Effect of High Sensitive Factor on Distribution of Cadmium Using Iron-deficient Metallothionein-l/II Null Mice

2004 Fiscal Year Final Research Report Summary

• Project/Area Number: 15590517
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Hygiene
• Research Institution: Gifu Pharmaceutical University
• Principal Investigator: SATOH Masahiko Gifu Pharmaceutical University, Department of Hygienics, Associate Professor, 薬学部, 助教授 (20256390)
• Project Period (FY): 2003 – 2004
• Keywords: Cadmium / Metallothionein / Iron deficiency anemia / Gestational exposure / Metallothionein-l / II null mice / Low iron diet / Distribution / Hich risk factor

Research Abstract

We examined the effects of metallothionein and dietary iron on the distribution of cadmium in exposure to cadmium (50 ppm) during gestation using the iron-deficient metallothionein-l/II null pregnant mice. In the cadmium-exposed wild-type mice, cadmium concentrations in the maternal liver, maternal kidney and fetal liver of low iron diet group significantly increased compared with those of normal iron diet group. In contrast, in the cadmium-exposed metallothionein-l/II null mice, cadmium concentrations in the maternal liver and kidney of low iron diet group were significantly higher than those of normal iron diet group. However, in the fetal liver of cadmium-exposed metallothionein-l/II null mice, cadmium concentration was not different between low iron diet group and normal iron diet group. Furthermore, in the both low iron diet group and normal iron diet group, cadmium concentrations in the maternal liver and kidney of metallothionein-l/II null mice exposed to cadmium markedly decreased compared with those of wild-type mice whereas cadmium concentration in the fetal liver of metallothionein-l/II null mice was significantly higher than that of wild-type mice. On the other hand, cadmium concentration in the placenta was not different between four groups, which are low iron diet group in metallothionein-l/II null mice, low iron diet group in wild-type mice, normal iron diet group in metallothionein-l/II null mice and normal iron diet group in wild-type mice. These results suggested that metallothionein and dietary iron plays an important role in the inhibition of cadmium accumulation in the fetal liver. In the gestational exposure to cadmium, effect of metallothionein on the cadmium accumulation in the fetus of mice was stronger than that of dietary iron.