Comparative induction of hepatic zinc-thionein and increase in tissue calcium by bacterial endotoxin in endotoxin-sensitive (C3H/HeN) and endotoxin-resistant (C3H/HeJ) mice.
Induction of zinc-thionein (Zn-Th) by endotoxin was studied in mice using an endotoxin-sensitive C3H/HeN strain and an endotoxin-resistant C3H/HeJ strain to find a relation between the sensitivity of these strains to endotoxin and the inducibility of hepatic Zn-Th by the endotoxin. Both strains of female mice were injected with endotoxin at two doses and the increase in hepatic Zn-Th levels was examined after 24 h. At the lower dose (0.25 mg/kg body weight), C3H/HeJ mice induced Zn-Th at a markedly lower level than C3H/HeN mice. However, both strains exhibited a comparable amount of Zn-Th when a higher dose (10 mg/kg body weight) of endotoxin was used. A parallel increase in hepatic calcium concentration was observed with the induction of hepatic Zn-Th in both strains. The injection of a spleen supernatant fraction from C3H/HeJ mice into C3H/HeN mice did not reduce the Zn-Th induction by endotoxin in C3H/HeN mice.
D000818:Animals; D002118:Calcium / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism; D004731:Endotoxins / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004926:Escherichia coli; D005260:Female; D007274:Injections, Intraperitoneal; D007668:Kidney / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D008099:Liver / Q000032:analysis / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D008668:Metallothionein / Q000032:analysis / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D051379:Mice; D008809:Mice, Inbred C3H; D013045:Species Specificity; D013054:Spectrophotometry, Atomic; D013154:Spleen / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism
D004731:Endotoxins; C021267:zinc thionein; D008668:Metallothionein; D002118:Calcium