Identification of transferrin as the principal plutonium-binding protein in the blood serum and liver cytosol of rats: immunological and chromatographic studies.
An analysis of 239Pu-labelled protein complexes in serum and liver cytosol fractions prepared from rats injected intravenously with 239Pu-citrate indicated that among the possible metal-binding proteins, ferritin, transferrin and metallothionein, 239Pu was bound almost exclusively to transferrin. The method employed for the quantitative determination of 239Pu-transferrin was chromatography on immobilized rabbit anti-rat apo-transferrin. There was no evidence that transferrins from serum and liver cytosol are serologically different. The residual blood content of perfused and non-perfused liver was measured using 51Cr-labelled red blood cells and the amounts of blood-derived 239Pu and 239Pu-transferrin in the liver cytosol were calculated. The results are discussed with respect to the possible role of transferrin in the uptake of Pu into cells.
D000818:Animals; D002845:Chromatography / Q000379:methods; D003600:Cytosol / Q000378:metabolism*; D007275:Injections, Intravenous; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D011005:Plutonium / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D014168:Transferrin / Q000378:metabolism*
D014168:Transferrin; D011005:Plutonium