Role of renal metallothionein in acute cadmium toxicity in mice.

Abstract

The protective role of renal metallothionein in acute cadmium toxicity was studied. No mice died after subcutaneous injection of cadmium (5 mg/kg), but the mortality of mice was significantly increased after simultaneous injections of cysteine (300 mg/kg) and cadmium (5 mg/kg). The metallothionein concentration in the kidney of the mice injected with cysteine and cadmium was much lower than that of mice injected with cadmium alone. Other mice were injected with metals to induce metallothionein. The mice were injected with cysteine and cadmium 24 h after the metal injection, and observed for 3 d. There was a significant correlation between the metallothionein concentration in the kidney and the mortality of the mice (r=0.755, p<0.05). These results indicate that metallothionein in the kidney, not in the liver, contributes to the prevantion of acute cadmium toxicity under these conditions.