Distribution of cadmium in heavily cadmium-accumulated rat liver cytosols: metallothionein and related cadmium-binding proteins.
Distribution profiles of cadmium (Cd) in the cytosols of livers prepared from repeatedly Cd-injected rats (3.0 mg Cd/kg body weight, 4 times a week for 1, 2, 3, or 4 weeks) were characterized by high-performance liquid chromatography with a flame atomic absorption spectrophotometer (HPLC-AAS). The accumulation of Cd and decrease of relative zinc (Zn) to Cd ratio in metallothionein were accompanied by the change of distribution profile of Cd in the cytosol fraction. Cd distributed to the heat-unstable high molecular weight proteins was assumed to be non-selectively bound free Cd and a toxic chemical form. Two kinds of heat-stable Cd-binding proteins other than metallothionein increased with the accumulation of Cd; one was metallothionein dimers, and the other was thought to be Cd-binding proteins of shorter amino acid chain than metallothionein and related to metallothionein.
D000818:Animals; D002104:Cadmium / Q000378:metabolism*; D002105:Cadmium Poisoning / Q000378:metabolism; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000032:analysis*; D003600:Cytosol / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism*; D008667:Metalloproteins / Q000032:analysis*; D008668:Metallothionein / Q000032:analysis*; D008970:Molecular Weight; D051381:Rats
D002352:Carrier Proteins; D008667:Metalloproteins; D002104:Cadmium; D008668:Metallothionein