Cadmium (Cd) is a non-essential, highly toxic heavy metal and a ubiquitous environmental contaminant. Evidence exists that Cd can affect parameters which are of great importance in the response towards xenobiotics. However, there is a lack of information about the mechanisms that take place at the cellular and molecular levels upon dual exposure to Cd and other toxins. The purpose of the present work was therefore to examine the biochemical interactions between Cd and a well-known genotoxic hepatocarcinogen, 2-acetylaminofluorene (AAF) in isolated rat hepatocytes. The cells were incubated for 10 hr with a sub-cytotoxic concentration (0.22 microM) of 109Cd. This was followed by a 10 hr exposure to 1 microM [3H]AAF. Cellular distribution of Cd and 3H was determined. Sephadex G-75 elution profiles of the cytosol showed that Cd was almost entirely associated with the intermediate molecular weight (IMW) fractions containing metallothionein (MT) ( > 80%), and with high molecular weight proteins. In parallel, the highest proportion of 3H was found in the low molecular weight components. Further analysis of IMW fractions by DEAE A-25 anion-exchange chromatography revealed that, in addition to Cd, there was some 3H which coeluted along with MT-I and MT-II isoforms, but preferentially with MT-I. Moreover, Cd pretreatment caused a 1.6-fold increase in MT level, as measured by the silver-saturation assay. Under these conditions, there was a 17% lower binding of 3H to the DNA. This reduced binding was neither accompanied by diminished AAF uptake nor by inhibition of cytochrome P-450 activity. Taken together, these results suggest that Cd exposure has a protective effect against the genotoxicity of AAF. MT, whose synthesis is induced, could play a role in the Cd-AAF interaction through scavenging of reactive metabolites.