title: Interactions between Zn and Cu in LEC rats, an animal model of Wilson's disease.
abstract: The effect of oral Zn treatment was studied in the liver and kidneys of 26 male Long-Evans Cinnamon (LEC) rats (mutant animals, 5 weeks old) in relation to both the interaction between Zn and Cu and the localisation and concentration of metallothionein (MT). Rats receiving 80 mg zinc acetate daily by gavage and control rats receiving no treatment were killed after 1 or 2 weeks. By immunohistochemical and analytical chemical techniques we revealed that treated rats had higher levels of MT in the hepatic and renal cells compared to untreated ones. Tissue Zn concentrations were significantly higher in treated rats compared to untreated whereas Cu concentrations decreased in the liver and kidneys as indicated by analytical chemical analyses. MT levels also decreased with treatment period. A histochemical procedure, obtained using autofluorescence of Cu-metallothioneins, confirms these findings: after 2 weeks, the signal decreased in both the liver and kidney sections. This gives a greater understanding of the mechanism of Cu metabolism in the two tissues considered. These results suggest that Zn acts both to compete for absorption on the luminal side of the intestinal epithelium and to induce the synthesis of MT.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, University of Padua, via U. Bassi, 58/B, 35131 Padua, Italy.
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Santon
authors.forename: Sabrina
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Giannetto
authors.forename: Giacomo Carlo
authors.initials: GC
authors.lastname: Sturniolo
authors.forename: Valentina
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Medici
authors.forename: Renata
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: D'Incà
authors.forename: Paola
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Irato
authors.forename: Vincenzo
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Albergoni
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003300:Copper / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004347:Drug Interactions; D006527:Hepatolenticular Degeneration / Q000378:metabolism*; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007668:Kidney / Q000737:chemistry / Q000187:drug effects; D008099:Liver / Q000737:chemistry / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D008668:Metallothionein / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence / Q000379:methods; D051381:Rats; D020332:Rats, Inbred LEC; D015032:Zinc / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D003300:Copper; D008668:Metallothionein; D015032:Zinc