title: Metallothionein 3 attenuated the apoptosis of neurons in the CA1 region of the hippocampus in the senescence-accelerated mouse/PRONE8 (SAMP8).
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Metallothionein 3 (MT-3) has been shown to protect against apoptotic neuronal death in the brains of patients with Alzheimer's disease. Zinc is a potent inhibitor of caspase-3 and its deficiency was found to promote apoptosis. Here, we measured the zinc and copper content in the brains of senescence-accelerated mouse/PRONE8 (SAMP8) and sought to investigate the effect of MT-3 on the apoptosis of neurons in the hippocampal CA1 region of these mice.
  
  
  METHODS
  The zinc and copper content in the brain samples of SAMP8 and normal control SAMR1 mice were determined using an atomic absorption spectrophotometer. The mice were administered intraperitoneally for four weeks with MT-3 or MT1 and thereafter apoptosis was measured using the TUNEL method and the expression of anti-apoptotic protein Bcl-2 and proapoptotic protein Bax was examined by immunohistochemistry.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Compared with that in SMAR1 mice, the content of zinc in the brains of SAMP8 mice was significantly reduced (P<0.05). Moreover, significant levels of apoptosis of neurons were observed in the hippocampus of SAMP8 mice, which, compared with those in SMAR1 mice, also showed significantly lower levels of Bcl-2 and higher levels of Bax (P<0.05). MT-3 increased zinc concentration in the hippocampus of SAMP8 mice and also significantly decreased apoptosis in these neurons dose-dependently and increased the levels of Bcl-2 and decreased the levels of Bax.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  MT-3 could attenuate apoptotic neuron death in the hippocampus of SAMP8, suggesting that the protein may lessen the development of neurodegeneration.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Shantou Central Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangdong, China.
authors.forename: Feiyu
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.forename: Hu
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Bin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Feng
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Haixiong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Xu
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging; D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D001923:Brain Chemistry; D053148:Caspase 3 / Q000172:deficiency; D061945:Caspase Inhibitors; D003300:Copper / Q000032:analysis; D006131:Growth Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008668:Metallothionein / Q000494:pharmacology; D000090023:Metallothionein 3; D051379:Mice; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / Q000032:analysis; D013045:Species Specificity; D015032:Zinc / Q000032:analysis / Q000172:deficiency; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: C494827:Bax protein, mouse; D061945:Caspase Inhibitors; D006131:Growth Inhibitors; D000090023:Metallothionein 3; C000715430:Mt3 protein, mouse; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein; D003300:Copper; D008668:Metallothionein; D053148:Caspase 3; D015032:Zinc