Transfection and overexpression of metallothionein-I in neonatal rat primary astrocyte cultures and in astrocytoma cells increases their resistance to methylmercury-induced cytotoxicity

Metallothionein-I (MT-I) was expressed in neonatal rat primary astrocyte cu ltures and an astrocytoma cell line by pGFAP-MT-I plasmid transfection unde r the control of the astrocyte-specific glial fibrillary acidic protein (GF AP) promoter. Following transient transfection of the pGFAP-MT-I plasmid, M T-I mRNA and MT-I protein levels were determined by northern blot and immun oprecipitation analyses, respectively. The ability of cells over-expressing MT-I to withstand acute methylmercury (MeHg) treatment was measured by the release of preloaded (Na2CrO4)-Cr-51, an indicator of membrane integrity. Transfection with the pGFAP-MT-I plasmid led to increased mRNA (2.5-fold in astrocytes and 7.4-fold in astrocytomas) and MT-I protein (2.4-fold in ast rocytes and 4.0-fold in astrocytomas) levels compared with their respective controls. Increased expression of MT-I was associated with attenuated rele ase of (Na2CrO4)-Cr-51 upon MeHg (5 mu M) treatment. These results demonstr ate that MT-I can be highly expressed both in primary astrocyte cultures an d astrocytomas by pGFAP-MT-I plasmid transfection, and lend credence to the hypothesis that increased expression of MT-I affords protection against th e cytotoxic effects of MeHg. Taken together, the data suggest that MT offer effective cellular adaptation to MeHg cytotoxicity. (C) 1999 Elsevier Scie nce B.V. All rights reserved.