Analysis of MT1 and ZIP1 gene expression in the liver of rats with chronic poisoning with cadmium chloride

Abstract

Introduction. Cadmium is a toxic heavy metal with devastating effects on most organ systems. After absorption, cadmium is transported throughout the body, primarily by binding to proteins by metallothioneins. It is believed that the mechanisms of cadmium-induced transformation arise due to the disruption of zinc-dependent cellular processes. This part is due to the structural and physical similarities between zinc and cadmium. More than half of the incoming cadmium is deposited in the liver and kidneys. The rest part is distributed throughout other organs and their systems. Materials and methods. In total, 40 white outbred rats of both sexes weighing 170-230 g were used in the experiment; they were formed into four experimental groups of 10 animals each, depending on the dose of the injected toxicant. Liver tissue samples were used as research materials, in the homogenate of which the quantitative content of Cd and Zn was determined, as well as the mRNA level of the MT1 and ZIP1 genes. Results. It was found that the most pronounced activity of the MT1 gene in liver tissues was achieved when animals were administered cadmium chloride at a dose of 0.1 mg/kg (2.69 ± 0.37; p = 0.017), while the multiplicity of expression of the ZIP1 gene showed the maximum value of the level of transcripts with the minimum dose of toxin (2.70 ± 0.37; p = 0.007). It was also revealed that the highest concentration of zinc in the liver tissue was observed with the introduction of cadmium chloride at a dose of 0.1 mg/kg (33.84 ± 0.53; p <0.001), and the concentration of cadmium increased along with an increase in the dose of the toxicant (0, 0049 ± 0.0003; 0.0203 ± 0.0024; 0.664 ± 0.007; 0.76 ± 0.0089). Conclusion. Thus, a comprehensive study of the expression of genes for metallothioneins and zinc transporters can be used as a biomarker of poisoning with cadmium and its compounds.