Pykhtieieva E. Metallothionein in Toxicology of Heavy Metals

The role of Metallothionein (MT) has been proved into the pathogenesis of the metal-toxicosis and microelementoses. The close interrelation between the levels of MT in the biosubstrates and concentrations Zn, Cd, Hg has been discovered during the clinical and physiological researches. The indicators of the content of MT into the biosubstrates have been refined under the normal conditions and in pathology that allows to use this indicator as a sensitive biomarker of metal-toxicosis or Zinc deficiency. Has been proved, that MT performs besides metal transport, also the antioxidant, regulatory, detoxicating, modelling functions due to the existence of Metallothionein system, which includes the completely metalized or partly metalized MT and apo-thionein, partially oxidized and restored MT. Previous induction of MT enhance survival of animals under the effect of high doses of heavy metals and the exposition of toxic combustion products of PVC. In the researches in vitro has shown that the expression of genes MT in the tissue culture is very fast: during the first hour after the Zn2+ penetration into the culture medium the expression of genes МТ-1а and МТ-2 is 3-5-fold increased, that has expressed cytoprotective role by the next administration toxic heavy metals.