Adverse effect of cadmium on binding of transcription factor Sp1 to the GC-rich regions of the mouse sodium-glucose cotransporter 1, SGLT1, promoter

Exposure of the kidney to cadmium can cause glucosuria. Effect of cadmium on sodium-glucose cotransporter 1, (SGLT1) mRNA molecules in cultured mouse kidney cortical cells was determined by quantitative competitive RT-PCR. SGLT1 mRNA molecules decreased from 58 × 104 μg−1 total RNA in untreated cells to 29 × 104 μg−1 total RNA in cells exposed to 5 μM cadmium. Increasing cadmium to 7.5 and 10 μM, reduced mRNA molecules to 21 × 104 and 12 × 104 μg−1 total RNA, respectively. The half-life of SGLT1 mRNA in control and in cells exposed to 7.5 μM cadmium were almost the same and calculated to be 9.1 h (S.E. ± 2.7) for the former and 8.5 h (S.E. ± 2.2) for the latter. We also analyzed mouse SGLT1 promoter sequences and identified two conserved Sp1 binding sites. The Sp1 binding sequences were used as probes in electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA) with nuclear proteins from cultured cells. Intensity of complexes of the 5′ and the 3′ Sp1 probes with nuclear Sp1 from cells treated with 7.5 μM cadmium were 84% (S.E. ± 4) and 61% (S.E. ± 14) of controls, respectively. Cadmium had no effect on expression of Sp1 mRNA or protein level. Cadmium-induced inhibition of glucose uptake in kidney may be the result of transcriptional down-regulation of SGLT1 mediated through modification of Sp1 binding to its promoter.