546. doi: 10.1042/bj2190539. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. OWEN C. A., Jr ABSORPTION AND EXCRETION OF CU64-LABELED COPPER BY THE RAT. Am J Physiol. 1964 Dec;207:1203–1206. doi: 10.1152/ajplegacy.1964.207.6.1203. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Rupp H., Weser U. Conversion of metallothionein into Cu-thionein, the possible low molecular weight form of neonatal hepatic mitochondrocuprein. FEBS Lett. 1974 Aug 30;44(3):293–297. doi: 10.1016/0014-5793(74)81161-0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Samuels A. R., Freedman J. H., Bhargava M. M. Purification and characterization of a novel abundant protein in rat bile that binds azo dye metabolites and copper. Biochim Biophys Acta. 1983 Aug 23;759(1-2):23–31. doi: 10.1016/0304-4165(83)90184-8. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Terao T., Owen C. A., Jr Nature of copper compounds in liver supernate and bile of rats: studies with 67 Cu. Am J Physiol. 1973 Mar;224(3):682–686. doi: 10.1152/ajplegacy.1973.224.3.682. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Winge D. R., Garvey J. S. Antigenicity of metallothionein. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1983 May;80(9):2472–2476. doi: 10.1073/pnas.80.9.2472. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Winge D. R., Miklossy K. A. Domain nature of metallothionein. J Biol Chem. 1982 Apr 10;257(7):3471–3476. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Biochemical Journal are provided here courtesy of The Biochemical Society

RESOURCES