Chronological changes in tissue copper, zinc and iron in the toxic milk mouse and effects of copper loading

The toxic milk (tx) mouse is a rodent model for Wilson disease, an inherited disorder of copper overload. Here we assessed the effect of copper accumulation in the tx mouse on zinc and iron metabolism. Copper, zinc and iron concentrations were determined in the liver, kidney, spleen and brain of control and copper-loaded animals by atomic absorption spectroscopy. Copper concentration increased dramatically in the liver, and was also significantly higher in the spleen, kidney and brain of control tx mice in the first few months of life compared with normal DL mice. Hepatic zinc was increased with age in the tx mouse, but zinc concentrations in the other organs were normal. Liver and kidney iron concentrations were significantly lower at birth in tx mice, but increased quickly to be comparable with control mice by 2 months of age. Iron concentration in the spleen was significantly higher in tx mice, but was lower in 5 day old tx pups. Copper-loading studies showed that normal DL mice ingesting 300 mg/l copper in their diet for 3 months maintained normal liver, kidney and brain copper, zinc and iron levels. Copper-loading of tx mice did not increase the already high liver copper concentrations, but spleen and brain copper concentrations were increased. Despite a significant elevation of copper in the brain of the copper-loaded tx mice no behavioural changes were observed. The livers of copper-loaded tx mice had a lower zinc concentration than control tx mice, whilst the kidney had double the concentration of iron suggesting that there was increased erythrocyte hemolysis in the copper-loaded mutants.     

Effect of olive oil- and corn oil-enriched diets on the tissue mineral content in mice

The mineral content (zinc, iron, magnesium, and calcium) in the liver, spleen, and thymus of male Balb/C mice was analyzed. Animals were fed, over 21 d, diets enriched with corn oil (FCO diet) or olive oil (FOO diet) (5% addition to standard pellet, w/w). Olive oil with predominant oleic acid (C18:1, n-9) had a quite different composition than corn oil, in which linoleic acid (C18:2, n-6) prevails. The zinc and magnesium tissue concentrations were not changed in either group. The calcium concentration in liver as well as the calcium concentration in spleen increased in mice fed both the FCO and FOO diets. Furthermore, mice fed both the FOO and FCO diets had increased spleen iron concentration. Mice fed the FCO diet had increased thymus calcium concentration compared to controls. The results show the effect of diets with unsaturated, particularly polyunsaturated fatty acids, on the calcium and iron concentration in some organs.     

Model to evaluate the toxic effect of drugs: vincristine effect in the mass of organs and in the distribution of radiopharmaceuticals in mice

There are evidences that the biodistribution of radiopharmaceuticals can be modified by some drugs. As chemotherapeutic drugs present important toxic effects, we studied the vincristine effect in the mass of organs and are trying to develop a model to evaluate the action of chemotherapeutic drug using the biodistribution of radiopharmaceuticals. Vincristine was administered (n=15) into female Balb/c mice, the organs isolated and their mass determined. To study the vincristine effect in the biodistribution of technetium-99m-dimercaptosuccinic acid (99mTc-DMSA) or technetium-99m-diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (99mTc-DTPA), vincristine (0.03 mg) was administered in the animals (n=15) in three doses. 99mTc-DMSA or 99mTc-DTPA was injected 1h after the last dose. After 0.5h, the animals were sacrificed and the percentage of radioactivity (%ATI) and the percentage of radioactivity per gram of tissue (%ATI/g) in each organ were calculated. The results have shown that the mass decreased significantly (Wilcoxon test, P<0.05) in thymus, spleen, ovary, uterus, kidneys, pancreas. The %ATI to 99mTc-DMSA increased in lung, pancreas, heart, thyroid, brain, and bone, and the %ATI/g increased in uterus, ovary, spleen, thymus, kidney, lung, liver, pancreas, heart, thyroid, brain and bone. To 99mTc-DTPA, the %ATI increased in uterus, ovary, spleen, thymus, kidney, lung, liver, stomach, heart and bone, and the %ATI/g increased in uterus, ovary, spleen, thymus, kidney, lung, liver, stomach, heart and bone. The results were statistically significant (Wilcoxon test). The results can be explained by the metabolization, therapeutic, toxicological or immunosupressive action of the vincristine. This model, probably, should be used to evaluate the toxic effect of various drugs.     

Metallothionein expression and tissue metal kinetics after partial hepatectomy in mice

To better elucidate previous results showing that partial hepatectomy noticeably changes the tissue content of zinc, calcium, magnesium, and iron(II) ions in regenerating the liver, thymus, and spleen, we report on the correlation of these metal tissue kinetics in these organs with the expression of metallothionein-I+II (MT-I+II) proteins and MT-I mRNA in early postoperative period (1, 2, 6, 12, and 24 h) after one-third hepatectomy (pHx). The results showed that 2 h after pHx the regenerating liver accumulated Zn²⁺, Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺, and Fe²⁺ ions while decreasing the concentration of all these metals in the spleen and of Zn²⁺ in the thymus. On the 24th h, a new high accumulation of Zn²⁺ and Ca²⁺ was seen in the regenerating liver and of Zn²⁺, Ca²⁺, and Fe²⁺ in the spleen. Simultaneously, MT-I mRNA increased in the liver and spleen. In hepatocytes and on several spleen and thymus mononuclear lymphatic cells, the increased expression of MT proteins was found mainly in the cytoplasm and nuclei. The areas expressing MTs in regenerating liver inversely correlated with those containing apoptotic cells, suggesting that these proteins participate in tissue restoration through reduction or increase of metal ions after injury to the liver.     

Endogenous phospholipase hydrolysis in radiation injury of animals

A study was made of the free fatty acid (FFA) content of homogenates of brain, thymus, liver, kidneys, erythrocytes, small intestine mucosa, and spleen of X-irradiated (7.76 Gy) rats. The increased FFA content was exhibited by all the organs under study. The increase was maximum in the thymus. Calcium ions were shown to play a defined role in the radiation enhancement of endogenous phospholipase hydrolysis.     

Prothymosin alpha and parathymosin: mRNA and polypeptide levels in rodent tissues

Blot hybridization analyses have established the presence of mRNAs for prothymosin alpha (ProT alpha) and for parathymosin (ParaT) in rat and mouse lung, liver, kidney, and brain, confirming the biosynthesis of these peptides in nonlymphoid tissues. In these tissues the levels of mRNAs paralleled the content of the polypeptides, determined with specific radioimmunoassays. The mRNA levels also confirmed the reciprocal relation between the two polypeptides; ProT alpha and its mRNA were found in highest concentrations in spleen and thymus, followed by lung, kidney, and brain, with lowest concentrations in liver. On the other hand, liver contained highest concentrations of ParaT and the mRNA for ParaT, with lowest levels present in spleen and thymus. In comparison to tissues from young (6-8 week) mice, older (18 month) mice contained lower concentrations (20-40%) of both polypeptides, with qualitatively similar decreases in mRNA content.     

Ganglioside expression in tissues of mice lacking the tumor necrosis factor receptor 1

This study presents a comparative analysis of gangliosides from lymphoid (spleen and thymus) and other tissues (brain, liver, lung, muscle) of C57BL/6 mice homozygous (-/-) and heterozygous (+/-) for the tumor necrosis factor receptor 1 (TNFRp55). Quantitative and qualitative differences in the expression of the lipid-bound N-acetylneuraminic (Neu5Ac) and N-glycolylneuraminic acid (Neu5Gc) and of various ganglioside biosynthesis pathways were detected between the tissues of the TNFRp55 -/- and the control TNFRp55 +/- mice. Sialic acid profiles showed a strong decrease in the absolute amount of sialic acids (Neu5Ac + Neu5Gc) in the lungs and thymus of homozygous (1.41 and 0.3 ng/mg wet weight, respectively) compared with control heterozygous animals (7.18 and 2.05 ng/mg wet weight, respectively). Considerable differences of Neu5Ac/Neu5Gc ratios in the lungs, muscle, spleen, and thymus were also detected. The gangliosides GM3(Neu5Ac) and GM3(Neu5Gc) were the dominant gangliosides in the lungs of the control animals, whereas the knockout mice almost completely lacked these structures in this organ. Reduced expression of GM1b-type gangliosides (GM1b and GalNAc-GM1b) was also found in the lungs, spleen, and thymus of the TNFRp55 knockout mice. On the other hand, neolacto-series gangliosides were more abundant in the lungs, brain, and muscle of the knockout mice, whereas their expression in the liver, spleen, and thymus was similar in both groups of animals. This study provides in vivo evidence that TNF signaling via the TNFRp55 is involved in the acquisition of a distinct ganglioside assembly in different mouse organs. TNFRp55 signaling seems to be especially important for the activation of the GM1b-type ganglioside biosynthetic pathway that is a unique characteristic of the mouse lymphoid tissues.     

Biochemical changes in progressive muscular dystrophy. XII. Cyclic nucleotides in lymphoid and nonlymphoid organs of dystrophic mice

Concentrations of cAMP and cGMP were measured (per milligram DNA) in the lymphoid (thymus, spleen) and nonlymphoid organs (liver, brain, kidney, lungs, heart, pancreas, skeletal muscle, lens) of normal (+/+) and dystrophic (dy/dy) 129 ReJ mice aged 30, 60, and 90 days. The cAMP concentrations in the thymus did not reveal any significant differences at 30 and 60 days of dystrophy, but were considerably higher (2-fold) at 90 days. cGMP concentrations were decreased in the thymus at 30 days (0.20-fold) and markedly elevated at 60 (2-fold) and 90 days (3-fold) of the disease. The [cAMP]/[cGMP] ratio was increased (1.30-fold) at 30 days of dystrophy, and this was followed by a sharp decline at 60 days (2-fold), with a lesser decrease at 90 days (0.34-fold). In the spleen, the cAMP concentrations were augmented significantly in all stages of dystrophy (1.5- to 2.6-fold). cGMP (per milligram DNA) did not show any significant variation at 30 and 60 days of the disease but was increased (3-fold) at 90 days. The [cAMP]/[cGMP] ratio, which was enhanced in the spleen at 30 (2-fold) and 60 days (1.5-fold), demonstrated no change at 90 days of dystrophy. These results indicated significant differences in the concentration of cyclic nucleotides and their ratios in the thymus and spleen of 129 ReJ dy/dy mice. The modifications were not limited to lymphoid organs alone, having been noted in the nonlymphoid organs as well. These changes could, in turn, influence immune responsiveness and could cause immunodepression in dystrophic mice.     

The effect of aging on the mineral status of female mice

To clarify the effect of aging on the mineral status of female mice, mineral concentrations in their tissues were determined. Five 2-mo-old, five 6-mo-old, and five 10-mo-old female B10BR mice were fed a commercial diet. Iron, zinc, copper, calcium, magnesium, sodium, and potassium concentrations in the blood, liver, kidney, heart, brain, lung, and spleen of the mice were determined using a flame atomic absorption spectrophotometer. Iron concentrations in the liver, kidney, heart, brain, and spleen increased with age. Significant differences were detected between mice 2 and 6 mo of age and between mice 2 and 10 mo of age. Zinc concentrations in the heart and lung decreased significantly with age. Zinc concentrations in the heart and lung of 10-mo-old mice were significantly lower than those of 2-mo-old mice. It is noteworthy that the copper concentration in the brain of 10-mo-old mice was markedly higher compared with that of younger mice. Calcium accumulation was apparent in the kidney of mice at 10 mo.     

Metabolism of zinc and copper in the neonate: Zinc thionein in developing rat brain,heart, lung,spleen, and thymus

In a continuing study of the importance of metallothionein (MT) in the growth and development of neonates, zinc and copper metabolism in rat brain, heart, lung, spleen, and thymus has been analyzed in 5, 10, 15, 20 and 25 day old rats. Total, cytosol, and MT zinc and copper concentrations and organ contents were determined. Zinc, but very little, if any copper was associated with MT in these organs. Concentrations ranged from 0.03 to 3.3 μg Zn in MT/g; organ contents ranged from 0.003 to 2.2 μg Zn in MT/organ. Brain exhibited the highest concentrations and contents of zinc in MT, approaching the levels found in kidneys. Rank order of organ contents of zinc in MT was brain > lung > heart, spleen, thymus, during this neonatal growth period. When organ growth was rapid, a large percentage (20–95%) of the cytosolic zinc present in these organs was associated with MT, as has been previously observed with liver, kidneys, and testes. None of these organs undergoes the dramatic changes in zinc and copper metabolism previously observed in neonatal rat liver and gastrointestinal tract, and in maturing testes. They are more comparable to kidneys in their concentrations of zinc in MT. Like testes, little copper is found in these organs.     

The stability of methyl and ethyl phosphotriesters in DNA in vivo

C57BL male mice were injected with N-methyl-N-nitrosourea (MNUA) or N-ethyl-N-nitrosourea (ENUA) and the concentration of alkyl phosphotriesters in the DNA of lung, liver, brain, kidney, spleen and thymus determined from the extent of degradation induced in isolated DNA by alkali. The same total dose of reagent was given either as a single injection (i.p.) or by weekly injections carried out over 5-20 weeks. Methyl phosphotriesters induced in liver, lung and kidney by the single injection were lost with a half-life of about 7 days, in brain the loss was more rapid, t1/2 = 2-3 days. During the multiple injections the observed t1/2 was 16 days. Ethyl phosphotriesters formed in the DNA of lung, liver, kidney and brain were much more stable than the methyl derivatives, t1/2 = 10-15 weeks. Phosphotriesters formed in the DNA of spleen and thymus disappeared very quickly after the single injection presumably as a result of dilution due to DNA replication. No accumulation of phosphotriesters occurred in the DNA of these tissues during the multiple injections. The general pattern of the results suggests that phosphotriesters are not excised by cellular repair systems.     

阿里红黄酮对衰老模型小鼠的抗衰老作用

目的：研究阿里红黄酮对衰老模型小鼠的抗衰老作用。方法：将小鼠随机分为6组（n=12）：正常对照组,衰老模型组,阳性对照组,低、中、高剂量阿里红黄酮组。除正常对照组外,其余各组均采用D-半乳糖颈背部皮下注射建立亚急性衰老小鼠模型,用不同剂量的阿里红黄酮（100、200和400 mg/（kg·d））灌服小鼠6周后,计算衰老模型小鼠脑指数及脾脏指数、胸腺指数,测定其脑组织丙二醛（MDA）含量及谷胱甘肽过氧化物酶（GSH-Px）活性、肝组织过氧化氢酶（CAT）及超氧化物歧化酶（SOD）活性。结果：阿里红黄酮3个剂量组可不同程度的升高衰老模型小鼠的脑指数、脾脏指数、胸腺指数、脑组织中的GSH-Px活性及肝组织中的CAT、SOD活性,降低其脑组织中的MDA含量。结论：阿里红黄酮可能通过提高机体的抗氧化能力而达到抗衰老作用。     

Feeding of a low-zinc diet lowers the tissue concentrations of alpha-tocopherol in adult rats

Previous work has shown that a low dietary intake of zinc for a short duration significantly lowers the lymphatic absorption of α-tocopherol (αTP) in adult male rats. The present study investigated whether the nutritional status of zinc is critical in maintaining the tissue levels of the vitamin. One group of rats was fed an AIN-93G diet containing 3 mg zinc/kg (low zinc, LZ) and the other was fed the same diet but containing 30 mg zinc/kg (adequate zinc, AZ). Food intakes between groups were matched by feeding two meals per day. At 6 wk, the body weights (356±8 g) of LZ rats reached 98% those (362±10 g) of AZ rats. Feeding of the LZ diet for 6 wk significantly lowered the concentrations of both αTP and zinc in the liver, kidney, heart, testis, and brain. No consistent relationships between αTP and zinc concentrations were observed in other tissues such as spleen, lung, gastrocnemius muscle, and retroperitoneal fat tissues. The concentrations of αTP in the liver, testis, brain, spleen, heart, and kidney were significantly correlated with the tissue concentrations of zinc. The LZ diet slightly but significantly increased the total lipid contents (mg/g) of liver, kidney, heart, and spleen. However, the tissue levels of phospholipid (μmol/100 mg lipid) in the heart, lung, testis, and spleen were decreased significantly in LZ rats. These findings indicate that low zinc intake results in a pronounced decrease in the animal’s αTP status under the conditions of matched food intakes, body weights, and feeding patterns. The lower tissue levels of αTP may explain in part the compromised antioxidant defense system and increased susceptibility to oxidative damage observed in zinc deficiency.     

Deregulation of DNA methyltransferases and loss of parental methylation at the insulin-like growth factor II (Igf2)/H19 loci in p53 knockout mice prior to tumor development

To ascertain whether p53 deficiency in vivo leads to the deregulation of DNA methylation machinery prior to tumor development, we investigated the expression profile of DNA methyltransferases in the thymus and the liver of p53(+/+), p53(+/-), and p53(-/-) mice at 7 weeks of age before tumor development. The expression of DNA methyltransferases was examined in the thymus at 7 weeks of age, since the malignant T-cell lymphoma develops most frequently in p53(-/-) mice around 20 weeks of age. Both mRNA and protein levels of Dnmt1 and Dnmt3b were increased in the thymus and the liver of p53-deficient mice. The expression of Dnmt3a was also increased in the liver but not in the thymus of p53-deficient mice. Dnmt3L expression was reduced in the thymus of p53(+/-) and p53(-/-) mice. The total 5-methylcytosine (5-MeC) in the genomic DNA of p53(+/+), p53(+/-), and p53(-/-) mice was quantitated by dot-blot using antibody against 5-MeC. Global methylation was increased in the thymus and the liver of p53-deficient mice. To correlate the deregulated expression of DNA methyltransferases with the disturbance of the epigenetic integrity, we examined the DNA methylation of the imprinting control region (ICR) at the insulin-like growth factor II (Igf2)/H19 loci in the thymus and the liver of p53(+/+), p53(+/-), and p53(-/-) mice. The region containing two CCCTC binding factor (CTCF) binding sites in the 5'-ICR tended to be hypomethylated in the thymus of p53(-/-) mice, but not in the liver. The expression profile of Igf2 and H19 indicated that the thymus-specific changes of Igf2 and H19 expression were coherent to the hypomethylation of the ICR in the thymus. Our results suggest that p53 is required for the maintenance of DNA methylation patterns in vivo.     

The effect of dietary lipid hydroperoxide on lymphoid tissues in mice

Effects of dietary lipid hydroperoxides on lymphoid tissue were studied in mice. When graded amounts (190, 270 and 310 mg) of methyl linoleate hydroperoxide (MLHPO) were orally administered to male C57BL/6 mice (6 weeks old), necrosis was observed in lymphocytes located among the reticular network in the thymus, and thymus weight was significantly decreased 24 h after the treatment. The spleen weight of mice given MLHPO tended to decrease. Spontaneous chemiluminescence of the thymus was remarkably increased after the dose. Thiobarbituric acid reactants in the liver, thymus and blood were also increased after the dose of MLHPO. At intervals of 3, 6, 12 and 24 h after a dose of 14C-labeled MLHPO, 14C was detected in the blood and liver. Fatty infiltration of the liver was found after the treatment with MLHPO. These findings indicate that oral intake of lipid hydroperoxides causes significant damage to lymphoid tissues of mice.     

The ontogenetic evolution of acidic phosphoprotein phosphatase activity in the lymphatic tissue and the liver of the rat.

We have shown that an acidic phosphoprotein phosphatase (APP-ase) has a different pattern of postnatal maturation in the spleen, thymus and liver of rats and mice. The APP-ase activity increases during the first eight months of postnatal life in the spleen of rats (when it attains an 8--10 times higher value than at birth) and up to the sixth month of life in the spleen of mice. It increases considerably during the first two weeks of postnatal life in the thymus of rats and mice; in the liver of rats it reaches maximum activity before birth, but continues to increase up to the sixth month of postnatal life in the liver of mice. The results show also that the APP-ase from the spleen, thymus and liver of rats is equally active in dephosphorylating ATP and phenyl phosphate during the whole life span of rats, but not in relation to beta-glycerol phosphate. After analyzing its substrate specificity, its pH dependence in relation to different substrates, its kinetic properties, as well as its behaviour towards ascorbic acid and different inhibitors (sodium tungstate and sodium molybdate, L-tartrate, L-phenylalanine and L-cysteine) we have come to the conclusion that the rat spleen APP-ase is different from "nonspecific" acid and alkaline phosphatases and very similar to the EC 3.1.3.16 acid phosphoprotein phosphatase.     

Tissue zinc dynamics during the immune reaction in mice

Owing to the importance of zinc for the functioning of the immune system, the role of endogenous Zn, located both in lymphoid and nonlymphoid organs, was investigated during the standard humoral and cellular types of immune response. For this purpose, the dynamics of hepatic, thymic, splenic, and renal Zn content was determined in mice sensitized with (a) sheep red blood cells and (b) semiallogeneic lymphocytes during the local host vs graft reaction (HVGR). The data obtained by ion-coupled plasma spectrometry revealed that the humoral type of immunity is characterized by a significant increase of Zn concentration in the liver and in the thymus. Simultaneously, linear regression analysis showed that the generation of plaque-forming cells in the individual mouse was highly positively correlated with Zn concentration in the liver (r = 0.897), and spleen (r = 0.833), and negatively with Zn concentration in the thymus (r = -0.624). Similar relationships between the intensity of local immune reaction and tissue Zn levels were found in local HVGR at the fifth day in the liver and spleen (r = 0.861 andr = 0.695, respectively), at the seventh day in the thymus (r = -0.797), and at the tenth day in the liver (r = -0.859). The data emphasize the necessity of Zn for the development of normal immune response and point to the existence of a Zndependent hepato-thymic axis during the humoral and cellular types of immune reactivity.