Biliary copper excretion in the neonatal rat: Role of glutathione and metallothionein

摘要: Metallothionein (MT) and glutathione (GSH) have been implicated as two major copper-binding agents involved in the hepatobiliary copper metabolism adult rat. This study was designed to explore their potential role facilitating export from copper-laden hepatocyte of newborn Biliary hepatic copper, GSH, immunoreactive MT-I concentrations were measured Sprague-Dawley rats at 1, 2, 3, 4, 8 weeks age. Bile collected by duct cannulation for 90 minutes before killed. Liver removed, weighed, freeze-dried. The bile flow rate (BFR) doubled liver weight increased 14-fold during maturation. Hepatic biliary significantly higher suckling than weanling. total output per 24 hours low 1 week MT-I-bound represented a maximum only 3.4% 0.5% weeks. GSH not detected until 2 then 15-fold weeks, while levels remained unchanged. Therefore, did correlate with high concentration although there close correlation between daily excretion beyond. We conclude that net day is relatively first life independent MT secretion. It increases once available bile.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)