Biological trace element research
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Biol Trace Elem Res · Jan 2005
Biochemical response to colloidal bismuth subcitrate: dose-time effect.
In the present study, an investigation was undertaken to assess the efficacy on serum enzymes of colloidal bismuth subcitrate (CBS). CBS was administered with injections to male rats in 100-, 200-, 400-, 500-, and 1000-microg/L doses of bismuth. Rats were anesthetized at different intervals (24, 48, and 72 h) after CBS injections. ⋯ All doses of bismuth significantly affected the lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) in serum after 72 h. The lowest doses were the most toxic on ALT and LDH. These data suggest that treatment with CBS can provide evidence for a possible marker of liver toxicity although there is no evidence of liver accumulation of bismuth in the present study.
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Biol Trace Elem Res · Jan 2005
Influence of smoking on serum and milk malondialdehyde, superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase, and antioxidant potential levels in mothers at the postpartum seventh day.
The aim of the study was to investigate simultaneously serum and milk malondialdehyde (MDA) levels, superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activities, and antioxidant potential (AOP) in active-smoking, passive-smoking, and nonsmoking mothers and to search if there is any difference between serum and milk oxidant/ antioxidant status caused by smoking. According to their smoking status, 60 mothers (age range: 20-35 yr) were classified into one of three groups: the active-smoking mothers (n=15), the passive-smoking mothers (n=22), and the nonsmoking mothers (n=23). Serum and milk MDA, SOD, GPx, and AOP values were determined in mothers on the postpartum seventh day by the spectrophotometric method. ⋯ The significant differences were also found in milk samples in terms of MDA (p=0.002) and SOD (p=0.011), but not in GPx (p=0.11) and AOP (p=0.29) levels among the study groups. No significant difference was seen in serum zinc concentration (p=0.49), but copper concentration differed significantly among the groups (p=0.005). These observations suggest that human milk is more vulnerable to oxidative stress and lipid peroxidation than serum samples in smoking mothers, even if they are passive smokers.
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Biol Trace Elem Res · Feb 2003
Inhibition of glutathione reductase by cadmium ion in some rabbit tissues and the protective role of dietary selenium.
This study is aimed at investigating the inhibitory effect of cadmium ion on glutathione reductase activity of rabbit brain and liver and the relationship of this effect with dietary selenium. For this purpose, one group of New Zealand rabbits were fed a selenium-deficient diet, another group was fed a selenium-rich diet, and the control group was fed a normal diet. ⋯ For liver, the percentage inhibition of glutathione reductase by 40 nmol/mg protein of Cd2+ was similar for selenium-deficient and control groups, but significantly lower in the selenium-rich group. For brain tissues, there was no difference with respect to cadmium inhibition of glutathione reductase in all three groups.
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Biol Trace Elem Res · Jan 2003
Effects of cadmium exposure on morphological aspects of pancreas, weights of fetus and placenta in streptozotocin-induced diabetic pregnant rats.
This study was designed to evaluate the effects of Cd exposure on morphological aspects of beta-cell and weights of fetus and placenta in streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic pregnant rats. Ninety-nine virgin female Wistar rats (200-220 g) were mated with 33 males for at least 12 h. From the onset of pregnancy, the rats were divided into four experimental groups (control, Cd treated, STZ treated, and Cd+STZ treated). ⋯ All of these changes were more severe on the 20th d than those on the 15th d of the pregnancy. It is concluded that Cd exposure during pregnancy may reduce the birth and placental weights and produce necrosis, degeneration, and degranulation in beta-cells of pancreatic islets, causing an increase in the serum glucose level. These changes might be severe in diabetic pregnant mothers.
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Biol Trace Elem Res · Jan 2002
Associations among plasma selenium, zinc, copper, and iron concentrations and immunoregulatory cytokine levels in patients with cutaneous leishmaniasis.
Plasma essential trace elements, selenium, copper, zinc, and iron concentrations and the levels of immunoregulatory cytokines, interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta), interleukin-2 receptor (IL-2r), IL-6, IL-8, and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) were evaluated in patients with cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) to investigate a possible role of these cytokines on selenium, zinc, copper, and iron homeostasis in CL patients. Plasma albumin levels were measured as an index of nutritional status. Plasma selenium, zinc, and iron concentrations, and IL-2r levels were significantly lower, and copper concentrations and IL-1beta, IL-8, IL-6 and TNF-alpha levels were significantly higher in patients with CL than those of healthy controls. ⋯ There were positive important correlations between plasma selenium and IL-2r, copper and IL-6, and copper and IL-1beta, and negative correlations between selenium and IL-8, iron and TNF-alpha, and zinc and IL-1beta contents in patients with CL. Our results showed that plasma trace element contents change in patients with CL. These changes may not be a result of a specific deficiency from dietary inadequacies or imbalances, but, probably, a result of a part of the defense strategies of an organism that is regulated by immunoregulatory cytokines.