Significance of overexpression of metallothionein in mouse urinary bladder focal lesions induced by treatment with N-butyl-N-(4-hydroxybutyl)-nitrosamine.

摘要: Metallothionein (MT) is expressed in various types of human tumors, including transitional cell carcinomas the urinary bladder, but its biological significance remains unclear. In present study, role MT bladder carcinogenesis induced by N-butyl-N-(4-hydroxybutyl)nitrosamine (BBN) treatment was investigated using C57BL/6 mice. One hundred 5-week-old male mice were divided into two groups, which given drinking water with or without 0.05% BBN throughout experimental period. Subgroups ten animals from each group sacrificed at weeks 5, 10, 15, 20 and 25, samples examined immunohistochemically for MT, proliferating nuclear antigen (PCNA) apoptosis. found to be abundant normal-looking mucosa, decreased progression precancerous lesions invasive carcinoma obtained BBN-treated Lesions could MT-positive negative. There a tendency greater expression PCNA-positive lesions, while apoptosis rather associated MT-negativity. These data suggest that overexpression may play mouse carcinogenesis.