Metallothionein as a Negative Regulator of Pulmonary Inflammation.

Metallothionein as a Negative Regulator of Pulmonary Inflammation. Curr Pharm Biotechnol. 2013 Apr 11; Authors: Inoue KI, Takano H Abstract The integration of knowledge concerning the regulation of metallothionein (MT) with research on its proposedfunctions is necessary to clarify how MT affects cellular processes. MT expression is induced/enhanced in various tissuesby a number of physiological mediators through several response elements in the MT gene promoter. The cellular accumulationof MT depends on the availability of cellular zinc derived from the diet. MT modulates: 1) the binding and exchange/transport of heavy metals such as zinc, cadmium, or copper under physiological conditions and cytoprotectionfrom their toxicities, and 2) the release of gaseous mediators such as hydroxyl radicals or nitric oxide. In addition, MT reportedlyaffects a number of cellular processes, such as gene expression, apoptosis, proliferation, and differentiation.Given the genetic approach, the apparently healthy status of MT-deficient mice argues against an essential biological role for MT; however, the molecule may be critical in cells/tissues/organs in times of stress, since MT expression is also evoked/enhanced by various stresses. In particular, because metallothionein (MT) is induced by inflammatory stress, its roles in inflammation are implied. Also, MT expression in the lung can be enhanced by inflammatory stimuli, suggesting that its expression correlat...
Source: Current Pharmaceutical Biotechnology - Category: Biotechnology Authors: Tags: Curr Pharm Biotechnol Source Type: research