Cadmium inhibits protein secretion from cultured rat liver parenchymal cells

Depressive action of cadmium (Cd) to the protein secretion from liver was studied in vitro using primary cultures of rat liver parenchymal cells. The cells were cultured in the presence of 0.1-5 microM cadmium chloride. Over this concentration range Cd had no effect on protein synthesis, but caused a dose-dependent inhibition of protein secretion. Although the metallothionein level was increased more than 4-fold by incubation with 10(-6) M dexamethasone, the depressive action of Cd was not prevented by the induction of metallothionein.