6533b838fe1ef96bd12a3a04

RESEARCH PRODUCT

Effect of cadmium exposure on zinc levels in the brine shrimp Artemia parthenogenetica

subject

description

Zinc and cadmium have been reported as metabolic antagonists, such that high zinc intake afford animals some protection against the potentially toxic effects of cadmium exposure. There is considerable evidence to support a role of metallothioneins (MTs) in regulating or controlling the intracellular availability of essential metals and the non-essential metal. The effect of 24-h cadmium pre-exposure (10 mg Cd/l) on zinc concentrations in the brine shrimp Artemia parthenogenetica exposed to zinc (5 mg Zn/l) was studied. The zinc content of shrimps was not altered by cadmium. The homeostatic mechanism for zinc regulation appears not to be disturbed by cadmium exposure in shrimps kept in naturally occurring zinc concentrations. When zinc was added to the water after cadmium exposure, the zinc concentrations attained by cadmium treated animals were lower than that of the non-exposed to cadmium. No effect of zinc exposure on cadmium elimination was observed. In order to investigate the potential role of metallothionein in this effect, metallothionein levels were measured and protein bound zinc and cadmium were studied. A clear relationship between cadmium/zinc interactions with metallothionein content or metal bound to this protein was not evident.