Inhibition of L-threonine intestinal absorption in rabbits by cadmium

Divalent metal inhibition of non-haem iron uptake across the rat duodenal brush border membrane

Duodenal Fe2+ uptake is essential to body Fe2+ homeostasis, but the interaction of metals with the uptake process remains unclear. The present study compared the effects of four essential trace metals (Mn2+, Zn2+, Co2+ and Ni2+) with two toxic metals (Pb2+ and Cd2+) on Fe2+ uptake across the brush border membrane of villus-attached duodenal enterocytes. Everted rat duodenum was exposed to buffer containing 0·2 mM-59FE2+–ASCORBATE WITH OR WITHOUT THE COMPETING METAL (2 Mm) and the tissue was then processed for autoradiography allowing Fe2+ uptake to be determined at specific crypt–villus regions. The quantification method ensured that uptake by cells, rather than Fe2+ binding to the tissue surface, was measured. Fe2+ uptake was significantly inhibited by Cd2+ in upper villus enterocytes only and Pb2+ was without effect on Fe2+ uptake. The inhibition by Cd2+ was not due to general cell damage as judged by the release of lactate dehydrogenase from tissue into incubation fluid. Essential divalent trace metals reduced uptake significantly along the whole length of the crypt–villus axis. Cd2+ uptake, measured separately, took place at all regions of the villus–crypt axis, highest uptake being into crypt enterocytes. The very different uptake profiles for Cd2+ and Fe2+ suggests that the divalent metal transporter 1 is not the principal transporter of Cd2+. The addition of Fe2+ to incubation buffer inhibited Cd2+ uptake by both crypt and villus enterocytes. The possibility that the inhibitory actions of Fe2+ and Cd2+ on the uptakes of Cd2+ and Fe2+ respectively can be explained by a non-competitive action or the involvement of an additional metal transporter is discussed.

The adaptation of mussels Crenomytilus grayanus to cadmium accumulation result in alterations in organization of microsomal enzyme-membrane complex (non-specific phosphatase)

The kinetic parameters (V(m), K(m) and slope) of membrane-bound microsomal non-specific phosphatase (NPase, with G6P as the substrate) from the digestive gland of unexposed and cadmium adapted (45 days for 100 µg Cd(2+)/l) mussels were investigated. In vivo and in vitro approaches were used. Adaptation of mussels (Crenomytilus grayanus) to cadmium resulted in a 1.6-fold increase in NPase activity. V(m) was increased by 1.6-fold, but K(m) was the same in terms of enzyme kinetics. This indicates that the total concentration of the enzymes in the digestive gland increased. Cd(2+) (1 mM) did not significantly alter the activity of the membrane-bound enzyme in vitro both for unexposed and for cadmium adapted mussels, meaning that cadmium ions are not a direct inhibitor of the membrane-bound enzyme in this concentration. The microsomal NPase activity in both unexposed and cadmium adapted mussels was inhibited by in vitro solubilization of microsomes with non-ionic detergent (Triton X100, 0.01%). This inhibition was uncompetitive for microsomes of unexposed mussels (K(m) decreased 3.1-fold). The most drastic events were observed in cadmium adapted mussels, where inhibition was mixed (K(m) decreased 7.2-fold). The simultaneous actions of detergent and cadmium ions did not alter NPase activity significantly in comparison with action of the detergent alone. The differences in the types and the extents of inhibition of the enzymes activity by membrane disordering agent (Triton X100) indicated that the enzyme-membrane complex (NPase) has been altered as a result of adaptation of mussels to cadmium accumulation. We conclude that the mussels produced a new enzyme-membrane complex, with the same K(m) as the previous complex, but with other detergent sensitivity and greater amounts. Thus, the adaptation capacity of this enzyme is reduced as result of adaptation of mussels to cadmium accumulation.