Comparative induction of hepatic zinc-thionein and increase in tissue calcium by bacterial endotoxin in endotoxin-sensitive (C3H/HeN) and endotoxin-resistant (C3H/HeJ) mice.

Induction of zinc-thionein (Zn-Th) by endotoxin was studied in mice using an endotoxin-sensitive C3H/HeN strain and an endotoxin-resistant C3H/HeJ strain to find a relation between the sensitivity of these strains to endotoxin and the inducibility of hepatic Zn-Th by the endotoxin. Both strains of female mice were injected with endotoxin at two doses and the increase in hepatic Zn-Th levels was examined after 24 h. At the lower dose (0.25 mg/kg body weight), C3H/HeJ mice induced Zn-Th at a markedly lower level than C3H/HeN mice. However, both strains exhibited a comparable amount of Zn-Th when a higher dose (10 mg/kg body weight) of endotoxin was used. A parallel increase in hepatic calcium concentration was observed with the induction of hepatic Zn-Th in both strains. The injection of a spleen supernatant fraction from C3H/HeJ mice into C3H/HeN mice did not reduce the Zn-Th induction by endotoxin in C3H/HeN mice.