• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.26 no.2 s.42
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• pp.231-250
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• 1993

Thirty five male Sprague-Dawley rats were treated with cadmium chloride solution ranging from 0.2 to 3.2mg $CdCl_2/kg$ by intravenous single injection. At 48 hours after administration of cadmium, total cadmium, MT bound cadmium and histopathologic finding in liver, kidney, lung, heart, testis, metallothionein in liver, kidney and total cadmium in bleed were examined. Tissue cadmium concentration was highest in liver, followed by in kidney, heart, lung and testis. Cadmium bound to rnetallothionein (MT-Cd) and ratio of MT-Cd to total cadmium were increased in liver and kidney dependently of cadmium exposure dose, but not significantly changed in other organs. On histopathologic finding, the most susceptible organ was heart in considering cadmium exposed dose, but testis in considering cadmium concentration. Blood cadmium concentration was increased with dose-dependent pattern, and significantly correlated with tissue cadmium concentration, so that we may estimate tissue cadmium concentration by measurement of blood cadmium concentration. Metallothionein in liver and kidney was increased with dose-dependent pattern, higher in liver than in kidney, and was significantly correlated with tissue cadmium concentration. However, metallothionein induction efficiency of tissue cadmium(${\mu}g\;MT/{\mu}g\;Cd$) was eater in liver than in kidney, and reverse to tissue concentration or exposed dose of cadmium.

• Korean Journal of Ichthyology
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.61-69
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• 2011

Gene and promoter structures of metallothionein(MT) from Miho spine loach (Cobitis choii; Cypriniformes) were characterized, and the transcriptional responses to experimental exposures to heavy metals and heat stress were examined. The C. choii metallothionein displayed well-conserved features of teleostean metallothioneins at gDNA, mRNA and amino acid levels. Bioinformatic analysis predicted that the C. choii MT regulatory region potentially possessed various motifs or elements targeted by various transcription factors associated with metal-coordinating regulation (e.g., metal transcription factor-1), immune responses (e.g., nuclear factor kappa B), and thermal modulations (e.g., heat shock factor). Acute heavy-metal exposures to 0.5 or $1.0\;{\mu}M$ of cadmium (Cd), copper (Cu), manganese (Mn), nickel (Ni) or zinc (Zn) showed that MT transcription was significantly stimulated by Cd (9.6-fold relative to non-exposed control) and Cu (10.4-fold), only moderately by Mn (2.4-fold), but hardly by Ni and Zn. Elevation of water temperature from $25^{\circ}C$ to $31^{\circ}C$ caused a rapid modulation of MT mRNAs toward upregulation to 9.5-fold; however, afterward the elevated mRNA level slightly decreased during further incubation at $31^{\circ}C$ for 6 h. Results from this study suggest that MT-based expression assay could be a useful basis for better understanding the metal- and/or heat-caused stresses in this endangered fish species.

• Proceedings of the Korea Environmental Mutagen Society Conference
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• 2004.05a
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• pp.68-68
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• 2004

• Toxicological Research
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• v.13 no.1_2
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• pp.103-110
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• 1997

This study was performed to investigate the effects of cadmium chloride on the acute and chronic toxicity on rats. Several toxic effects of cadmium has been shown following short-term and longterm pretreatment with cadmium and zinc. Four groups of rats (A, B, C, D), each consisting of 16 rats, were studied and each group was divided into four subgroups (1, 2, 3, 4), 4 rats for each subgroup. Rats were subcutaneously pretreated with $CdCl_2$ (0.5 mg/kg, A & C), and $ZnCl_2$ (13.0 mg/kg, B & D) during time periods of 1 weeks (group A & B) and 6 weeks (group C & D). At the end of the period, rats were challenged with $CdCl_2$ (3.0, 6.0 and 9.0 mg/kg, i.p.). After giving the challenge dose, cadmium and metallothionein(MT) concentrations were determined. The concentrations of cadmium were higher in the liver than the kidney irrelevantly to cadmium and zinc pretreatment and increased dose-dependently to the challenge dosage. The metallothioneins showed higher concentrations in the liver than the kidney following cadmium pretreatment and were higher in the long-term pretreatment groups than the short-term pretreatment groups in the liver and the kidney of rats. These data suggest that metallothioneins are induced preferentially in the liver by pretreatment of cadmium and then, formed in the form of Cd-MT, may play an important role in the nephrotoxicity.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.286-298
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• 1993

In order to investigate the effect of selenium (Se) on the liver damage, metallothionein synthesis and hepatic antioxidative detoxification system in cadmium(Cd) administered rats. Sprague-Dawley male rats(60\\5g) were divided into two diet groups, depending on with (CdS groups) or without (Cd groups) 0.5ppm Se supplementation and fed experimental diets ad libidum for 4 weeks. And then each group was again subdivided into five groups, depending on injection number of Cd, i.e., 0, 1, 2, 3, and 4 times of 2.5mg Cd/kg of body wt once a day. Hemoglobin concentration, hematocrit values, superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase and glutathione S-transferase activite were decreased progressively with increasing number of Cd injection, but increased by the supplementation of Se. The reduced form of glutathione (GSH) contents in blood and liver and vitamin E content were decreased and oxidized form (GSSG) increased in Cd groups, but these of Se supplemented groups were not very different from controls. Cd reduced liver vitamin E content which was not restored by Se supplementation. Liver lipid peroxide values were elevated with increasing doses of Cd, but Se supplementation reduced these elevated levels. Accumulation of metallothionein in liver and kidney was increased with increasing number of Cd injection, but Se did not affect on them. Histological examination revealed that lysosomes were significantly increased and mitochondria and Golgi apparatus were enlarged by Cd, however, these changes were reduced by Se. It was concluded that Se administration promoted antioxidative detoxification and alleviated peroxidative damage in rat liver by Cd.

• Environmental Analysis Health and Toxicology
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.261-269
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• 2004

Although the biological functions of metallothioneins (MTs) are still being investigated, they have been suggested to be involved in detoxification of heavy metals, scavenging of free radicals, and protection against alkylating agents. MTs have been reported to be induced in most of animal tissues by heavy metals such as zinc, copper, mercury and cadmium, and the proteins have binding affinities to the metals. However, the presence or induction of MTs was reported not to be clear in leydig cells, which produce testosterone for the maturation of spermatozoa in male testes. In this study, we investigated the inducibility of metallothionein isomers by cadmium in cultured mouse leydig cells. Total RNA was extracted from the near confluent grown leydig cells and RT-PCR was Performed using the Primers which were synthesized on the basis of MT-1, 2, 3 and 4 cDNA from GenBank database. As results, MT-1 and MT-2 mRNA were found to be expressed in cadmium non-treated control cells and MT 1 mRNA expression was dose-dependent when leydig cells were treated with cadmium chloride. But MT-3 which is known to be brain specific and MT-4 which is another isoform of metallothionein, were not expressed. Other genes induced or depressed in cadmium treated leydig cells were also identified by microarray techniques.

• Animal cells and systems
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• v.5 no.3
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• pp.263-266
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• 2001

Metallothionein (MT) is induced in the regenerating rat liver. We have investigated expression of MT gene by RT PCR as well as specific localization of MT by immunocytochemistry in regenerating rat liver after partial hepatectomy (PH). MT mRNA level started to increase from 1 h and reached the peak at 8 h after PH. The level decreased gradually by 24 h, and became similar to that of control group. In the immunocytochemical study, in all groups treated with primary antibody, immunogold particles indicating the presence of MT were evenly distributed throughout both cytoplasm and nucleus of the rat hepatocytes. Within the nucleus, the gold particles appeared to be intensely localized in the areas of euchromatin and nucleolus. Within the cytoplasm, gold particles did not seem to adhere to mitochondria or Iysosomes, but were freely distributed. However, rough endoplasmic reticulum was the obvious compartment on which the gold particles were localized. Time course of MT immunoreactivity revealed that distribution of gold particles in hepatocytes increased gradually by 24 h, and decreased at 48 h after PH. Briefly, PH resulted in the sharpest increase in the expression of MT mRNA at 8 h and in the immunoreactivity of MT at 24 h, respectively. It is suggested that the increase of MT mRNA expression, the intensity of immunoreactivity and the specific localization of MT may be associated with the compensatory cell proliferation followed by PH.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.131-136
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• 2010

The time-dependent changes in cadmium (Cd) concentration were studied in Female Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats during and after Cd exposure via drinking water (10 and 50 ppm) for 30 days. The cadmium concentration in muscle, liver, kidney, blood plasma, and urine, and the metallothionein concentration in blood plasma were determined every 10 days during exposure and every 7 days after exposure for 3 weeks. The muscle Cd concentration did not change during, and neither after, exposure. The liver Cd concentration increased from 1.4 to 3.3 (at 10 ppm) and from 6.1 to 10.1 folds (at 50 ppm) during exposure and remained higher than those of controls in both groups even during post-exposure period. The kidney Cd concentrations were 2.3 to 5.1 (at 10 ppm) and 4.9-14.0 folds (at 50 ppm) higher than those of controls during exposure and also remained elevated during the post-exposure period. Plasma Cd concentrations were not significantly different from those of controls in both groups. Urine Cd concentrations were more than 2 folds (at 10 ppm) and 6.5 to 12.6 folds (at 50 ppm) higher than those of controls but rapidly decreased over the 7 days of withdrawal. Blood plasma metallothionein concentrations were more than 2.4 folds (at 10 ppm) and 3.1 to 7.4 folds (at 50 ppm), and they remained elevated till 7 days (10 ppm) and 14 days (at 50 ppm) after exposure. Our data support that Cd in urine could be a useful biomarker during Cd exposure period and metallothionein in blood plasma could be as a supportive biological marker for during and post Cd exposure.

• The Korean Journal of Malacology
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.15-21
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• 2002

The kidney of bivalve mollusks often contains remarkably high concentrations of both essential and non-essential metals and perform regulating and detoxicating activities. The kidney has also been proposed as a biological indicator for radioactive as well as for stable metals in the sea. The present study of the Antarctic clam, Laternula elliptica, concerns the functional morphology of the kidney epithelium, which contains highly accumulated heavy metals. The immunohistochemical and ultrastructural study was undertaken in order to find out the localization of metallothionein and heavy metals accumulated in the kidney of Laternula elliptica. In the immunohistochemical investigation, an intense metallothionein immunostaining reaction was found in the epithelial cells of the kidney of Laternula elliptica. Transmission electron microscopy showed that the epithelial cells contained numerous electron-dense inclusion bodies which were considered to be accumulated heavy metals.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.11-16
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• 1994

Cis-dichlorodiammineplatinum(II)(cisplatin) is one of the most effective antitumor agents currently available for cancer therapy. However, its clinical use has been limited by its severe side effects, especially nephrotoxicity. To evaluate the effect or radical scavengers on cisplatin nephrotoxicity in rats, cisplatin and Vitamin C were given intraperitoneally. Remarkable protective effects of Vitamin C against nephrotoxicity of cisplatin were observed when Vitamin C was administered to rats 1hr before cisplatin injection. hepatotoxicity induced by combination treament of cisplatin and Vitamin C was evaluated by measuring serum glutamic pyruvate transmainase(sGPT) and serum glutamic oxalate transminase(sGOT). Combination treatment did not affect the levels of sGPT and sGOT, and any combination treatment did not induce metallothionein biosynthesis in kidny, Vitamin C which has radical scavenging effect induce metallothionein biosynthesis in kidney. Vitamin C which has radical scavenging effect directly reduced nephrotoxicity of cisplatin in vivo. Thus, it seems that free radical is the cause of cisplatin nepthrotoxicity. Also, combination treatment did not reduce anticancer activity of cisplatin. The present results indicate that Vitamin C, when it is given with cisplatin, may provide protection against cisplatin nephrotoxicity without reducing anticancer activity.