AN ACUTE-PHASE RESPONSE DOES NOT ELEVATE RAT-HEART METALLOTHIONEIN LEVELS, NOR INHIBIT ADRIAMYCIN TOXICITY

An acute phase response, a group of adaptations to some types of stres s, blocks injury in rodents due to hepatotoxins and agents generating arthritis-like inflammation. In contrast, this study found no protecti on against adriamycin-induced acute cardiotoxicity in rats. The acute phase response was initiated by turpentine-stimulated leg inflammation . Injury was assessed by survival, macroscopic signs of injury, and he art lipid peroxidation. Acute phase response produced the expected ris es in the stress-responsive proteins: serum ceruloplasmin and liver me tallothionein. However, cardiac metallothionein was unaffected. These results suggest that an acute phase response will not necessarily prot ect tissues where levels of stress-induced proteins are not raised.