[Induction of proto-oncogens c-fos and c-jun expression in BALB/c-3T3 cells by cadmium chloride].
OBJECTIVE
This study was aimed to explore the possible carcinogenic mechanisms of cadumium and its related compounds involved at the molecular level.


METHODS
We investigated the alternations in expressions of the proto-oncogens c-fos and c-jun in BALB/c-3T3 cells induced by cadmium chloride (CdCl2), using differential RT-PCR protocol.


RESULTS
It was found that 2 hours after the cells were exposed to CdCl2, overexpression of an immediate early proto-oncogen c-fos was observed in BALB/c-3T3 cells treated with CdCl2 in concentrations ranging from 5 mumol/ml to 40 mumol/ml, and there was a significant dose-dependent relationship between the concentrations of CdCl2 and the levels of c-fos expression after normalization with beta-actin. In the same way, elevated expression of another immediate early proto-oncogen, c-jun, was induced with CdCl2 in concentrations from 20 to 40 mumol/ml.


CONCLUSIONS
The results seem to indicate that overexpressions of c-fos and c-jun are related to genotoxicity of CdCl2. These results might partly explain the cell transformation and carcinogenesis of cadmium.
Lei
Yixiong
Y
Department of Preventive Medicine, Guangzhou Medical College, Guangzhou 510182, China.
Liu
Yuqing
Y
D016475:3T3 Cells; D000818:Animals; D019256:Cadmium Chloride / Q000633:toxicity*; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D016760:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fos / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D016755:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-jun / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D014158:Transcription, Genetic
D016760:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fos; D016755:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-jun; D019256:Cadmium Chloride