Isolation of a biologically active low-molecular-mass chromium compound from rabbit liver.

A low-molecular-mass chromium-binding substance (LMCr), which is recognized as a detoxification ligand of chromium, was isolated from the livers of rabbits injected intravenously with K2Cr2O7 (200 mumol Cr/kg body wt) as a biologically active form. LMCr appears as an anionic, organic Cr compound with a relative molecular mass of 1500. It is composed of glutamic acid or glutamine, glycine, cysteine and aspartic acid or asparagine with a Cr/amino-terminal residue ratio of 4:1. The purified LMCr (10-300 ng Cr/ml) shows in vitro activities comparable to those of glucose tolerance factor in relation to insulin action. In the presence of insulin it enhances [U-14C]glucose conversion to 14CO (23-30% up) in rat epididymal adipocytes above the value obtained with insulin alone. LMCr also stimulates the rate of [3-3H]glucose incorporation into lipid by 30-40% with insulin or by 15-23% without insulin, as compared with the basic value obtained with insulin alone or without insulin. These findings suggest that LMCr plays essential roles in both glucose metabolism and detoxification of invaded Cr in the body.