title: Protein expression of kidney and liver bilitranslocase in rats exposed to mercuric chloride--a potential tissular biomarker of toxicity.
abstract: Bilitranslocase (BTL) is a plasma membrane carrier that transports organic anions of physiological and pharmacological interest. It is expressed in basolateral plasma membrane of kidney and liver. BTL has been recently described as a marker of transition from normal tissue to its neoplastic transformation in human kidney. Inorganic mercury is a major environmental contaminant that produces many toxic effects. Previous reports have described an interaction between BTL and mercuric ions. This study was designed to evaluate the renal and hepatic expression of BTL in rats exposed to a nephrotoxic and hepatotoxic dose of HgCl2. Male rats were treated with a single injection of HgCl2 at a dose of 4mg/kg body wt, i.p. (HgCl2 group). Control rats received the vehicle alone (Control group). Studies were carried out 18h after injection. Afterwards, the kidneys and livers were excised and processed for histopathological studies or immunoblot (homogenates and crude membranes) techniques. In rats treated with HgCl2, immunoblotting showed a significant decrease in the abundance of BTL in homogenates and plasma membranes from kidney and liver. BTL decrease of expression might reflect the grade of damage in renal tubule cells and in hepatocytes. Thus, BTL might be postulated as a new biomarker of tissue toxicity induced by mercury.
authors.affiliation: Area Farmacología, Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas, Universidad Nacional de Rosario, CONICET, Rosario, Argentina.
authors.forename: Mara Soledad
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Trebucobich
authors.affiliation: Area Farmacología, Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas, Universidad Nacional de Rosario, CONICET, Rosario, Argentina.
authors.forename: María Herminia
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Hazelhoff
authors.affiliation: GIHON Laboratorios Quimicos SRL/Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata, Mar del Plata, Argentina.
authors.forename: Alberto A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Chevalier
authors.affiliation: Department of Life Sciences, University of Trieste, Trieste, Italy.
authors.forename: Sabina
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Passamonti
authors.affiliation: Area Farmacología, Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas, Universidad Nacional de Rosario, CONICET, Rosario, Argentina.
authors.forename: Anabel
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Brandoni
authors.affiliation: Area Farmacología, Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas, Universidad Nacional de Rosario, CONICET, Rosario, Argentina. Electronic address: admotorres@yahoo.com.ar.
authors.forename: Adriana Mónica
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Torres
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases / Q000097:blood; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism; D001835:Body Weight / Q000187:drug effects; D002570:Ceruloplasmin; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D007668:Kidney / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000201:enzymology; D008099:Liver / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000201:enzymology; D008297:Male; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D008627:Mercuric Chloride / Q000633:toxicity*; D008628:Mercury / Q000652:urine; D009929:Organ Size / Q000187:drug effects; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D008627:Mercuric Chloride; D002570:Ceruloplasmin; C033838:bilitranslocase; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases; D008628:Mercury
keywords: Bilitranslocase; Hepatotoxicity; Mercuric chloride; Nephrotoxicity; Tissue biomarker