The time course of cadmium-metallothionein synthesis was studied in non-parenchymal and parenchymal cells, isolated by a cell-separation technique from the livers of rats after the simultaneous injection of CdCl2 (0.05 mg of Cd/kg) and a 10-fold molar excess of 2,3-dimercaptopropanol. Under these conditions of dosing, in contrast with the injection of CdCl2 alone, both cell types accumulate sim...

Ursodeoxycholate, used to treat a variety of pathologies, has the ability to reverse cytotoxic and hepatotoxic conditions. We examined HepG2, a hepatic cell line, treated with increasing levels of ursodeoxycholate, for responses of a range of promoters/response elements responsive to DNA damage, heavy metal ions, protein denaturants, aromatic hydrocarbons, retinoids, changes in intracellular AM...

PURPOSE To identify those metallothionein and alpha-crystallin/small heat-shock genes induced by toxic metals in human lens cells and to evaluate the levels of these metals between young and aged human lenses. METHODS Human SRA01/04 and primary human lens epithelial cells were cultured and exposed to Cd(2+), Cu(2+), and Zn(2+). The levels of lens metallothioneins (Ig, If, Ih, Ie, and IIa) and...

A better understanding of the resistance mechanisms used by the cyanobacterium Synechococcus sp. PCC 7942 could guide attempts to develop this organism for use in bioremediation. This bacterium exhibits extraordinary resistance to arsenate. Possible mechanisms include exclusion from the cell, intraand extra-cellular binding, and potential interactions with proteins such as metallothioneins, whi...

Studies were undertaken to determine the effect of host zinc deficiency upon the distribution of Cd, Zn and Cu between and within male rat kidney cytosol and unfractionated cell pellet. In the first experiment male rates were fed stock diets supplemented with 100 micrograms Cd/mL in the drinking water for 30 days. Then Cd-treated rats and controls were segregated into groups, which received sem...

Overexpression of metallothionein in mammalian cells has been associated with protection from cytotoxic chemicals and acquired resistance of tumors to cytotoxic drugs. The mechanism of this effect, however, remains unclear. We have explored whether cytotoxicity of the bifunctional alkylating agent nitrogen mustard was correlated with the extent of DNA damage formation and repair in the metallot...

OBJECTIVES Second hand cigarette smoke is an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Although a tie between smoking and cardiovascular disease is well established, the underlying mechanisms still remains elusive due to the lack of adequate animal models. This study was designed to use a mouse model of exposure to cigarette smoke, a surrogate of environmental tobacco smoke, to evalua...