Induction of cadmium-thionein in isolated rat liver cells

The uptake of cadmium by isolated liver cells was linearly related to the cadmium concentration to which the cells were exposed in the medium. Cadmium-treated cells synthesized proteins de novo with the characteristics of cadmium-thionein induced in the liver of cadmium-treated animals. Thionein from liver cells incorporated cadmium and [35S]cysteine, had a Ve/Vo (Sephadex G-50) of 1.8-1.9, and was separated into two subfractions by DEAE-cellulose ion-exchange chromatography. Cycloheximide and actinomycin D when added after a cadmium exposure prevented the synthesis of thionein. However, addition of actinomycin D after synthesis had started only decreased the total amount of thionein synthesized. The concentration of cadmium to which the cells were exposed affected the amount of cadmium-thionein synthesized in 6h. The maximum response occurred when cells were exposed to 0.5 microgram of cadmium/ml; at higher metal concentrations the total amount of cadmium-thionein synthesized declined. The system described in the present paper can be used to study the mode of metal toxicity and the mechanism of cadmium-thionein synthesis.