Effect of Metallothionein-III on Mercury-Induced Chemokine Gene Expression

Abstract

Mercury compounds are known to cause central nervous system disorders; however the detailed molecular mechanisms of their actions remain unclear. Methylmercury increases the expression of several chemokine genes, specifically in the brain, while metallothionein-III (MT-III) has a protective role against various brain diseases. In this study, we investigated the involvement of MT-III in chemokine gene expression changes in response to methylmercury and mercury vapor in the cerebrum and cerebellum of wild-type mice and MT-III null mice. No difference in mercury concentration was observed between the wild-type mice and MT-III null mice in any brain tissue examined. The expression of Ccl3 in the cerebrum and of Cxcl10 in the cerebellum was increased by methylmercury in the MT-III null but not the wild-type mice. The expression of Ccl7 in the cerebellum was increased by mercury vapor in the MT-III null mice but not the wild-type mice. However, the expression of Ccl12 and Cxcl12 was increased in the cerebrum by methylmercury only in the wild-type mice and the expression of Ccl3 in the cerebellum was increased by mercury vapor only in the wild-type mice. These results indicate that MT-III does not affect mercury accumulation in the brain, but that it affects the expression of some chemokine genes in response to mercury compounds.

Recent Progress in Nanotechnology-Based Approaches for Food Monitoring

“…Mercury, which generally is contained in saltwater species, agricultural products, and water, can cause problems in the respiratory system, nervous system, and kidneys [ 135 , 136 , 137 ]. A SERS model coupled with the colorimetric detection of mercury ions was developed by Song et al [ 138 ].…”

Advances in Methylmercury Toxicology and Risk Assessment

“…They also showed that CCL4 is a protective factor against MeHg toxicity. Lee et al [5] investigated the roles of a metal-binding protein metallothionein-III (MT-III) in chemokine gene expression changes in response to MeHg and Hg mercury vapour in the cerebrum and cerebellum in wild-type and MT-III knockout mice. They showed that the expression of Ccl12 and Cxcl12 was increased in the cerebrum by MeHg exposure in the wild-type mice only.…”