Trace elements in the wall of abdominal aortic aneurysms with and without coexisting iliac artery aneurysms.

Iliac artery aneurysms (IAA) and abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA) frequently coexist. It remains unknown whether the content of trace elements in AAA walls depends on the coexistence of IAAs. The aim of this study was to compare the content of selected trace elements in AAA walls depending on the coexistence of IAAs. The content of trace elements was assessed in samples of AAA walls harvested intraoperatively in 19 consecutive patients. In the studied group, coexisting IAAs were diagnosed in 11 out of the 19 patients with AAA. The coexistence of IAAs was associated with a slightly lower content of nickel (0.28 (0.15-0.40) vs. 0.32 (0-0.85) mg/g; p = 0.09) and a significantly higher content of cadmium (0.71 (0.26-1.17) vs. 0.25 (0.20-0.31) mg/g; p = 0.04) in AAA walls. The levels of the remaining studied elements, copper, zinc, manganese, magnesium and calcium, were comparable. The elevated levels of cadmium in the walls of AAA coexisting with IAAs may suggest an impact of the accumulation of this trace element on the greater damage of the iliac artery wall.

Intraluminal thrombus thickness is not related to lower concentrations of trace elements in the wall of infrarenal abdominal aortic aneurysms.

BACKGROUND: Intraluminal thrombus (ILT) formation plays a significant role in the progression of infrarenal abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA). Potentially, as ILT thickness increases the availability of trace elements in the aneurysm wall could decrease thereby leading to oxidative stress and intensifying pro-inflammatory cytokine generation. AIM: To determine if thrombus thickness is related to the concentration of trace elements in the wall of infrarenal AAA. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The concentrations of trace elements in the wall of the aneurysm sack and ILT obtained from 19 consecutive patients during surgery for infrarenal AAA were determined using emission spectrometry. RESULTS: The concentrations of magnesium, zinc, manganese, and lead in the wall of AAA were significantly greater than in the ILT. Only the concentration of copper was lower in the AAA wall compared with the thrombus. The concentration of calcium, phosphorus, zinc, lead, copper, and magnesium increased with ILT thickness. The concentrations of no other trace elements in the wall of AAA were found to be related to the ILT thickness. CONCLUSIONS: Intraluminal thrombus thickness is not associated with a lower concentration of trace elements in the wall of the infrarenal AAA. Thus, the intraluminal thrombus participates in the progression of AAA by mechanisms independent of trace element supply to the wall of the aneurysm sack.

Fusicoccin counteracts the toxic effect of cadmium on the growth of maize coleoptile segments.

The effects of cadmium (Cd; 0.1-1000 µM) and fusicoccin (FC) on growth, Cd(2+) content, and membrane potential (E(m)) in maize coleoptile segments were studied. In addition, the E(m) changes and accumulation of Cd and calcium (Ca) in coleoptile segments treated with Cd(2+) combined with 1 µM FC or 30 mM tetraethylammonium (TEA) chloride (K(+)-channel blocker) were also determined. In this study, the effects of Ca(2+)-channel blockers [lanthanum (La) and verapamil (Ver)] on growth and content of Cd(2+) and Ca(2+) in coleoptile segments were also investigated. It was found that Cd at high concentrations (100 and 1000 µM) significantly inhibited endogenous growth of coleoptile segments and simultaneously measured proton extrusion. FC combined with Cd(2+) counteracted the toxic effect of Cd(2+) on endogenous growth and significantly decreased Cd(2+) content (not the case for Cd(2+) at the highest concentration) in coleoptile segments. Addition of Cd to the control medium caused depolarization of E (m), the extent of which was dependent on Cd concentration and time of treatment with Cd(2+). Hyperpolarization of E(m) induced by FC was suppressed in the presence of Cd(2+) at 1000 µM but not Cd(2+) at 100 µM. It was also found that treatment of maize coleoptile segments with 30 mM TEA chloride caused hyperpolarization of E (m) and decreased Cd(2+) content in coleoptile segments, suggesting that, in the same way as for FC, accumulation of Cd(2+) was dependent on plasma membrane (PM) hyperpolarization. Similar to FC, TEA chloride also decreased Ca(2+) content in coleoptile segments. La and Ver combined with Cd(2+) (100 µM) significantly decreased Cd content in maize coleoptile segments, but only La completely abolished the toxic effect of Cd(2+) on endogenous growth and growth in the presence of FC. Taken together, these results suggest that the mechanism by which FC counteracts the toxic effect of Cd(2+) (except at 1000 µM Cd(2+)) on the growth of maize coleoptile segments involves both stimulation of PM H(+)-ATPase activity by FC as well as Cd(2+)-permeable, voltage-dependent Ca channels, which are blocked by FC and TEA chloride-induced PM hyperpolarization.

[The changes of barium and strontium content in gallstones from smoking and non-smoking women]. / Zmiany zawartosci baru i strontu w zlogach kamieni zólciowych kobiet palacych i niepalacych tyton.

The problem of statistical characteristics of occurrence barium and strontium content in gallstones from smoking and non-smoking women living in southern Poland is presented in the work. The subjects of the research were gallstones, gained intraoperatively from 146 women (49 smoking, 97 non-smoking). The content of barium and strontium was determined using atomic emission spectroscopy with inductive coupled plasma (ICP-AES). The statistical characteristic of barium and strontium content in gallstones shows that smoking does not decide about content level of these elements in gallstones. Content of barium (2.32 microgBa/g) as well as strontium (3.23 microgSr/g) in gallstones from non smoking women are higher in comparison to content of these elements in gallstones from smoking women (1.91 microgBa/g and 2.76 microgSr/g).