Interaction of cadmium and oestradiol-17 beta on metallothionein and vitellogenin synthesis in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss).

The induction of metallothionein and vitellogenin synthesis in rainbow trout liver was studied after injection of oestradiol-17 beta alone or in combination with cadmium or zinc. Intraperitoneal injection of oestradiol-17 beta increased the liver somatic index, with subsequent induction of vitellogenin synthesis. Oestradiol-17 beta did not induce metallothionein synthesis. Injection of cadmium induced the synthesis of metallothionein mRNA and metallothionein. Injection of oestradiol-17 beta in combination with cadmium resulted in inhibition of transcription and translation of both vitellogenin and metallothionein. Chromatography of liver cytosols revealed that cadmium, when co-injected with oestradiol-17 beta, did not bind to metallothionein but would initially bind to high-molecular-mass (HMr) cytosolic proteins. In fish injected with cadmium in combination with oestradiol-17 beta, cadmium was gradually redistributed from HMr proteins to metallothionein. This resulted in induction of metallothionein synthesis and in binding of most of the cadmium to metallothionein. Induction of vitellogenin mRNA was observed 15 days after injection, as cadmium was being redistributed to newly synthesized metallothionein. These findings indicate that cadmium inhibits the transcription of vitellogenin. The binding of cadmium to these non-metallothionein proteins represses the induction of metallothionein and results in increased toxicity of the metal. Preinduction of metallothionein by zinc injections resulted in decreased cadmium sensitivity of the fish and a decrease in the repression of vitellogenin mRNA. Furthermore, a role for metallothionein in the detoxification of cadmium is indicated by the induction of vitellogenin synthesis that occurs once metallothionein has begun sequestering cadmium.