Activation Of The Rainbow Trout Metallothionein-A Promoter By Silver And Zinc
In this animal study published in the journal Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology in January 2003, researchers tested the long-standing hypothesis that silver only indirectly promotes metallothionein production in the body by displacing zinc from its metallothionein bond. The liberated zinc would then go on to trigger additional metallothionein production, according to the theory being tested.
Instead, the researchers found that silver itself is a direct promoter of metallothionein production, without needing to displace zinc from pre-existing zinc/metallothionein bonds. What’s more, the researchers discovered that silver promoted metallothionein production at levels 100-fold lower than those required for zinc to initiate the same process. This may demonstrate that the body’s metallothionein transport system has a stronger affinity for silver than it does for zinc. The study also demonstrates that silver intake and metallothionein production and transport are directly linked, much as the intake of zinc, copper, selenium and other physiologically important minerals have already likewise been linked.
