Elements In Blood Serum Research Articles

Determination of Serum Trace Elements and Oxidative Stress in Bitches with Transmissible Venereal Tumor

Background: This study was conducted to compare the changes in oxidative stress levels with some trace elements in blood serum in healthy bitches and bitches with transmissible venereal tumor (TVT). Methods: A total of 40 bitches were used in the study. According to the genital organ examinations, healthy bitches constituted the control group (n=20) and those with venereal tumors constituted the TVT group (n=20). Total oxidant status (TOS), total antioxidant status (TAS) and oxidative stress index (OSI) were determined spectrophotometrically. In addition, some serum trace element levels such as magnesium (Mg), manganese (Mn), iron (Fe), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn) and selenium (Se) were measured using an ICP-MS analysis device. Result: The serum Se, Mg and Zn levels were lower in the TVT group compared to the control group (p less than 0.01) and serum Fe and Cu levels were higher in the TVT group than in the control group (p less than 0.01). Serum TOS and OSI levels were higher (p less than 0.001) and serum TAS levels were lower (p less than 0.001) in the TVT group compared to the control group. The study results showed that oxidative stress is high in bitches with TVT, and in parallel with this, changes occur in the amount of certain trace elements that are associated with oxidative stress.

Serum levels of chemical elements and carious lesions in children after antitumor therapy

Aim. To study serum concentrations of trace and macro elements and their correlations in children and adolescents after antitumor therapy, depending on the presence or absence of caries.Materials and methods. The study included 98 patients aged 4 to 17 years who were in remission after an antitumor therapy performed for acute leukemia or lymphomas. Patients with carious tooth lesions were included in group 1 (n = 34) and without caries – in group 2 (n = 64). We used inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry to calculate the content of essential, conditionally essential and toxic elements in blood serum. The median and interquartile range were calculated, the Mann-Whitney U-test was applied to compare groups, and the Kendall rank correlation coefficient (τ) was calculated for tandem elements.Results. In both groups, the concentrations of the studied elements were within the reference ranges. In group 1, compared with group 2, higher concentrations of potassium, arsenic, iodine and boron and lower concentrations of lithium and tungsten (p < 0.05) were noted. There were no differences in the concentration of phosphorus, calcium, magnesium, manganese, gold, silver, platinum, aluminum, beryllium, bismuth, cadmium, cobalt, chromium, copper, iron, mercury, lithium, molybdenum, nickel, rubidium, antimony, tin, vanadium, zinc, zirconium and thallium between the groups. Significant correlation coefficients in both groups were obtained for the iron/manganese tandem (τ = 0.24, p < 0.05). Different values of τ were got for nickel/ manganese, cobalt/iron, manganese/phosphorus, beryllium/lithium tandems: τ = 0.342 and τ = 0.14; τ = 0.363 and τ = 0.033; τ = –0.111 and τ = –0.326; τ = –0.365 and τ = 0.42, respectively, for groups 1 and 2.Conclusion. In patients in remission after antitumor therapy, an association of caries with an increase (within reference values) in the concentration of essential (potassium, iodine) and conditionally essential elements (arsenic, boron), a decrease in the concentration of lithium and tungsten; as well as a change in the ratio of nickel/manganese, cobalt/iron, manganese/ phosphorus and change the direction of the correlation in the beryllium/lithium tandem was revealed.

Correlation of hyperinsulinemia with diseases of the gastrointestinal tract and the level of electrolytes in blood serum

The aim of our research is to determine the correlation of insulin resistance with diseases of the gastrointestinal tract and the level of trace elements in blood serum. Metods: The study cohort included a total of 413 patients aged 20–75 years (mean age 37.3 ± 11.4 years) referred to the National Institute of Endocrinology from 2017 to 2019The cohort included 120 men and 293 women . A retrospective selection of the study population was made based on patient history, where hyperinsulinemia was diagnosed. We considered fasting hyperinsulinemia in blood serum as compensatory hyperinsulinemia during insulin resistance. On the basis of which, we included individuals with hyperinsulinemia in the study group of insulin resistance, while the control group consisted of 161 subjects with normoinsulinemia.

Determination of Cr, Se, Ge, and V in Hypothyroidism Patients by Using Graphite Furnace Atomic Absorption Spectrometry and mixture matrix modification

A simple, accurate and rapid method was developed for routine determination of trace elements in blood serum. The method based on the direct determination for Cr, Se, Ge, and V in hypothyroidism patients before therapy. By using atomic absorption spectrometry with graphite surface coated and uncoated pyrolysis GF-AAS, and a mixture of palladium nitrate and magnesium nitrate as the matrix modifier, with deuterium background correction and no sample pretreatment except dilution was necessary. This permitted direct determination hence the risk of sample contamination was reduced. Further, the use of graphite surface-coated GF-AAS decreased the ashing and atomization temperatures of Cr, Ge, and V to values that were lesser than the corresponding values obtained using uncoated pyrolysis GF-AAS, by 100°C; in case of Se, the atomization temperature decreased to a value that was 200°C lesser than that obtained using uncoated pyrolysis GF-AAS.
 A mixture of (3µL) palladium nitrate, and (2µL) magnesium nitrate was successfully applied to improve the sensitivity, reproducibility, recovery, limit of detection and the accuracy of the measurements. The correlation coefficients of the calibration curves of Cr, Se, Ge, and V were found to be (0.9999, 0.9999, 0.9995 and 0.9999) respectively, the relative standard deviation of the measurements for Cr, Se, Ge and V were (0.027, 0.075, 0.054 and 0.068) respectively. The statistical analysis of the acquired data showed acceptable accuracy. The analyses thus performed indicated that the levels of serum trace elements Cr, Se, Ge, and V in hypothyroidism patients were lower than those in the control group.

Antioxidant system of the body of young Ukrainian beef cattle under the action of microelements

Active forms of oxygen are formed in the course of the organism's vital activity in biochemical reactions. These forms, when the pro/antioxidant balance is disturbed, trigger a cascade of lipid peroxidation, which can be the cause of the development of various pathological conditions. To prevent the negative influence of lipid peroxidation products in the body, a powerful antioxidant system is activated. This system consists of an enzymatic and a non-enzymatic link. An important aspect of the normal functioning of this system is the provision of the body with important trace elements. A number of minerals are included in the active center of antioxidant enzymes or have an effect on the reactions of non-enzymatic antioxidants. Research was conducted on fattening bulls of the Ukrainian meat breed. During the monitoring of microelements in feed, it was found that the vast majority of farm feed was deficient in copper, selenium and manganese and for this reason the animals consumed an insufficient amount of these minerals. These data were confirmed by the low content of these trace elements in blood serum. The addition of inorganic salts of microelements to the basic diet led to an increase in the concentration of copper, manganese and selenium in the blood serum by 20.5%, 37.3% and 23.9%. The study of the content of lipid peroxidation products showed that during the 30 days of the experiment, the level of lipid hydroperoxide increased by 25.5%, diene conjugates by 22.8%, and malonic dialdehyde by 22.0%. This indicates that against the background of increased age-related metabolism in the body of young animals, the oxidation-reduction reactions that are a predictor of the start of peroxidation processes increase. It was also noted that with a deficiency of certain trace elements, the activity of both the enzymatic and non-enzymatic links of the antioxidant system was reduced. Thus, in 30 days, the level of catalase, superoxide dismutase, and glutathione peroxidase decreased by 9.4%, 15.3%, and 13.0%, respectively. During this time, the content of tocopherol and ceruloplasmin decreased by 16.8% and 9.8%. Additives also had a positive effect on the activity of the antioxidant system by increasing its components. Additives of trace elements had different effects on the activity of antioxidant enzymes. The greatest effect on the level of catalase and superoxide dismutase was observed when copper salts were added, when the increase of these enzymes was noted by 1.11 and 1.23 times, respectively. Accordingly, the level of glutathione peroxidase was the highest in animals that received additional selenium – 1.21 times. The addition of copper also had the greatest biological effect on the important non-enzymatic component of antioxidant protection – ceruloplasmin. Its level increased by 1.24 times under the action of copper sulfate. The level of tocopherol was higher under the action of manganese, when its concentration was 1.11 times higher than the control. Against this background, there was a decrease in the products of lipid peroxidation: lipid hydroperoxides – 1.19 times under the action of selenium; diene conjugates – by 1.22 times and malonіс dialdehyde – by 1.11 times under the influence of copper and manganese compounds, respectively.

Quantitative analysis of minor and trace elements in blood serum of dairy cattle (Bos taurus) by WDXRF


 
 
 
 Assessment of heavy metal content in biological fluids is essential to determine human and animal health as a result of exposure to contaminated environments, food, and water. WDXRF is a non-destructive method that involves no chemical treatments. It is possible to perform fast chemical analysis without producing hazardous waste and uses a small sample volume (± 50 mL), which is useful to veterinary usage. Therefore, the aim of this work was to implement an alternative method for minor and trace elements in blood serum samples of dairy cattle (Bos taurus) using WDXRF. It was implemented for the determination of Al, Cr, Co, Fe, Cu, As, and Hg, and the method was evaluated by comparing WDXRF and ICP-OES results of a set of 14 blood serum samples of dairy cattle using principal component analysis (PCA). Results of WDXRF and ICP-OES were statistically equivalent to all analyzed elements, except for Fe and Al, which were still comparable. WDXRF proved to be a suitable alternative methodology for heavy metal detection in animal blood serum samples due to the low sample volume. The results of this study enable a new and fast method for veterinary internal medicine, which requires a technique that quickly detects animals with a high concentration of toxic elements to assure the correct protocols to prevent the animal's death.
 
 
 

Electrolyte Analysis in Blood Serum by Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy Using a Portable Laser.

The fast and reliable analysis of electrolytes such as K, Na, Ca in human blood serum has become an indispensable tool for diagnosing and preventing diseases. Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) has been demonstrated as a powerful analytical technique on elements. To apply LIBS to the quantitative analysis of electrolyte elements in real time, a self-developed portable laser was used to measure blood serum samples supported by glass slides and filter paper in this work. The partial least squares regression (PLSR) method was employed for predicting the concentrations of K, Na, Ca from serum LIBS spectra. Great prediction accuracies with excellent linearity were obtained for the serum samples, both on glass slides and filter paper. For blood serum on glass slides, the prediction accuracies for K, Na, Ca were 1.45%, 0.61% and 3.80%. Moreover, for blood serum on filter paper, the corresponding prediction accuracies were 7.47%, 1.56% and 0.52%. The results show that LIBS using a portable laser with the assistance of PLSR can be used for accurate quantitative analysis of elements in blood serum in real time. This work reveals that the handheld LIBS instruments will be an excellent tool for real-time clinical practice.

PSXI-17 Evaluation of Influence of the Total Accumulation of Toxic Elements in Blood Serum on the Indicators of Milk Productivity of the Holstein Cows

Abstract The main objective was to study the milk productivity of lactating cows depending on the level of total accumulation of toxic metals in the blood serum. The experimental part of work was carried out on clinically healthy Holstein cows (n=45; lactation stage - 20-40 days after calving) bred in a single farm. The elemental composition of blood serum was studied for 4 chemical elements (Al, Pb, Sn, Sr) by ICP AES and ICP MS. The indicators of milk productivity of cows were evaluated by the yield of milk fat, protein, lactose, dry matter, SOMO and the average daily milk yield. To assess the magnitude of the toxic load on the body of cows, the coefficient of the total toxic load Ktox (µg/ml) was calculated. To calculate the coefficient, the sum of the concentrations of some toxic elements in the blood serum was used: Ktox=Al+Pb+Sn+Sr. Based on the data on the value of the total toxic load coefficient Ktox in blood serum, three groups were formed: group I included cows with a minimum value of the toxic load coefficient (Ktox=0.128 (0.088-0.142) μg/ml relative to the study sample; group II with an average (Ktox=0.229 (0.206-0.276) µg/ml; Group III included cows with the maximum coefficient (Ktox=0.395 (0.306-0.453) µg/ml. Comparative analysis showed that cows with the minimum Ktox value (group I) outperformed individuals from I and group II in terms of milk fat yield by 15.4 (P£0.001) and 19.7% (P£0.001), protein by 5.6 and 12.5% (P£0.05), lactose -10.9 (P£0.01) and 18.4% (P£0.001), dry matter by -7.6 and 12.8% (P£0.05) and average daily milk yield by 9.4 and 17.5% (P£0.01), respectively. Thus, in the course of the study, it was registered that with an increase in the total accumulation of heavy metals in the body of animals, the milk productivity of cows decreases.

PSXV-6 Influence of GDF5 Gene Polymorphism on the Concentration of Essential and Toxic Elements in Blood Serum and Milk Productivity of the Holstein Cows

Abstract The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of GDF5 (growth differentiation factor 5) gene polymorphism on metabolism of chemical elements and milk production of cows. The studies were performed on Holstein cows (n=100). To determine the single nucleotide polymorphism of GDF5 (T586C in exon 1), blood samples were taken. DNA samples were isolated from whole blood using the IsoGeneLab reagent kit. The thermal cycler "MyCycler" was used for DNA amplification. The elemental composition of blood serum was estimated according to 13 chemical elements (Al, As, Pb, Sn, Sr, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, I, Mn, Se, Zn) by ICP AES and ICP MS. The frequency of occurrence of polymorphic groups in the GDF5 gene was established, which was for homozygous alleles: TT (n=41), CC (n=10), heterozygous (TS)–(n=49). The analysis of the data obtained showed that blood serum of cows with the CC genotype, relative to animals with the TT and TC genotypes had a greater concentration of I - by 19.3 (P£0.001) and 10.4% (P£0.01), Se - by 18.3 (Р£0.001) and 11.7% (Р£0.01), Zn – by 15.8 (Р£0.01) and 13.2% (Р£0.01), while relatively low concentrations of Al were registered - by 10.8 (Р£0.001) and 21.2% (Р£0.01), Pb - by 16.4 (Р£0.01) and 23.7% (Р£0.001) respectively. In terms of milk fat yield (kg/day), animals with CC genotype advanced over animals with the TT and TC genotypes by 4.8 (P£0.05) and 5.2% (P£0.01), protein by 1.2 and 1.4% (Р£0.05), milk yield - by 4.8 (Р£0.05) and 5.3% (Р£0.01). Thus, we can conclude that the metabolism of chemical elements and the milk productivity of cows are significantly determined by the polymorphism of the GDF5 gene. In order to select cows of the Holstein breed according to the GDF5 gene polymorphism, it is advisable to select homozygous animals for the CC genotype.

The Impact of Major and Trace Elements in Serum and Bone on Dual-Energy X-Ray Absorptiometry-Derived Hip Strength

The purpose of this study was to establish associations between both serum levels and bone content of a wide range of elements (Na, K, P, Ca, Mg, Zn, Cu, Cr, Mn, Fe, and Pb), with hip strength (HS) indices derived from dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA). The study population consisted of a number of male patients aged 56–77 years following hip replacement due to osteoarthritis of the hip. Bone specimens were taken from the femoral head and neck during arthroplasty. The elemental analyses were carried out using coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry. The following DXA-HS parameters were assessed: buckling ratio (BR), cross-sectional area (CSA) and its moment of inertia (CSMI), section modulus, and Femoral Strength Index (FSI). Age was positively correlated with Na, K, and Cu in the bone. Ca in the bone was positively associated with BR and negatively with SM and CSMI. Of all the DXA-HS parameters, the weakest associations of elements in the bone were found with FSI and the strongest with BR. Among the elements in the serum, the strongest negative associations were found for K, Cr, Mn, and Zn with CSA, while the majority of bone elements were associated either positively (Ca, P, Mg, Zn, and Cu) or negatively (Mn, Fe, Pb, and Cr) with BR. In conclusion, the interactions between individual elements in blood serum and bone with DXA-HS could not be unequivocally established.

Influence of the concentrations of essential and toxic elements in the blood serum on the indicators of sperm quality in Arabian purebred stallions

Analysis of trace elements in blood serum can be an important tool for monitoring micronutrient supply in stallions in order to maintain reproductive health. In this regard, the purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between the concentrations of macro- and microelements in the blood serum of stud stallions with the qualitative characteristics of fresh sperm and sperm after cryopreservation and thawing. The studies were carried out on purebred Arabian stallions (n=50). As a biomaterial for studies, we used blood serum, fresh and thawed sperm after cryopreservation. The elemental composition of seminal plasma was determined by 25 chemical elements Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, I, Mn, Se, Zn Ca, K, Mg, P, B, Li, Si, V Na, Ni, Sn, Hg, Sr, Al, As, Cd, Pb) by ICP-DRC-MS methods. It was found that the concentrations of Mg and Co in the blood serum positively correlate with the qualitative characteristics of the sperm of Arabian purebred stallions. Wherein, the optimal range of concentrations of Mg in the blood serum, typical for stallions with relatively high indicators of sperm quality, is 22.64 to 27.05 μg/g; Co – 0.001 to 0.0015 μg/g.

Comparative assessment of the informativeness of determining the content of chemical elements in blood serum, hair (wool), organs and tissues of experimental animals

Comparative assessment of the informativeness of determining the content of chemical elements in blood serum, hair (wool), organs and tissues of experimental animals

Repeatability of Human Intelligence Quotient and its Relationship with Some Trace Elements in Blood Serum

Repeatability of Human Intelligence Quotient and its Relationship with Some Trace Elements in Blood Serum

The clinical relevance of the microelements content in newborns after perinatal asphyxia

Research purpose. To identify the correlation between the clinical signs of neonatal adaptation in the dynamics and the content of trace elements in the serum of newborns of different gestational ages who underwent perinatal asphyxia (main group): 41 premature infants and 27 full-term children.Results. It was found that there was a direct significant correlation between the concentration of trace elements (Mg, Fe, Zn, Cu), gestational age and Apgar grades (5th minute) in n prematurely born babies during the period of acute adaptation (3-5 days). Reliable feedback was established between the clinical signs of posthypoxic damage to the central nervous system, suppression syndrome and the content of Fe, Mg and Zn, as well as a weakening of muscle tone and the content of Zn and Mg. In full-term babies, the correlation between the content of Fe, Zn, Mg in the blood serum and clinical indicators was expressed more clearly. In these children, a significant positive correlation was observed between the Ca content in the blood and the syndrome of neuro-reflex excitability.Conclusion. The determination of trace elements in blood serum in newborns in the dynamics of the neonatal period (3-5th and 21-28th days of life) makes it possible to predict the course and severity of hypoxic-ischemic damage to the Central nervous system.

Microelement composition of serum in Dolgans, indigenous inhabitants of the Russian Arctic, in the conditions of industrial development of territories

ABSTRACT The geochemical conditions of landscapes are the content in the environment of certain chemical elements and their compounds, the lack or excess of which causes deviations in the state of human health. This problem has arisen in connection with the extraction of alluvial diamonds and the forthcoming development of the Tomtor deposit of rare-earth metals in the territories where the indigenous peoples of the North live. The study included 107 indigenous people of the North, belonging to the ethnic group of Dolgans living in the village of Yuryung-Khaya, Anabar district, Yakutia of Russia. The method of mass spectrometry was used to study the content of 13 trace elements in blood serum (P, Sc, Ti, Cr, Mn, Fe, Ni, Cu, Zn, Rb, Sr, Cs, Pb). The study revealed an increase in the content of the macroelement phosphorus (148 mg/L) and trace elements of chromium (277 μg/L), manganese (133 μg/L), iron (5219 μg/L), nickel (57 μg/L) in serum of Dolgans, which may affect the development of diseases of the cardiovascular system and other diseases among indigenous inhabitants of the Arctic under conditions of industrial development of territories.

Relationship between concentrations of macro and trace elements in serum and follicular, oviductal, and uterine fluids of the dromedary camel (Camelus dromedarius).

This study aimed at investigating the relationship between concentrations of macro and trace elements in blood serum, and fluids from small and large follicles (SFF and LFF, respectively), oviduct (OF), and uterus (UF) of female dromedary camels. Fluids from small (2-6mm) and large follicles (7-20mm), oviduct and uterus, and blood samples were collected from 19 camels. The results indicated that the concentrations of serum Mg, Fe, and Mn were significantly higher than their follicular fluid, OF, and UF concentrations. Levels of Zn, Fe, Cu, Cr, and Mn were significantly higher in SFF than in LFF. Se and Mo concentrations were higher in LFF. Co concentration was lower in serum than in reproductive tract fluids. Cr concentration was higher in UF and OF than in the serum, SFF, and LFF. High Ca concentration was observed for serum and SFF, followed by LFF. The concentration of Na was about 1.18-fold higher in SFF than in serum, OF, and LFF, and approximately 4.1-fold higher in serum than in UF. K was present in higher concentration in SFF than in serum and LFF; however, its concentration was low in UF and OF. In conclusion, this study shows the concentrations of certain elements in small and large follicular, uterine, and oviductal fluids, which may be low or high depending on their function in the development and growth of follicles. This information can support the development of new media for in vitro oocyte maturation and fertilization of female camels.

Evaluation of Trace Elements in Iraqi Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis by using Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer (AAS)

Zinc, Copper, Selenium, Magnesium, Manganese, Chromium, Iron, Nickel, Cobalt, Vanadium and Germanium were determined by atomic absorption spectrophotometer (AAS) in blood serum of patients with rheumatoid arthritis, (30) patients (14male and 16female) with age range (37-60) years compared with normal tensive control. The analysis of results showed that the mean value of concentration (Magnesium, Manganese and Nickel) were significantly higher in patients with rheumatoid arthritis compared to that of healthy, while the mean levels of serum (Zinc, Copper, Selenium, Chromium, Iron, Cobalt and Germanium) were significantly lower than controls. There were no significant changes in overall mean concentration of serum Vanadium in patients with rheumatoid arthritis and control group. There were no significant variations in trace elements levels in relation to sex.Our results suggest that low level of trace elements of Zinc, Copper, Selenium, Chromium, Iron, Cobalt and Germanium , and high levels of Magnesium, Manganese and Nickel may provide good clues to the physician about the high probability of the individual for developing of rheumatoid arthritis disease unless the imbalance of these elements in blood serum to be corrected.
 Key words: Trace elements, Rheumatoid arthritis,Atomic absorption spectrophotometer (AAS).

Parenteral Selenium and Vitamin E Supplementation to Lambs: Hematology, Serum Biochemistry, Performance, and Relationship with Other Trace Elements

Most regions in Iran are generally selenium (Se) deficient and all mineral premixes which used in farm animals contain Se in the form of sodium selenite. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of injected Se and vitamin E (vit E) on hematology, serum proteins, and performance of lambs during the period which the animals are at risk of Se and/or vit E deficiency. The study also aims to determine the relationship between selenium injection and the levels of other trace elements in blood serum of lambs. A total of 16 lambs of Baloochi breed (age, 70 ± 7 days and weight, 15.2 ± 1.4) were enrolled in the study. The animals were divided into two groups. In the test group, vit E and Se injected at a dose of 0.2 ml/kg BW (Vetoquinol, Selepherol®, Lure Cedex, France, α-tocopherol acetate 3.82 g/100 ml plus sodium selenite 0.023 g/100 ml) at the enrollment. Control lambs were received equal amounts of normal saline as placebo. Blood was sampled from the jugular vein at the beginning of the study (enrollment, before injection of vit E and selenium and saline) and at days 7, 14, 21, and 28 of experiment. The amounts of total serum protein, albumin, glucose, iron, copper, zinc, creatine kinase (CK), and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and Se were measured. The concentration of globulin was calculated as the difference between total serum protein and albumin. For evaluation of growth and health, body weight of all the lambs was measured at day 0 of the experiment and the sampling times and days of treatment for each lamb were recorded. Treatment with Se and vit E decreased the activities of CK and AST compared to the controls (p < 0.05). Age (sampling time) had significant effects on the values of Se, iron, zinc, AST, hemoglobin, total protein, glucose, weight, height, and length (p < 0.05). Significant interactions between sampling time and group were seen for CK, AST, iron, glucose, weight, and length. No significant differences were seen for total weight gain (control, 3.48 ± 0.75 kg; test, 3.85 ± 0.9 kg), and average daily gain (control, 0.12 ± 0.03 kg; test, 0.14 ± 0.03 kg) between trial groups.

Altered Balance of Macroelements and Trace Elements in Blood Serum, Its Ultrafiltrates, and Hairs Long after Exposure to Low Doses of Ionizing Radiation

Using inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry, we examined the level of Al, Cd, Co, Cu, Fe, Mg, Mn, Mo, P, Pb, S, and Zn in blood serum, its ultrafiltrates, and hairs of liquidators of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant accident who were working in the disaster region in 1986–1987. Studies continued over a period of time provided evidence for a distinct change in the balance of macroelements and trace elements in the studied biological substrates of irradiated individuals. An increase in the level of copper in the ultrafiltrate and a marked decrease in the content of zinc in the ultrafiltrate are viewed as key factors in the generation of a response to low doses of ionizing radiation. Concerning the content of iron in hairs, we demonstrate its accelerated removal from the body of liquidators. The altered balance of biotic macroelements, phosphorus, and sulfur remained unchanged when these characteristics were studied as a function of time. We found changes in the ratios of divalent cations, magnesium and zinc, in the ultrafiltrates. The magnesium concentration in the studied biological substrates was the most stable characteristic after irradiation. The level of toxic trace elements (lead, cadmium, and aluminum) did not exceed physiologically acceptable levels, while their content in hairs may be a biological indicator of their accumulation in the body.

Speciation of Trace Elements, Binding and Non-binding with Proteins in Human Blood Serum, by Surfactant-Mediated HPLC with Element-Selective Detection by ICP-MS

The total concentrations of some trace elements in blood serum are generally used as convenient parameters in medical diagnosis because of their extreme importance for diagnosis of health and disease,1 as well as their easy accessibility. However, most of the trace elements in blood serum are combined with biological substances to have their own specific functions. Therefore, more information about chemical species of the elements, in addition to the total concentrations,2,3 is required for the investigations on the biological and physiological functions of trace elements as well as for biomedical diagnosis of the physical conditions. Chemical species of trace elements in blood serum are generally divided into two chemical forms. 2 One is protein-associated species, which play important roles in enzymatic activities, and in transportation and storage of trace elements. The other is protein-non-associated species, which are related to membrane transport or excretion of the elements. In a previous work, 4 the present authors developed a surfactant-mediated chromatographic separation system which allowed simultaneous multi-component separation, based on the mixed-mode separation properties such as size-exclusion, electrostatic and hydrophobic interactions. In this system, large-molecule species (MW 6500‐2000000) were eluted within 3 min of elution time, while small-molecule species (MW< 1000) were eluted after 3.5 min. Thus, the surfactant-mediated separation system could be used for direct injection analysis of the serum samples to separate small-molecule drugs rapidly from proteins in human blood serum without any pretreatment, 4 where the UV absorption detector was employed. Since the surfactant-mediated separation column also allows us to couple with inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) for simultaneous multielement detection, the HPLC/ICP-MS combined system using the surfactant-mediated separation column can be applied to speciation of trace elements in blood serum with direct sample injection. In the present paper, we report a preliminary study on speciation of trace elements binding and non-binding with proteins in human blood serum which was carried out by using the surfactant-mediated HPLC/ICP-MS system. The HPLC system was composed of a pump (Model LC10AD; Shimadzu, Kyoto), a sample injector (Model V7, Pharmacia-LKB, Uppsala, Sweden) with a 20 µl sample loop, and a UV absorption detector (Model 870-UV; Jasco, Tokyo). The UV detector was used for detection of UV-absorbing species. In the present experiment, an ODS column (L-column; 4.6 mm i. d. × 250 mm long; Chemical Inspection and Testing Institute, Tokyo) dynamically coated with 3-[(3-cholamidopropyl)dimethylammonium]-1-propanesulfonate (CHAPS), zwitterionic bile acid derivative, was employed as the separation column. The CHAPS-coated ODS column was prepared in a manner similar to that used in the previous paper. 4 The mobile phase of 0.2 mM Tris‐HCl buffer solution (pH 7.4) was used at a flow rate of 0.7 ml min ‐1 , into which 0.2 mM CHAPS was added to prevent the degradation of the separation column. For the on-line element-selective detection, an ICP-MS instrument (Model SPQ8000A, Seiko Instruments, Chiba) was used with direct introduction of the eluent from the column into the nebulizer of ICP-MS via a Teflon tubing. The ICP-MS instrument was operated using a time-sequential program, which allowed simultaneous multielement chromatogram measurements. The human blood serum samples were obtained from healthy volunteers. The sampling and pretreatment procedures of the serum samples were performed in a manner similar to those in the previous paper. 5 The CHAPS-coated ODS column with diverse physicochemical properties can separate a variety of solutes, such as inorganic anions, amino acids, aromatic compounds, and