Post-mortem and in vitro dimerization of metallothionein in cadmium-accumulated rat liver and kidney.

Metallothionein (MT) in the livers and kidneys of rats that died after repeated injections of cadmium (Cd) was selectively oxidized to dimers of MT with time after death. In vitro experiments suggest that the dimer formation is facilitated in heavily Cd-accumulated tissues by oxygen and temperature when cell damage occurs.