ISSN:
1432-0738
Keywords:
Key words LEC rat
;
Copper
;
Metallothionein
;
Hepatitis
;
Liver
Source:
Springer Online Journal Archives 1860-2000
Topics:
Medicine
Notes:
Abstract Long-Evans Cinnamon (LEC) rats aged 16 ± 4 weeks with histopathological alterations of liver and kidney, exhibited elevated Cu levels in liver, kidney and spleen which were 52, 27 and 5 times higher than those of the respective tissues of age-matched Wistar rats. About 61% of hepatic and about 38% of renal Cu was recovered in the cytosolic fraction. Metallothionein (MT) levels were found to correlate with the cytosolic Cu concentrations in liver and kidney. According to differential MT analysis, about 68 and 82% of hepatic and renal MT was loaded with Cu. The portion of MT which binds Cu was negatively correlated with the ratio of cytosolic Zn/Cu in all organs investigated. Despite high MT levels and the high percentage of Cu binding to MT, particularly in liver and kidney, considerable amounts of Cu remained unbound to MT. This non-MT bound Cu showed good correlation with the total cytosolic Cu content, and might play a crucial role in the pathogenesis of Cu toxicosis.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s002040050396
Permalink
