title: Cellular localization of metallothionein in the lung following repeated cadmium inhalation.
abstract: Cadmium and metallothionein (MT) levels were measured in lungs derived from Lewis rats exposed 0, 5, 10, 15, 20, 24, or 30 times to a Cd acetate aerosol (1.6 mg/m3). Cd burden rose from 2.21 micrograms in control lungs to 42.55 micrograms in lungs of animals exposed 30 times to the Cd aerosol. Pulmonary MT, expressed as nmoles Cd-thionein, paralleled Cd retention. Levels increased from 7.5 nmol in control animals to a value of 340.5 nmol in animals exposed 30 times to Cd. Energy dispersive X-ray microanalysis and the laser micro-probe analyzer were used to localize Cd within the lung. Lung tissue was prepared by a variety of chemical and physical fixation procedures. Cd localization proved unsuccessful by these techniques, presumably because the cellular Cd levels were below the limits of detectability. Using a immunohistochemical procedure which employed an antibody to MT, pulmonary MT was found in alveolar epithelial cells, fibroblasts, and lymphocytes. The MT was restricted to the nuclei of these cells.
mesh_terms: D000336:Aerosols; D000818:Animals; D001665:Binding Sites; D001822:Body Burden; D002104:Cadmium / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism*; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008668:Metallothionein / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism*; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D011650:Pulmonary Alveoli / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D013054:Spectrophotometry, Atomic
chemical_list: D000336:Aerosols; D002104:Cadmium; D008668:Metallothionein