title: Heavy metal interference with growth hormone signalling in trout hepatoma cells RTH-149.
abstract: We have studied the effects of heavy metals (Hg2+, Cu2+, Cd2+) on growth hormone (GH) activation of tyrosine kinase and Ca2+ signaling in the trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) hepatoma cell line RTH-149. Molecular cloning techniques using primer designed on Oncorhynchus spp. growth hormone receptor (GHR) genes allowed to isolate a highly homologous cDNA fragment from RTH-149 mRNA. Thereafter, cells were analysed by Western blotting or, alternatively, with Ca2+ imaging using fura-2/AM. Exposure of cells to ovine GH alone produced a stimulation of the JAK2/STAT5 pathway and intracellular free Ca2+ variations similar to what has been observed in mammalian models. Cell pre-exposure to Cu2+, Hg2+ or Cd2+ affected cell response to GH by enhancing (Cu2+) or inhibiting (Cd2+) the phosphorylation of JAK2 and STAT5. Heavy metals induced the activation of the MAP kinase p38, and pre-exposure to Hg2+ or Cu2+ followed by GH enhanced the effect of metal alone. Image analysis of fura2-loaded cells indicated that pre-treatment with Hg2+ prior to GH produced a considerable increase of the [Ca2+]i variation produced by either element, while using Cu2+ or Cd2+ the result was similar but much weaker. Data suggest that heavy metals interfere with GH as follows: Hg2+ is nearly ineffective on JAK/STAT and strongly synergistic on Ca2+ signaling; Cu2+ is activatory on JAK/STAT and slightly activatory on Ca2+; Cd2+ is strongly inhibitory on JAK/STAT and slightly activatory on Ca2+; heavy metals could partially activate STAT via p38 independently from GH interaction.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Biologia, Università di Genova, Viale Benedetto XV 5, 16132, Genova, Italy. bmarchi@unige.it
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Marchi
authors.forename: Bruno
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Burlando
authors.forename: Isabella
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Panfoli
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Dondero
authors.forename: Aldo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Viarengo
authors.forename: Gabriella
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gallo
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic / Q000187:drug effects*; D013006:Growth Hormone / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008113:Liver Neoplasms; D019216:Metals, Heavy / Q000633:toxicity*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D017686:Oncorhynchus mykiss; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics; D011986:Receptors, Somatotropin / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics*; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D019216:Metals, Heavy; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D011986:Receptors, Somatotropin; D013006:Growth Hormone; D002118:Calcium