title: Zinc deficiency enhances interleukin-1alpha-induced metallothionein-1 expression in rats.
abstract: This study investigated whether interleukin-1alpha-induced metallothionein gene expression is affected by zinc deficiency. Weaning male rats were fed a zinc-deficient (ZD) diet (2 mg zinc/kg) or a zinc-supplemented diet [50.8 mg zinc/kg; controls for the diet included pair-fed (PF) and ad libitum consumption groups (AL)] for 4 wk. All rats except those that served as controls for interleukin-1alpha administration, (injected with vehicle and killed at 0 h) were then injected subcutaneously with interleukin-1alpha (2 x 10(7) units/kg body wt) and killed at 3, 6, 12, 24 and 72 h after the injection. Compared with AL and/or PF rats, zinc depletion significantly reduced zinc concentrations in plasma and liver but not in kidney or intestine, and significantly reduced hepatic, renal, and intestinal metallothionein-1 mRNA levels analyzed by competitive reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Interleukin-1alpha injection reduced plasma zinc concentration and enhanced liver zinc concentration, but did not affect zinc levels in kidney or intestine. Metallothionein-1 mRNA was significantly elevated by interleukin-1alpha in liver, kidney and intestine of all groups; the levels in liver and kidney of ZD rats 6 h after the injection were significantly higher than those of AL or PF rats. Liver metallothionein protein levels were enhanced after interleukin-1alpha injection in both AL and ZD rats. Semiquantitative RT-PCR revealed significantly higher hepatic levels of interleukin-1 receptor type-I mRNA in ZD rats than in AL and PF rats but no differences in renal or intestinal tissues among groups before interleukin-1alpha challenge. In conclusion, zinc deficiency induces upregulation of metallothionein-1 gene expression in response to interleukin-1alpha challenge in rats.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Surgery, Osaka University Medical School, Osaka 565, Japan.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Cui
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Takagi
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wasa
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Iiboshi
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Inoue
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Khan
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sando
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Nezu
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Okada
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015153:Blotting, Western; D004032:Diet; D015870:Gene Expression; D007375:Interleukin-1 / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000378:metabolism; D007668:Kidney / Q000378:metabolism; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008668:Metallothionein / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D012194:RNA-Directed DNA Polymerase; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D015032:Zinc / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000172:deficiency* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D007375:Interleukin-1; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D008668:Metallothionein; D012194:RNA-Directed DNA Polymerase; D015032:Zinc