title: Radioimmunoassay of metallothionein in rabbit, rat, mouse, Chinese hamster, and human cells.
abstract: We describe a competitive, solid-phase radioimmunoassay for metallothionein, which employs a rabbit antiserum directed against rat MT-2 to detect metallothionein (MT) from several different species (rabbit, mouse, rat, Chinese hamster, and human). The lower limit of detection of the assay for rat MT-2 was 0.7 ng; for rabbit MT-2 it was 2 ng. The method is capable of measuring both isoforms of MT (MT-1 and MT-2). When MT levels in rat and mouse tissues were estimated with this RIA and the silver-saturation method, both assays gave the same pattern of MT induction in control and cadmium-treated animals. Both methods measured high levels of MT in human liver samples. Chinese hamster ovary cells induced with cadmium also showed elevated MT expression. The detectability of MTs from a broad range of species is facilitated by the use of solid-phase MT, which has an avidity for the antiserum similar to that of the MT in the tested sample.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, University of Western Ontario, London, Canada.
authors.forename: M E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Leibrandt
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Koropatnick
authors.forename: J F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Harris
authors.forename: M G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Cherian
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D016466:CHO Cells; D002104:Cadmium / Q000494:pharmacology; D006224:Cricetinae; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008668:Metallothionein / Q000032:analysis* / Q000096:biosynthesis; D051379:Mice; D011817:Rabbits; D011863:Radioimmunoassay / Q000379:methods*; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D013045:Species Specificity; D014018:Tissue Distribution
chemical_list: D002104:Cadmium; D008668:Metallothionein