Zincsulphate induced metallothionein in pancreatic islets and protected against the diabetogenic toxin streptozotocin.
In mice, autoimmune diabetes can be induced with multiple low doses of streptozotocin (MLD-STZ). Specific T cell-dependent immune reactions and non-specific inflammatory damage induced by reactive oxygen species (ROS) are involved in the pathogenesis of MLD-STZ diabetes. Metallothionein (MT) can be significantly (P<0.05) induced with ZnSO(4) in pancreatic islets in vivo and in vitro. In vitro, preincubation of isolated islets with ZnSO(4) prevented STZ-induced loss of beta-cell-function and in vivo, intraperitoneal pretreatment with ZnSO(4) prevented MLD-STZ-induced diabetes. It is proposed that ZnSO(4)-induced MT rescued beta-cells by scavenging STZ-generated hydroxyl-radicals (()OH).
Ohly
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P
Clinical Experimental Department, Diabetes Research Institute, Medical Institute of Environmental Hygiene, Heinrich-Heine-University Düsseldorf, D-40225 Düsseldorf, Germany.
Wang
Z
Z
Abel
J
J
Gleichmann
H
H