1994 Fiscal Year Final Research Report Summary
NEW METHODOLOGY FOR EVALUATION OF RENAL DAMAGE CAUSED BY HEAVY METALS ON THE TUBULAR LEVEL
Project/Area Number |
05680471
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Research Category |
Grant-in-Aid for General Scientific Research (C)
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Allocation Type | Single-year Grants |
Research Field |
環境影響評価(含放射線生物学)
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Research Institution | NATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES |
Principal Investigator |
TOHYAMA Chiharu NATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES,ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH SCIENCES DIVISION,DIRECTOR, 環境健康部, 部長 (10150872)
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Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha) |
HOMMA Shino NATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES,ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH SCIENCES DIVIS, 環境健康部, 科学技術特別研究員
SHIMOJO Nobuhiro TSUKUBA UNIVERSITY.FACULTY OF MEDICINE,PROFESSOR, 社会医学系, 教授 (00080622)
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Project Period (FY) |
1993 – 1994
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Keywords | X-RAY FLUORESCENCE MICROANALYSIS / RENAL DAMAGE / HEAVY METALS / CADMIUM / MERCURY / METALLOTHIONEIN / IN SITU HYBRIDIZATION |
Research Abstract |
Renal damage that is caused by heavy metals like cadmium and mercury has been characterized by proximal tubular dysfunction. However, we have found that metallothionein, the protein of which can be inducible by these metals and detoxify these metals is present more abundant in distal portions of nephrons. Using a novel synchrotron radiation X-ray fluorescence analysis with sufficient resolution to locate metals in specific cells, we could determine heavy metal localization in renal tissue sections. We also established in situ hybridization of metallothionein mRNA using digoxigenin-labeled riboprobe. Then, we have studied relationships between distributions of heavy metals, metallothionein and its mRNA in cadmium and mercury treated rat kidney specimens. By using in situ hybridization and immunohistochemisry of metallothionein, we have found that metallothionein and its mRNA localize in different manners in proximal and distal tubular cells, suggesting that the use of these two methods is useful in identifying the specific cells where synthesis and/or transport of a particular protein occurs.
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