A kinetic study of the in vivo incorporation of 65Zn into the rat hippocampus

Previous autoradiographical studies utilizing 65Zn demonstrated an apparent concentration of 65Zn in the mossy fiber boutons of the hippocampus. To examine the speciation of the 65Zn pool found in this neuronal pathway, we investigated the in vivo incorporation of systemic 65Zn into rat hippocampus compared with other brain regions. We were especially interested in kinetically assessing the zinc associated with three previously identified cytosolic zinc-binding species found in the hippocampus. The hypothesis that two of these cytosolic zinc-binding species, a metallothionein-like protein and a putative zinc-glutathione complex, may be responsible for the sequestration of zinc in the hippocampus was tested. It was confirmed that the t 1/2 of hippocampal zinc is longer than other brain regions that were studied. Furthermore, we observed that 65Zn is incorporated into three cytosolic zinc-binding species in the hippocampus as resolved using Ultrogel AcA 34 gel permeation chromatography. One of these species, the putative zinc-glutathione complex, accumulates zinc more slowly than the other species. The data suggest that the putative zinc-glutathione complex may represent an important 65Zn pool in the hippocampus. This finding is in accordance with out hypothesis that a zinc-binding species, specifically, the putative zinc-glutathione complex, may be responsible for the sequestration of zinc in the hippocampal mossy boutons