Metal components analysis of metallothionein-III in the brain sections of metallothionein-I and metallothionein-II null mice exposed to mercury vapor with HPLC/ICP-MS

The influences of the lack of metallothionein (MT)-I and MT-II on mercury accumulation in the brain and the changes of zinc and copper concentrations and metal components of MTs were examined after mercury vapor exposure by using MT-I, II null mice and 129/Sv mice as experimental animals. Metal components of metal-binding proteins of soluble fractions in the brain sections were analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) connected with inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). The Hg levels of MT-I, II null mice in each brain section were significantly higher than those of wild-type mice after mercury vapor exposure. It was suggested that MT-III is associated with the storage of mercury in conditions lacking MT-I and MT-II.