5,722 research outputs found
OBSERVATIONS ON THE USE OF PLASMA, HAIR AND TISSUE TO EVALUATE TRACE ELEMENT STATUS IN CANCER
No full textSelenium, zinc and copper were measured in plasma, hair and tissue of patients affected by either breast or lung cancer and their controls. A decrease in plasma Se and Zn in women affected by breast cancer was observed, whereas plasma Cu was increased in lung cancer. No significant modification was found in hair trace element levels adjusted for the main confounders, in particular for hair treatment which altered Se content. The examined elements were highly concentrated in cancerous vs normal tissue, but results changed according to the unit used to express results. The usefulness and significance of these biomarkers of trace element status are discussed in the light of the most recent literature data
ZINC, COPPER, AND ZINC- OR COPPER-DEPENDENT ENZYMES IN HUMAN HYPERTENSION
No full textImbalance of zinc and copper status has been hypothesized in human hypertension. A ease-control study was carried out to elucidate the possible relationship between zinc and copper status and essential hypertension. Thirty-one subjects affected by mild stable hypertension, pharmacologically untreated, were investigated together with 31 normotensive controls individually matched for sex, age, and smoking habits. Zinc and copper in serum and urine were measured, and serum activities of alkaline phosphatase (AP), lactic dehydrogenase (LDH), copper-zinc superoxide dismutase (Cu-Zn SOD), lysyl oxidase (LOX), and monoamine oxidase (MAO) were evaluated. No significant difference in serum and urine zinc and copper content as far as in serum activity of zinc (AP and LDH) or copper (Cu-Zn SOD, LOX, and MAO)-dependent enzymes was found between hypertensives and normotensives. Positive relationships were found in normotensives between serum and urine levels of zinc (r = 0.577; p = 0.001) and copper (r = 0.394; p = 0.028), and between serum copper and Cu-Zn SOD (r = 0.534; p = 0.002). In normotensives, diastolic blood pressure and serum zinc were positively related (r = 0.370; p = 0.041). In hypertensives, inverse correlations were observed between diastolic blood pressure and AP (r = -0.498; p = 0.004) and Cu-Zn SOD (r = -0.452; p = 0.011), and between systolic blood pressure and LOX (r = -0.385 p = 0.033). Diastolic blood pressure was related to LDH inversely in hypertensives (r = -0.357; p = 0.049) and positively in normotensives (r = 0.457; p = 0.010). In normotensives, diastolic blood pressure was inversely related with MAO (r = -0.360; p = 0.046). These findings support the hypothesis that an imbalance of zinc and copper status might he involved in human hypertension
Quality control in hair analysis: a systematic study on washing procedures for trace element determinations.
No full textTrace element analysis of human hair is widely used to provide an indicator of body burden, but there is a major problem associated with preparation. The washing procedure adopted before analysis represents still a critical point which deserves particular attention. This study aimed at comparing the efficiency of the most commonly used washing methods to identify the procedure which allows for satisfactory removal of external contamination alone. As results depend strongly on the element, toxic (Cd and Pb), essential trace (Cr, Cu, Se and Zn) and major (Ca, K and Mg) elements were tested. The comparison was carried out with six different methods which include use of ionic and non-ionic detergents, organic solvents, chelating agents and sonication. Removal efficiency varied according to the element and pretreatment, the highest being observed for EDTA and the lowest for sonication. Unsatisfactory results were found using an acetone/methanol mixture for the potential contamination caused by it. Organic solvents showed the highest removal efficiency for K and toxic elements, and seemed to be effective in removing a limited but significant fraction of element incorporated in the lipid matter of hair. The ionic detergent Na lauryl sulphate, instead, was more effective for essential elements, but also triggered a higher analytic variability. As detergents appear to remove only external contamination, a non-ionic detergent such as Triton X-100 is proposed as a reliable alternative to the acetone method recommended by IAEA. Practical advantages are safe working conditions, rapidity of application and reduction in costs
Comportamento delle catecolamine urinarie nella ipertensione
No full textGli studi diretti a quantificare l’aumentata attività del sistema nervoso simpatico, ed il ruolo da esso svolto nella eziopatogenesi dell’ipertensione essenziale hanno portato a risultati controversi. Onde portare un contributo al chiarimento di tale complessa problematica abbiamo indagato il comportamento delle catecolamine urinarie (adrenalina e noradrenalina) in 63 ipertesi non trattati farmacologicamente ed in un pari numero di normotesi appaiati per le principali variabili confondenti (età, sesso, abitudini tabagiche, attività lavorativa, indice di massa corporea). Ambedue le catecolamine sono state misurate nelle urine della notte utilizzando la cromatografia liquida ad alta pressione (HPLC) e la rilevazione spettrofluorimetrica. Negli ipertesi sono stati rinvenuti livelli urinari di noradrenalina (NA) significativamente più elevati rispetto ai normotesi (50.83 contro 37.16 μg/g di creatinina; p<0.005) mentre nessuno scarto probante è stato osservato tra i 2 gruppi per quanto riguarda l’escrezione di adrenalina (A). Le concentrazioni di NA sono inoltre risultate significativamente correlate con la pressione diastolica e sistolica in ambedue i gruppi considerati. Suddividendo i soggetti in 2 classi di età si è osservato che lo scarto dell’escrezione urinaria di NA tra ipertesi e normotesi è più accentuato nei soggetti di età pari o inferiore ai 40 anni. Questo reperto confermerebbe l’ipotesi avanzata da alcuni autori che l’iperattività del sistema nervoso simpatico svolga un importante ruolo nelle prime fasi dell’ipertensione essenziale
I Remember column in which author Eva LaPlante writes of her visits to sites a
No full textI Remember column in which author Eva LaPlante writes of her visits to sites associated with E. B. White and his book Charlotte\u27s Web
Eva Murray, author of Well Out to Sea , has been a resident of Matinicus Island
No full textEva Murray, author of Well Out to Sea , has been a resident of Matinicus Island since she moved there to teach at the island\u27s one-room schoolhouse in 1987. She discusses the differences between writing from an island and writing about an island as well as her efforts to dispel some stereotypes and myths about Matinicus through her writing
Comportamento degli indicatori biochimici di stress in addetti ai videoterminali
No full textGli AA hanno vagliato il comportamento di alcuni indicatori biochimici di stress in 25 soggetti, esposti per tempi diversi (ore/die) ai VDT, valutando l’eventuale esistenza di un rapporto tra tali indicatori, la durata dell’esposizione ed alcune componenti della personalità. E’ stata misurata l’escrezione urinaria delle catecolamine (A e NA) e del cortisolo in un giorno lavorativo e, per confronto, in un giorno di riposo. Per entrambe le amine biogene si è registrato un incremento dell’escrezione, anche se non statisticamente probante, durante l’attività lavorativa. Un comportamento opposto si è osservato per il cortisolo, che ha fatto registrare livelli urinari più elevati durante il giorno di riposo (p ≤0,001). I livelli di ansietà sono risultati significativamente più elevati nel giorno di lavoro rispetto al giorno di riposo. I livelli escretivi degli indicatori biochimici saggiati ed i punteggi di ansietà non sono tuttavia risultati associati con le ore/die di utilizzo dei VDT
Selenium determination in biological matrices
No full textIn this study, we discuss some relevant aspects concerning the determination of selenium in biological materials with special reference to fluorometry and hydride generation atomic absorption spectroscopy (HG-AAS) techniques. The two methods may be applied without modifications to the analysis of Se in a wide spectrum of specimen types, and we describe their reliability in serum and hair analyses. Thirty-six independent control serum samples, the concentrations of which were unknown to the analyst, were analyzed in duplicate using both techniques in the Italian External Quality Assessment Scheme (EQAS). Accuracy was assessed by comparing Se values with those previously assigned by the organizers of the scheme using graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry (GF-AAS), which is the most frequently used technique for selenium determination in serum among the participants in the Italian EQAS. The results confirmed that fluorometry has a higher degree of accuracy than HG-AAS: the mean differences between observed and expected values were 1.5 mu g/liter (95% confidence interval, -1.06 to 3.97) for fluorometry and -1.1 mu g/liter (95% confidence interval, -5.05 to 2.76) for Hg-AAS. We also report some results obtained for the determination of Se in hair. Since a critical step in hair preparation is the pretreatment for removal of external contamination, we compared six different washing procedures. In general, Se is pearly leached from hair, but the efficiency of removal differed with the substance used, ranging from 0 to 13% of the original content. A nonionic detergent like Triton X-100 offers the advantage of safe working conditions and a substantial reduction in costs compared with organic solvents. Lastly, in a consistent group (n = 131) of women, Se in hair was found to be strongly reduced by the use of dye (389.9 ng/g vs 498.7 ng/g, P < 0.001). We recommend recording information on cosmetic treatments when hair is collected to evaluate Se reference values in epidemiological studies
A study on microbial and chemical pollution of surface waters with special reference to metals, VHO and pesticides.
No full textThe Authors of the present study have evaluated the quality of Torrente Savena water, examining the major bacteriological and physical-chemical parameters such as metals, volatile halogenated organocompounds and pesticides, known for their persistence in the environment. The results, obtained from two sampling points, Pianoro (hilly country) and S. Lazzaro di Savena (before Savena’s inflow into the Idice torrent) showed a remarkable worsening of microbiological conditions of the torrent’s terminal segment, below the S. Lazzaro di Savena depurator outflow. Along with the microbiological parameters, also the traditional physical-chemical parameters were increased in this sampling point, with the exception of dissolved oxygen. As to the metals, their concentrations were generally modest, especially in the hilly segment. VHO were not found in Pianoro; although in low concentrations, such compounds were detected four times in S. Lazzaro only. Finally, during the investigation period, chlorinated pesticides were not present in measurable quantities; as to triazine pesticides, only the atrazine was detected in 3 S. Lazzaro samples. A comparison with traditional microbiological and chemical parameters, furnished by a previous similar study, showed a worsening of water pollution in Pianoro; on the contrary, S. Lazzaro water conditions appeared improved
The «immune-mobile brain»: evolutionaryevidence.
No full textOne of the possible strategy to study the relationships between the immune and the neuroendocrine system is to trace their evolutionary origin. In a previous study we showed that immunoreactive ACTH-and beta-endorphin (BE)-like molecules were present in the serum and in the phagocytic cells, i.e., spreading hemocites (sh).We hypothesized a possible biological role of ACTH and BE in chemotaxis and phagocytosis, and in some sort of stress reaction
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