title: Metallothioneins 1 and 2, but not 3, are regulated by nutritional status in rat white adipose tissue.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Cumulating evidence underlines the role of adipose tissue metallothionein (MT) in the development of obesity and type 2 diabetes. Fasting/refeeding was shown to affect MT gene expression in the rodent liver. The influence of nutritional status on MT gene expression in white adipose tissue (WAT) is inconclusive. The aim of this study was to verify if fasting and fasting/refeeding may influence expression of MT genes in WAT of rats.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Fasting resulted in a significant increase in MT1 and MT2 gene expressions in retroperitoneal, epididymal, and inguinal WAT of rats, and this effect was reversed by refeeding. Altered expressions of MT1 and MT2 genes in all main fat depots were reflected by changes in serum MT1 and MT2 levels. MT1 and MT2 messenger RNA (mRNA) levels in WAT correlated inversely with serum insulin concentration. Changes in MT1 and MT2 mRNA levels were apparently not related to total zinc concentrations and MTF1 and Zn transporter mRNA levels in WAT. Fasting or fasting/refeeding exerted no effect on the expression of MT3 gene in WAT. Addition of insulin to isolated adipocytes resulted in a significant decrease in MT1 and MT2 gene expressions. In contrast, forskolin or dibutyryl-cAMP (dB-cAMP) enhanced the expressions of MT1 and MT2 genes in isolated adipocytes. Insulin partially reversed the effect of dB-cAMP on MT1 and MT2 gene expressions.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study showed that the expressions of MT1 and MT2 genes in WAT are regulated by nutritional status, and the regulation may be independent of total zinc concentration.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, Medical University of Gdansk, Debinki 1, 80-211 Gdansk, Poland.
authors.forename: Sylwia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Szrok
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, Medical University of Gdansk, Debinki 1, 80-211 Gdansk, Poland.
authors.forename: Ewa
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Stelmanska
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, Medical University of Gdansk, Debinki 1, 80-211 Gdansk, Poland.
authors.forename: Jacek
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Turyn
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Technology, University of Gdansk, Wita Stwosza 63, 80-952 Gdansk, Poland.
authors.forename: Aleksandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bielicka-Gieldon
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmaceutical Biochemistry, Medical University of Gdansk, Debinki 1, 80-211 Gdansk, Poland.
authors.forename: Tomasz
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sledzinski
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, Medical University of Gdansk, Debinki 1, 80-211 Gdansk, Poland.
authors.forename: Julian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Swierczynski
keywords: Fasting; Insulin; Metallothioneins; WAT; cAMP