Abstract
The low relative molecular mass of metallothionein (MT) (Mr 7000 D) should allow its filtration through the glomeruli and its use as early molecular marker of cadmium exposition or toxicity in the human tissues in autopsies or in serum and urine in clinical practice or Occupational Medicine. Male Wistar rats used as controls and injected with 6 doses of cadmium chloride 1 mg Cd/Kg/day by intraperitoneal route. From kidneys were prepared extracts and submitted to metallothionein purification through the classical techniques and HPLC. Total protein, Zn, Cd and metallothionein were determined in different steps of the extraction. Metallothionein 1 is absent in the HPLC profile of the MT isoforms of the kidney extract of control rats, whereas this molecular isoform is highly induced in the kidney of the rats treated with cadmium. The results show that MT‐1 could be proposed as molecular marker of cadmium exposure and toxicity.
Published Version
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