title: Tissue-dependent induction of heme oxygenase-1 and metallothionein-1/2 by methyl methanesulfonate.
abstract: Methyl methanesulfonate (MMS), a methylating agent, is known to be a genotoxicant in testis. The purpose of this study was to investigate roles of oxidative stress-responsive proteins, heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) and metallothionein-1/2 (MT-1/2), in genotoxicity of MMS. Cadmium, a potent genotoxicity inducer, induced HO-1 and MT-1/2 in rat livers and kidneys. Then we comparatively investigated MMS-induced HO-1 and MT-1/2 in rat livers, kidneys and testes. We found that a single administration of MMS (40 mg/kg) resulted in the induction of MT-1/2 mRNA in the liver, but not HO-1 mRNA, reaching maximum level at 6 hr and returning to the control levels by 24 hr. Interestingly, MMS induced both HO-1 and MT-1/2 mRNAs in the kidney. In contrast, MMS induced HO-1 mRNA, but not MT-1/2 mRNA in the testis. Since HO-1 and MT-1/2 have been recognized to respond to various oxidative stimuli, we further examined the inducing effect of MMS on these two proteins. MMS at dosages of 20 to 40 mg/kg for 2 consecutive weeks induced HO-1 mRNA (123 to 187% of the control) and protein (274 to 404% of the control) in rat testes. However, MT-1/2 mRNA was not induced by MMS administration, although a high level of expression was observed in comparison with the liver and kidney. These findings suggest that MMS induces HO-1 and/or MT-1/2 mRNA and its protein tissue-dependently, and the heme catabolites by HO-1 in the testis may contribute in some manner to its genotoxicity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemical Toxicology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Showa University, 1-5-8 Hatanodai, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo 142-8555, Japan.
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ashino
authors.forename: Shigenari
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ozawa
authors.forename: Satoshi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Numazawa
authors.forename: Takemi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yoshida
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015153:Blotting, Western; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D006419:Heme Oxygenase (Decyclizing) / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D051547:Heme Oxygenase-1; D007668:Kidney / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology; D008099:Liver / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology; D008297:Male; D008668:Metallothionein / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D008741:Methyl Methanesulfonate / Q000633:toxicity*; D008861:Microsomes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology; D009153:Mutagens / Q000633:toxicity*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013737:Testis / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000201:enzymology
chemical_list: D009153:Mutagens; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D008668:Metallothionein; D008741:Methyl Methanesulfonate; D006419:Heme Oxygenase (Decyclizing); D051547:Heme Oxygenase-1