Changes in metallothionein mRNA and protein after sublethal exposure to arsenite and cadmium chloride in juvenile winter flounder

摘要

Juvenile winter flounder (Pleuronectes americanus) form a Long Island Sound site within the Niantic River region contain elevated levels of liver As and Cd. Previous work in mammals suggests that a reduced species of As, NaAs~3+, is as potent a metallothionein (MT) inducer as CdCl_2. We investigated whether this is also the case in winter flounder by subcutaneously exposing juveniles to a sublethal range of NaAs~3+ (0, 0.38, 0.75, and 1.5 μmol/g fish) or CdCl_2 (0, 0.045, 0.09, and 0.18μmol/g fish).