Metallothionein metabolism in the liver and kidney of the streptozotocin-diabetic rat.

1. Elevated levels of metallothionein (MT)-I and -II were identified in the liver and kidney of insulin-deficient diabetic rats. 2. The relative rate of MT synthesis and the turnover of cytoplasmic MT were both accelerated in the liver of diabetic rats. 3. The rate of synthesis of MT, but not its cytoplasmic turnover, was increased in diabetic kidney. 4. Maximal relative rates of MT synthesis in liver and kidney were first observed at 4 and 10 days, respectively, after inducing the diabetic condition. 5. The altered metabolism of hepatic MT in diabetic rats was attributed primarily to disturbances in endocrine status, while the altered metabolism of renal MT was largely due to accumulation of excessive dietary copper in the kidney.