title: Trace metal, acute phase and metabolic response to endotoxin in metallothionein-null mice.
abstract: Accumulation of hepatic zinc via metallothionein (MT) induction during infection/inflammation is postulated to benefit a range of metabolic processes. The metabolic consequences of two doses of endotoxin (LPS) (1 and 5 mg/kg, intraperitoneally) were examined in normal (MT+/+) and MT-null (MT-/-) mice (all results means =/- S.E.M., n=6). At 16 h after 1 mg/kg LPS, hypozincaemia was pronounced in the MT+/+ mice (4.4+/-0.2 microM), concomitant with a 36% increase in hepatic Zn and a > 10-fold increase in hepatic MT. Plasma Zn (16.6+/-0.7 microM) and total hepatic Zn were unchanged in MT -/- mice, confirming the importance of MT in altering plasma and hepatic Zn during inflammation. Plasma iron was lower in LPS-treated MT-/- mice, whereas plasma copper increased to a similar extent in both groups of mice. Plasma fibrinogen more than doubled, and was similar in both groups of mice, which questions the importance of MT in acute-phase protein synthesis. Blood and liver glucose concentrations were not significantly different between groups before or after LPS, whereas blood and liver lactate concentrations were significantly lower (31% and 24% respectively) in MT-/- mice after LPS. At 16 h after 5 mg/kg LPS, plasma Zn was decreased even further in MT+/+ mice (2.6+/-0.3 microM), but remained unchanged in MT-/- mice at concentrations significantly above those in 16-h fasted MT-/- mice (15.8+/-0.5 versus 11.3+/-0.3 microM). Total liver Zn was 17% lower than fasting values in MT-/- mice, in contrast with 32% higher in MT+/+ mice. Synthesis of MT (in MT+/+ mice) and fibrinogen in all mice was not further enhanced by the higher LPS dose. Blood glucose was significantly decreased by 18% in MT+/+ mice and by 38% in MT-/- mice after 5 mg/kg LPS. There was a marked 44% decrease in liver glucose in MT-/- mice; that in MT+/+ mice was unchanged from fasting levels, implying a deficit in hepatic gluconeogenesis in LPS-treated MT-/- mice. In the absence of any indication of major hepatotoxicity, the results of this study indicate that energy production, and not acute-phase protein synthesis, may be most influenced by Zn supply during endotoxaemia, suggesting that MT has a role in maintaining hepatic and blood glucose in this metabolic setting.
authors.affiliation: Division of Clinical Biochemistry, Institute of Medical and Veterinary Science, Adelaide, Australia.
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Rofe
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Philcox
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Coyle
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D003433:Crosses, Genetic; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005943:Gluconeogenesis; D005947:Glucose / Q000378:metabolism*; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides / Q000633:toxicity*; D008099:Liver / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D008668:Metallothionein / Q000172:deficiency* / Q000235:genetics; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008815:Mice, Inbred Strains; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D013045:Species Specificity; D014131:Trace Elements / Q000378:metabolism; D015032:Zinc / Q000172:deficiency / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides; D014131:Trace Elements; D008668:Metallothionein; D005947:Glucose; D015032:Zinc