Involvement of metallothionein (MT) as a biological protective factor against carcinogenesis induced by benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P).

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine whether intracellular metallothionein (MT) protects against benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P)-induced forestomach and lung carcinogenesis. Ten-week-old male MT-I/II null mice and wild-type mice were orally administered B[a]P at a dose of 100 or 250 mg/kg twice a week for 4 weeks. B[a]P-induced mortality was higher in the MT-I/II null mice than in the wild-type mice. The incidence of tumors in the forestomach and lung was 78.6% and 7.1% in the wild-type mice treated with 100 mg/kg B[a]P, respectively. In the MT-I/II null mice treated with B[a]P, tumor incidence in the forestomach and lung was 100% and 33.3%, respectively. The tumor area in the forestomach and lung in the MT-I/II null mice treated with B[a]P was greater than that of wild-type mice. These results suggest that MT acts as a biological protective factor against carcinogenesis induced by B[a]P.

• Authors: Masaki Takaishi, Akinori Shimada, Junko S Suzuki, Masahiko Satoh, Hisamitsu Nagase
• Journal: The Journal of toxicological sciences (J Toxicol Sci) Vol. 35 Issue 2 Pg. 225-30 (Apr 2010) ISSN: 1880-3989 [Electronic] Japan
• PMID: 20371973 (Publication Type: Journal Article)

Chemical References

• Benzo(a)pyrene
• Metallothionein

Topics

• Animals
• Benzo(a)pyrene (toxicity)
• Female
• Male
• Metallothionein (physiology)
• Mice
• Mice, Inbred C57BL
• Neoplasms, Experimental (chemically induced, prevention & control)