Browse > Article

Immunocytochemical Localization of Metallothionein in Gastric Adenocarcinoma  

Yang, Seung-Ha (Department of Pathology, College of Medicine, Soonchunhyang University)
Shin, Kil-Sang (Department of Life Science, College of Natural Science, Soonchunhyang University)
Kim, Wan-Jong (Department of Life Science, College of Natural Science, Soonchunhyang University)
Publication Information
Applied Microscopy / v.32, no.4, 2002 , pp. 411-419 More about this Journal
Abstract
Metallothionein (MT) is a family of ubiquitous, low molecular weight ($6,000{\sim}7,000D$), cysteine-rich ($30{\sim}35%$) inducible protein with a high affinity to metal ions and has no aromatic amino acids and histidine. Some of the known functions of MT include detoxification of heavy metals and alkylating agents and neutralization of free radicals. Also, this protein has been reported to involve in tumor pathophysiology and therapy resistance. MT expression may affect a number of cellular processes including gene expression, apoptosis, proliferation and differentiation. Many reports on the physiological and biochemical properties of MT have been published, but ultrastructural reports on the localization of MT in human gastric cancer tissues are extremely rare. The present study was undertaken to examine the ultrastructural features and the localization of MT within the gastric adenocarcinoma. Ultrastructures of gastric cancer cells were characterized by the high nuclear cytoplasmic ratio, the interdigitation between cells, the irregular nucleus containing much heterochromatin and the wide distribution of free ribosomes in the cytoplasm. Immunohistochemical reaction for MT was prominent in the gastric adenocarcinoma. And the immunogold labellings were more prominent within the nucleus than the cytoplasm. Particularly, immunogold particles were numerously seen at nulcleolus or nucleolar associated heterochromatin. These results suggest that MT expression by gastric cancer cells is associated with cell proliferative activity and is possibly synthesized in the cytoplasm, and then the protein is transported into the nucleus to participate in any transcriptional steps.
Keywords
Gastric adenocarcinoma; Immunogold labelling; Metallothionein (MT); Ultrastructure;
Citations & Related Records
연도 인용수 순위
  • Reference
1 Tomita T: Metallothionein in pancreatic endocrine neoplasms. Mol Pathol 13(4):389-395, 2000   DOI   ScienceOn
2 Jayasurya A, Bay BH, Yap WM, Tan NG: Correlation of metallothionein expression with apoptosis in nasopharyngeal carcinoma. Br J Cancer 82(6):1198-203, 2000   DOI   ScienceOn
3 Kuroda K, Aoyama N, Tamura T, Sakashita M, Maekawa S, Inoue C, Wambura C, Shirasaka D, Minami R, Maeda S, Kuroda Y, Kasuga, M: Variation in MT expression in early-stage depressed-type and polypoid-type colorectal tumors. Eur J Cancer 38:1879-1887, 2002   DOI   ScienceOn
4 Naganuma A: Metallothionein. Nippon Rinsho 55(5):1091-1095, 1997
5 Saika T: Immunological study of induction of metallothionein in bladder cancers. Nippon Hinyokika Gakkai Zasshi 83(5):643-649, 1992
6 Ghoshal K, Jacob ST: Regulation of metallothionein gene expression. Prog Nucleic Acid Res Mol Biol 66:357-384, 2000   DOI
7 Liu J, Liu Y, Habeebu SS, Klaassen CD: Metallothionein(MT)-null mice are sensitive to cisplatin-induced hepatotoxicity. Toxicol Appl Pharmacol 149(1):24-31, 1998   DOI   ScienceOn
8 Sens MA, Somji S, Lamm DL, Garrett SH, Slovinsky F, Todd JH, Sens DA: Metallothionein isoform 3 as a potential biomarker for human bladder cancer. Environ Health Persp 108(5):413-318, 2000   DOI   ScienceOn
9 Dunn MA, Blalock TL, Cousins RJ: Metallothionein. Proceed Soc Exp Biol Med 185:107-119, 1987   DOI
10 Kondo Y, Woo ES, Michalska AE, Choo KH, Lazo JS: Metallothionein null cells have increased sensitivity to anticancer drugs. Cancer Res 55(10):2021-2023, 1995
11 Miyazaki H, Naitoh Y, Nakahashi Y, Yanagitani S, Kuno K, Ueno Y, Okajima A, Inoue K: Induction of metallothionein isoforms in rat hepatoma cells by various anticancer drugs. J Biochem 124(1):65-71, 1998   DOI   ScienceOn
12 Xu W, Wang S, Wang G, Wei H, He F, Yang X: Identification and characterization of differentially expressed genes in the early response phase during liver regeneration. Biochem Biophys Res Comm 278(2):318-325, 2000   DOI   ScienceOn
13 Deung YK, Kim DH, Kim WJ: A study on the protective roles of metallothionein in cadmium treated rat liver. J Wonju College Med 7:50-60, 1994. (Korean)
14 Kim WJ, Shin KS: Metallothionein Induction in Liver Regeneration Stimulated by Partial Hepatectomy. Kor J Biol Sci 5:263-266, 2001   DOI
15 Lieberman MW, Beach LR, Palmiter RD: Ultraviolet radiation-induced metallothionein-1 gene activation is associated with extensive DNA demethylation. Cell 35:207-214, 1983   DOI   ScienceOn
16 Muramatsu Y, Hasegawa Y, Fukano H, Ogawa T, Namuba M, Mouri K, Fujimoto Y, Matsuura H, Takai Y, Mori M: Metallothionein immunoreactivity in head and neck carcinomas; special reference to clinical behaviors and chemotherapy responses. Anticancer Res 20(1A):257-264, 2000
17 Nguyen A, Jing Z, Mahoney PS, Davis R, Sikka SC, Aggawal KC, Abdel AB: In vivo gene expression profile analysis of metallothionein in renal cell carcinoma. Cancer Lett 160(2):133-140, 2000   DOI   ScienceOn
18 Danielson KG, Ohi S, Huang PC: Immunochemical localization of metallothionein in rat liver and kidney. J Histochem Cytochem 30(10):1033-1039, 1982   DOI   ScienceOn
19 Janssen AM, Duijn W, Oostendorp MM, Kruidenier L, Bosman CB, Griffioen G, Lamers CB, Krieken JH, Velde CJ, Verspaget HW: Metallothionein in human gastrointestinal cancer. J Pathol 192(3):293-300, 2000   DOI   ScienceOn
20 Hiura T, Khalid H, Yamashita H, Tokunaga Y, Yasunaga A, Shibata S: Immunohistochemical analysis of metallothionein in astrocytic tumors in relation to tumor grade, proliferative potential, and survival. Cancer 83(11):2361-2369, 1998   DOI   PUBMED   ScienceOn
21 Simpkins CO: Metallothionein in human disease. Cell Mol Biol 46(2):465-488, 2000
22 Waalkes MP, Rehm S, Cherian MG: Repeated cadmium exposures enhance the malignant progression of ensuing tumors in rats. Toxicol Sci 54(1):110-120, 2000   DOI   ScienceOn
23 Han SC, Kil YC, Kim WJ: Cytochemistry on regeneration of rat liver. Soonchunhyang J Nat Sci 4(2):285-291, 1998. (Korean)