title: Metallothionein, copper and zinc in fetal and neonatal human liver: changes during development.
abstract: Total and cytosolic zinc (Zn) and copper (Cu), cytosolic metallothionein (MT) and the Cu-load of MT were investigated in fetal (22, 24 and 32 gestational weeks) and neonatal (2-15 months) human liver. Whereas the fraction of cytosolic Zn remained constant at 66% of the total independent of the stage of development, the fraction of cytosolic Cu increased from 26% in preterm liver to about 100% within 12 months postnatally. The MT content was higher in fetal than in neonatal liver. There was a linear correlation (r = 0.996) between cytosolic MT and Zn in both fetal and neonatal liver but not between MT and Cu. In contrast to fetal liver, the Cu-load of MT in neonatal liver seems to be determined by the Zn/Cu ratio in the cytosol. The results suggest that MT is involved in the regulation of Cu and Zn metabolism during fetal and neonatal development.
authors.affiliation: GSF-Institut für Toxikologie, Neuherberg, F.R.G.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Klein
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Scholz
authors.forename: G A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Drasch
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Müller-Höcker
authors.forename: K H
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Summer
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging / Q000378:metabolism; D003300:Copper / Q000378:metabolism*; D003600:Cytosol / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008099:Liver / Q000201:enzymology / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000378:metabolism; D008668:Metallothionein / Q000378:metabolism*; D011485:Protein Binding; D015032:Zinc / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D003300:Copper; D008668:Metallothionein; D015032:Zinc