title: [Effects of cadmium on the gene expression of retinoblastoma (Y79) cells in culture].
abstract: We examined the effects of cadmium on the mRNA levels of several genes in cultured retinoblastoma (Y79) cells. After Y79 cells were treated with 15 microM CdCl2, RNA was extracted at a given time. The levels of retinoblastoma gene (Rb) mRNA decreased after cadmium treatment, although it was unlikely that the Rb gene product is functional in this cell line. The N-myc gene (oncogene) is constitutively expressed in untreated Y79 cells but its mRNA levels also decreased following cadmium treatment. On the other hand, the mRNA levels of both heat-shock protein (hsp 70) and metallothionein gene, both having physiological protective effects, increased under these conditions. These results indicate that Y79 cells have physiological protective responses to such a heavy metal as cadmium and that both Rb and N-myc gene expressions are down-modulated in the presence of cadmium.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, School of Medicine, University of Occupational and Environmental Health, Kitakyusyu, Japan.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Murakami
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Yano
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Takahashi
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Akiya
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Higashi
mesh_terms: D002104:Cadmium / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005134:Eye Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic / Q000187:drug effects*; D016161:Genes, Retinoblastoma / Q000187:drug effects*; D016259:Genes, myc / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D012175:Retinoblastoma / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D002104:Cadmium