Biomaterial Database

Comparison of methods of metallothionein quantification: cadmium radioassay, mercury radioassay, and radioimmunoassay. 1985

M P Waalkes, and J S Garvey, and C D Klaassen

A comparison of the Hg radioassay (i.e. "Piotrowski" assay), the Cd radioassay (i.e. "cadmium-hemolysate" assay), and the radioimmunoassay (RIA) for metallothionein (MT) was performed for livers from control, Cd-, and Zn-pretreated rats. Results indicate that the Cd and Hg radioassays gave similar results in all cases. The RIA values compared very favorably to those obtained by the metal saturation assays for livers from control rats. The values obtained for livers from Cd- or Zn-treated animals were generally lower in the RIA than in the Hg or Cd radioassay, ranging from 36 to 75% of the metal saturation assays. The source of this discrepancy cannot be discerned from the present data. However, the various assay systems employed did yield MT concentrations that followed similar intraassay patterns, being lowest in control, elevated to an intermediate level with Cd treatment, and highest following Zn treatment.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008099	Liver	A large lobed glandular organ in the abdomen of vertebrates that is responsible for detoxification, metabolism, synthesis and storage of various substances.	Livers
D008297	Male		Males
D008628	Mercury	A silver metallic element that exists as a liquid at room temperature. It has the atomic symbol Hg (from hydrargyrum, liquid silver), atomic number 80, and atomic weight 200.59. Mercury is used in many industrial applications and its salts have been employed therapeutically as purgatives, antisyphilitics, disinfectants, and astringents. It can be absorbed through the skin and mucous membranes which leads to MERCURY POISONING. Because of its toxicity, the clinical use of mercury and mercurials is diminishing.
D008668	Metallothionein	A low-molecular-weight (approx. 10 kD) protein occurring in the cytoplasm of kidney cortex and liver. It is rich in cysteinyl residues and contains no aromatic amino acids. Metallothionein shows high affinity for bivalent heavy metals.	Isometallothionein,Metallothionein A,Metallothionein B,Metallothionein I,Metallothionein II,Metallothionein IIA
D011863	Radioimmunoassay	Classic quantitative assay for detection of antigen-antibody reactions using a radioactively labeled substance (radioligand) either directly or indirectly to measure the binding of the unlabeled substance to a specific antibody or other receptor system. Non-immunogenic substances (e.g., haptens) can be measured if coupled to larger carrier proteins (e.g., bovine gamma-globulin or human serum albumin) capable of inducing antibody formation.	Radioimmunoassays
D011869	Radioligand Assay	Quantitative determination of receptor (binding) proteins in body fluids or tissue using radioactively labeled binding reagents (e.g., antibodies, intracellular receptors, plasma binders).	Protein-Binding Radioassay,Radioreceptor Assay,Assay, Radioligand,Assay, Radioreceptor,Assays, Radioligand,Assays, Radioreceptor,Protein Binding Radioassay,Protein-Binding Radioassays,Radioassay, Protein-Binding,Radioassays, Protein-Binding,Radioligand Assays,Radioreceptor Assays
D011919	Rats, Inbred Strains	Genetically identical individuals developed from brother and sister matings which have been carried out for twenty or more generations or by parent x offspring matings carried out with certain restrictions. This also includes animals with a long history of closed colony breeding.	August Rats,Inbred Rat Strains,Inbred Strain of Rat,Inbred Strain of Rats,Inbred Strains of Rats,Rat, Inbred Strain,August Rat,Inbred Rat Strain,Inbred Strain Rat,Inbred Strain Rats,Inbred Strains Rat,Inbred Strains Rats,Rat Inbred Strain,Rat Inbred Strains,Rat Strain, Inbred,Rat Strains, Inbred,Rat, August,Rat, Inbred Strains,Rats Inbred Strain,Rats Inbred Strains,Rats, August,Rats, Inbred Strain,Strain Rat, Inbred,Strain Rats, Inbred,Strain, Inbred Rat,Strains, Inbred Rat
D002104	Cadmium	An element with atomic symbol Cd, atomic number 48, and atomic weight 112.41. It is a metal and ingestion will lead to CADMIUM POISONING.
D002712	Chlorides	Inorganic compounds derived from hydrochloric acid that contain the Cl- ion.	Chloride,Chloride Ion Level,Ion Level, Chloride,Level, Chloride Ion
D000818	Animals	Unicellular or multicellular, heterotrophic organisms, that have sensation and the power of voluntary movement. Under the older five kingdom paradigm, Animalia was one of the kingdoms. Under the modern three domain model, Animalia represents one of the many groups in the domain EUKARYOTA.	Animal,Metazoa,Animalia