Invitro Studies on the Mechanism of Cellular Interactions of Some Trace Metals

Abstract

Gel filtration chromatography with ⁶⁵Zn labelling of the soluble cytoplasm from rat duodenum mucosa were used to investigate the intracellular events between zinc and copper as well as zinc and iron. Copper taken up by the duodenum mucosal tissue at the same time with ⁶⁵Zn prevented maximum ⁶⁵Zn binding to mucosal cytosolic proteins of molecular weight range of 9,000 – 4,000 Daltons. The displaced ⁶⁵Zn appeared to bind to proteins of molecular weight 80,000 – 60,000 Daltons. Similarly, iron taken up by duodenal mucosal tissue simultaneously with ⁶⁵Zn tended to displace newly taken up ⁶⁵Zn from proteins of molecular weight ranges of 80,000 – 60,000 and 9,000 – 4,000 Daltons. The displaced ⁶⁵Zn appeared to bind mainly to cellular components of molecular weight 60,000 – 10,000 Daltons. The mechanism of interactions between zinc and other trace elements such as copper and iron is partly due to their binding to common intracellular proteins within the cytoplasm of the mucosa cells of the intestine.

KEY WORDS: Interaction, zinc, copper, iron, duodenum.

Nigerian Journal of Health and Biomedical Sciences Vol.4(1) 2005: 25-29