The intracellular distribution of cobalt in exposed and unexposed rat myocardium

Scand J Clin Lab Invest. 1990 Oct;50(6):605-9. doi: 10.3109/00365519009089177.

Abstract

The intracellular distribution of cobalt was analysed in the myocardium of exposed and unexposed rats. The exposed rats were given a dietary cobalt supplementation of 40 mg CoSO4.7 H2O/kg body weight for 8 weeks. The mitochondrial fraction showed the greatest relative increase in cobalt: 0.09 ng/mg protein in the unexposed rats to 8.43 ng/mg protein in the exposed rats. In the exposed rats the submitochondrial particles had the highest levels of cobalt: 19.43 ng/mg protein, followed by the sarcoplasmatic reticulum: 12.3 ng/mg protein. The microsomal 44,000 g supernatant also showed an increase, although the levels remained low (0.51 ng/mg protein in the exposed animals). Apparently the calcium-storing organelles had the highest levels of cobalt. This could affect calcium flux in myocardial cells and, secondarily, tension development in cardiac muscle.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Cobalt / pharmacokinetics*
  • Diet
  • Heart / drug effects
  • In Vitro Techniques
  • Male
  • Microsomes / metabolism
  • Mitochondria, Heart / metabolism
  • Myocardial Contraction / drug effects
  • Myocardium / metabolism*
  • Proteins / metabolism
  • Rats
  • Rats, Inbred Strains
  • Sarcoplasmic Reticulum / metabolism
  • Subcellular Fractions / metabolism

Substances

  • Proteins
  • Cobalt