著者

佐藤 雅彦

出版者

The Japanese Society for Hygiene

雑誌

日本衛生学雑誌 (ISSN:00215082)

巻号頁・発行日

vol.59, no.3, pp.317-325, 2004-07-15 (Released:2009-02-17)

参考文献数

73

被引用文献数

4 3

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In many research groups including our laboratory, metallothionein (MT)-I/II null mice have been used to clarify the biological function and physiological role of MT. Recent studies with MT-I/II null mice concerning the role of MT in the toxicity and distribution of metal, oxidative stress and chemical carcinogenesis were reviewed. Some reports, including our findings, showed that MT-I/II null mice have an increased sensitivity to harmful metals such as cadmium, mercury, zinc and arsenic. Moreover, it was clarified using MT-I/II null mice that MT plays a major role in the retention of cadmium, mercury and zinc in target tissues. MT-I/II null mice were found to be much more sensitive than wild-type mice to the toxicity caused by free radical-inducing factors, which include paraquat, acetaminophen, ethanol, X-ray, ultraviolet B, carbon tetrachloride, cisplatin, doxorubicin, cerulein and streptozotocin. In addition, MT-I/II null mice were highly susceptible to skin carcinogenesis induced by 7, 12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene and bladder carcinogenesis caused by N-butyl-N-(4-hydroxybutyl) nitrosamine. These results suggest that MT is an important protective factor against metal toxicity, oxidative stress and chemical carcinogenesis.