Characterization of cadmium‐binding proteins detected in rat liver by the western blotting technique

Abstract
Out of the three cadmium‐binding proteins (CD‐BPs) in rat liver parenchyma (40K, 29K, and 24K CdBPs), the 40K Cd‐BP showed the highest affinity for cadmium (Cd), with a dissociation constant (KD) of 1.2 × 10−8M. This is in between the affinity of human serum albumin KD = 3.8 × 10−5M) and metallothionein (KD = < 10−11). These Cd‐BPs may be responsible for hepatic sequestration of cadmium.