The effect of sodium aurothiomalate (myochrysin) on the distribution of calcium, magnesium, copper, zinc and iron in the rat.
Sodium aurothiomalate was given to male Wistar rats (initial body weights: 150 g) by subcutaneous (s.c.) injection at doses of up to 7.5 mg/kg (corresponding to 4.27 mg gold/kg), twice a week, for 4-5 weeks. The concentrations of Ca, Mg, Fe, Cu and Zn were measured in serum, urine, faeces and in the liver, kidney, spleen, heart, lung, testis, bone and muscle. Kidney cytosol was separated by gel chromatography and the fractions analysed for protein, copper, zinc, iron and gold concentrations. The concentration of copper was increased 5-fold in kidney while smaller increases of zinc in kidney, copper in muscle, iron in muscle and testis and calcium in spleen were found. There was a significant reduction in the concentration of copper in serum. Kidney cytosol from gold-treated but not from control animals contained a low molecular weight protein which was associated with copper, zinc and gold. The rats developed proteinuria and microscopic changes to renal tubular cell structure were also observed. It is suggested that the gold-induced accumulation of copper may follow from an increased rate of synthesis of metallothionein and could be responsible for the renal dysfunction which develops in a proportion of rheumatoid arthritis patients who are treated with gold.
D000818:Animals; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism*; D003300:Copper / Q000378:metabolism*; D003600:Cytosol / Q000378:metabolism; D006052:Gold Sodium Thiomalate / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000633:toxicity; D007501:Iron / Q000378:metabolism*; D007668:Kidney / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D008274:Magnesium / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D009928:Organ Specificity; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D014018:Tissue Distribution; D015032:Zinc / Q000378:metabolism*
D006052:Gold Sodium Thiomalate; D003300:Copper; D007501:Iron; D008274:Magnesium; D015032:Zinc; D002118:Calcium