Specific effects of maternal zinc depletion or repletion on the deposition of zinc and metallothionein in newborn rat livers: a longitudinal study
High levels of metallothionein (MT) have been reported in association with elevated zinc (Zn) in the livers of newborn rats. Previous studies in this laboratory have demonstrated that maternal Zn-deficiency (Zn-D) specifically reduces the storage of Zn as MT in one day old pup liver. To further investigate how dietary Zn levels influence the storage of Zn as MT, newborn Zn-D pups were allowed to suckle from Zn-sufficient (Zn-S) dams and vice versa. Pups were injected with 2.5 ..mu..Ci of Zn/sup 65/ and whole body retention monitored. Pups were sacrificed at varying time periods up to weaning and hepatic levels of Zn and MT were measured. A gradual increase in the abnormally low hepatic levels of Zn and MT was observed in Zn-D pups suckling from Zn-S dams up to about day 10. Zn-S pups suckling from Zn-D dams showed a much faster rate of decline of MT and Zn than in age-matched controls, suggesting a rapid turnover of Zn-MT. Whole body retention of Zn/sup 65/ was lower in the Zn-repleted pups than in the pups which were subjected to Zn-D postnatally. These results demonstrate that the Zn-MT levels fluctuate directly in response to the Zn status of the pups, supporting the role of MT as a Zn storage protein in newborn rats.
- Research Organization:
- Univ. of Western Ontario, London
- OSTI ID:
- 6989182
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-8604222-
- Journal Information:
- Fed. Proc., Fed. Am. Soc. Exp. Biol.; (United States), Vol. 45:4; Conference: 70. annual meeting of the Federation of American Society for Experimental Biology, St. Louis, MO, USA, 13 Apr 1986
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
METALLOTHIONEIN
TISSUE DISTRIBUTION
ZINC
BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS
NUTRITIONAL DEFICIENCY
LIVER
NEONATES
TRACER TECHNIQUES
ZINC 65
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA-PLUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BODY
DAYS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
DIGESTIVE SYSTEM
DISTRIBUTION
ELECTRON CAPTURE RADIOISOTOPES
ELEMENTS
EVEN-ODD NUCLEI
GLANDS
INTERMEDIATE MASS NUCLEI
ISOTOPE APPLICATIONS
ISOTOPES
METALLOPROTEINS
METALS
NUCLEI
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANS
PROTEINS
RADIOISOTOPES
ZINC ISOTOPES
560300* - Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology
550501 - Metabolism- Tracer Techniques