Dietary β- and γ-Cyclodextrins Stimulation of Hepatic Metallothionein Gene Expression in Rats

Abstract

  This study investigated whether hepatic metallothionein gene expression is affected by dietary cyclodextrins. Young male Wistar rats were fed a basal diet or cyclodextrin-supplemented (50 g of cyclodextrin per kg diet) diets for 7 d. Copper content in the liver did not show any significant changes among rats fed the basal, β- and γ-cyclodextrin diets. There were no differences in liver or serum zinc among groups. Copper content in serum was markedly decreased in rats fed the γ-cyclodextrin-supplemented diet. Liver metallothionein mRNA levels were significantly elevated in both β- and γ-cyclodextrins-fed rats, but not in α-cyclodextrin-fed rats. Thus, the increase in hepatic metallothionein mRNA levels might be due to this mechanism except for the contents of copper and zinc in the liver.