Hepatic metallothionein synthesis in neonatal Mottled-Brindled mutant mice

Mottled-brindled mutant mice did not display the elevated hepatic metallothionein synthesis normally observed in 2- to 6-day-old wild-type mice. This difference between normal and mutant mice was not due to a decreased ability to synthesize metallothionein in the liver, since hepatic metallothionein synthesis was inducible in response to copper, cadmium, zinc, or hydrocortisone administration to neonatal mutant mice. Hydrocortisone treatment resulted in increased metallothionein synthesis in liver of mutant mice but had no ameliorative effect on the mottled-brindled disease.