Effect of cadmium chloride and Cd-metallothionein on the nervous tissue culture

Influence of metallothionein (MT) isolated from rat liver on rat cerebellum in culture was investigated by comparison with that of CdCl2. Cd-MT at 0.2 X 10(-5) M as Cd significantly depressed the outgrowth of nerve fibers, fibroblasts and glial cells as compared to the control culture. In the range from 0.2 X 10(-5) M to 2.7 X 10(-5) M Cd, the toxicity of Cd-MT was the same as that of CdCl2. Above 5 X 10(-5) M Cd, however, the toxicity of Cd-MT was less than that of CdCl2. Cadmium added as CdCl2 was perfectly recovered at a region of higher Mr than MT on the Sephadex G-75 column. Cadmium added as Cd-MT was detected in part at the higher Mr region and in part at the MT region, depending on incubation time and Cd concentration in the medium. The toxic action of Cd-MT was proportional to the recovery level of Cd at the higher Mr region.