Aluminum, zinc and copper concentrations in plasma in chronic renal insufficiency.

Plasma aluminium, zinc and copper were determined in 68 patients with chronic renal insufficiency and in 20 healthy individuals. In the renal insufficiency group 16 patients had received aluminium containing substances particularly phosphate binding drugs (aluminium hydroxide) for a long time. We observed that only the patients taking aluminium hydroxide showed elevated aluminium levels in plasma (controls: 0.86 +/- 0.27 mumoles/l; renal insufficiency: 3.05 +/- 1.63 mumoles/l). In two of these patients with symptoms of "dialysis dementia", plasma aluminium concentrations were markedly increased. The zinc concentrations in plasma of patients with renal insufficiency were slightly decreased (controls: 14.48 +/- 2.65 mumoles/l; renal insufficiency: 11.77 +/- 2.35 mumoles/l); the plasma copper concentrations were slightly increased (controls: 17.3 +/- 2.83 mumoles/l; renal insufficiency: 22.98 +/- 4.7 mumoles/l). There was a distinct decrease of plasma zinc concentrations in patients with raised aluminium levels. The clinical aspects of these changes are discussed.

Renal excretion of magnesium and trace elements during cisplatin treatment.

Plasma and urine concentrations of platinum, magnesium, zinc and copper were measured in 15 patients treated with cisplatin. The renal excretion rates of platinum, magnesium, zinc and copper were markedly increased. In plasma markedly elevated levels of platinum could be found and were accompanied by decreased concentrations of magnesium, potassium and calcium. The plasma concentrations of zinc and copper showed only slight changes. Our results indicate, that cisplatin may influence renal excretion of some electrolytes and trace elements by a specific factor and/or by alteration in renal function.

Acute systemic vanadate poisoning presenting as cerebrovascular ischemia with prolonged reversible neurological deficits (PRIND).

A 22-year-old woman is reported who attempted suicide by oral ingestion of approximately 10-15 g ammonium metavanadate (NH4VO3). A few hours later she developed gastrointestinal symptoms followed by a transient right sensomotor hemiparesis and aphasic disturbances. Brain MRI and SPECT with 99mTc-HMPAO revealed a lesion in the left parietal cortex. Plasmapheresis, ascorbic acid and desferoxamine led to a complete clinical recovery within a few days.

Polarization microscopy of hair in acrodermatitis enteropathica.

We studied the hair of a 10-month-old girl who was suffering from acrodermatitis enteropathica, using light and polarizing microscopy before and after institution of zinc therapy. The hair was very thin and brittle. On light microscopy the shafts showed uneven diameter and some displayed atypical trichorrhexis nodosa with stretched fractures. Ten percent of the hair fibers exhibited nodal swellings of the pseudomonilethrix type. Polarization microscopy disclosed in 70% of all hair shafts an irregular pattern of alternating dark and bright bands. This anomaly was still present in 10% of the hair shafts after one and one-half years of zinc therapy, but could no longer be detected after two years of zinc supplementation. Repeated determinations of hair probes before and after treatment gave a low cystine content, however, being still in the normal range. We assume that the observed changes and the low hair cystine content can be attributed to the underlying zinc deficiency.

Plasma fibronectin in man after a severe paraquat intoxication.

Fibronectin is a cell surface glycoprotein and belongs to the opsonic system. It can be easily determined in human plasma by laser nephelometry. Patients in shock or with septicemia have extremely low concentrations of fibronectin in plasma which seems to correlate with a depression of the reticuloendothelial system (RES). Determination of fibronectin in human plasma may be a useful parameter for monitoring RES function. Severe intoxication with Paraquat causes a reduction of fibronectin and possibly influences RES function as well.

Hexachlorobenzene content in human whole blood and adipose tissue: experiences in environmental specimen banking.

By making use of material held in the Environmental Specimen Bank for Human Tissue Muenster (University of Münster, FRG), up to 11 organochlorine pesticides were analysed in organs (whole blood and adipose tissue) of living people, using real-time monitoring, and in autopsy material (up to 35 organs). The hexachlorobenzene (HCB) contents in whole blood samples of two comparable 'normal' populations (age 20-30 years, n = 118 and 125) were: median 2.30 micrograms/l, range 0.05-13.5 micrograms/l in 1977 and median 3.55 micrograms/l, range 0.94-16.3 micrograms/l in 1982. Females showed a slightly higher range than males. A pesticide-exposed group of wine growers (n = 122) showed a range of 0.86-29.6 micrograms/l with a median of 7.34 micrograms/l. In autopsy material, age-dependent HCB concentrations were found in adipose tissue, increasing with age (total range 0.14-45.4 micrograms/g extractable lipids, n = 80). No age dependence was evident in other organs. In starving people there seems to be only a slight elimination, if any, of the stored organochlorinated compounds. Persistent pesticides remain in a smaller portion of lipids and simulate higher values. Investigations of long-term storage of liver, fatty tissue and whole blood in the Environmental Specimen Bank (-85 degrees C and -170 degrees C) showed sufficient stability of HCB and other xenobiotics.

[Mercury sensitization in amalgam fillings. Assessment from a dermatologic viewpoint]. / Quecksilbersensibilisierung bei Amalgamfüllungen. Beurteilung aus dermatologischer Sicht.

Epicutaneous tests were performed on 88 patients (27 men, 61 women; mean age 36.8 [18-68] years) thought to have an allergy against amalgam or mercury. In addition their oral mucosa was assessed clinically. The epicutaneous test was positive for mercury sensitization in seven patients, five of them reporting oral mucosa symptoms. Such symptoms also occurred, although less frequently, in non-sensitized patients (30 of 81). In three sensitized patients there was evidence of perioral dermatitis which in two of them cleared up after removal of the amalgam fillings. Two further patients had no further complaints, such as burning sensation on the oral mucosa, recurrent aphthous ulcers or gingivitis, after removal of amalgam fillings. In one patient each peroral eczema and diarrhoea aggravated after amalgam fillings had been taken out. These observations indicate that responses to mercury allergy are not uniform and show considerable individual variations. There is no reason to advise against or prohibit the use of amalgam fillings. Their substitutions by other materials may well bring about other types of allergy.

[Successful zinc treatment of a severe case of acrodermatitis enteropathica (author's tteropathica]. / Labensrettende Zinkbehandlung der Acrodermatitis enteropathica

A 24-year-old patient treated with hydroxychinoline preparations without cure for acrodermatitis enteropathica since he was nine years old was given zinc oxide orally, at first 50 mg three times, later twice daily. Zinc concentrations in blood plasma, whole blood and sputum were serially determined. At the start of treatment they were significantly below that in four healthy controls. One week after starting zinc therapy the blood level had returned to normal and with it the changes in skin, hair and nails had regressed, as had the emotional disturbances.

Plasma zinc and magnesium alterations in acute myocardial infarction.

In 31 patients suffering from acute myocardial infarction plasma zinc and magnesium concentrations were measured. In acute infarction plasma zinc concentrations were strikingly decreased and plasma magnesium concentration slightly decreased. A close correlation between fall in zinc concentrations and the rise of serum CPK in these patients could be observed. No correlations were found between infarct localisation and sex and alterations in zinc concentrations. In contrast, a close correlation between fall in zinc content and severity of infarction occurred. Thus, the observed alterations in plasma zinc probably can be used as a diagnostic and prognostic indicator. Furthermore it should be considered whether zinc substitution would be of therapeutical benefit in patients suffering from acute myocardial infarction.

Zinc concentrations in plasma and erythrocytes in digitalized patients.

Determination of zinc, sodium, potassium and magnesium in plasma and red blood cells were performed in 31 controls and 63 patients treated with digitalis. In digitalized patients sodium and zinc concentrations in red blood cells were significantly increased. The intraerythrocyte magnesium and potassium levels as well as all investigated electrolytes in plasma remained within the normal range. There was a close relationship between the increase of sodium and zinc content in red blood cells, indicating alterations in transmembrane transport mechanisms induced by digitalis therapy.

Comparison of the antispermatogenic effects of a new D-homo-steroid and testosterone in rabbits.

In comparison to testosterone, 18 beta-hydroxy-18 alpha-methyl-16 alpha-methylene-D-homo-5 alpha-androstane-3-one (D-homo-S) shows more pronounced anti-gonadotrophic than androgenic properties in rats. The present study was initiated in rabbits to investigate the potential of D-homo-S to suppress spermatogenesis. D-homo-S in sesame oil was administered at the doses of 0.1 (DI), 3 (D II) or 10 mg (D III) per rabbit each day for 8 weeks. During treatment serum testosterone, sperm concentration and quality of sperm motility decreased, whereas sex drive, semen volume and seminal plasma concentrations of fructose and zinc were not changed in any of the groups. Testicular weight and intratesticular testosterone concentration decreased significantly in groups D II and D III, while weights of accessory sex glands increased in those groups. Testosterone in the same dose regimen did not suppress sperm count, motility or serum testosterone, however, seminal plasma zinc concentration in group T III and fructose in group TI increased. Testicular weight and intratesticular testosterone concentration decreased in group TIII only. On the other hand, the weight of the accessory sex glands increased in the same group. In conclusion, D-homo-S suppresses spermatogenesis and increases accessory sex gland weights at doses, when testosterone is still ineffective. Thus, in rabbits D-homo-S appears to be a more potent androgen than testosterone but a dissociation between antigonadotrophic and androgenic properties could not be observed.

Zinc metabolism during captopril treatment.

In 14 hypertensives the effect of captopril (angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor) treatment on red blood cell Na+, K+, Mg2+ and Zn2+ concentrations and on plasma Zn2+ concentrations were studied. Intraerythrocytic Zn2+ concentrations increased slightly, whereas plasma zinc concentrations decreased. The concurrence of hypozincemia with side effects resembling the symptoms of zinc deficiency such as loss of smell and taste suggests a role of alterations in zinc metabolism for the pharmacodynamics of captopril.

Seminal lead and copper in fertile and infertile men.

Lead and copper concentrations were determined by atomic absorption spectroscopy in semen from 18 fertile and 172 infertile men. Significant correlations between copper concentrations in semen and sperm concentration (r = 0.32, P less than 0.001), percentage progressive motility (r = 0.23, P less than 0.005) and normal morphology (r = 0.22, P less than 0.005) were observed, while no such correlation existed for lead. However, semen copper concentrations of infertile men (194.99 +/- 5.70 micrograms l-1) and fertile men (183.39 +/- 14.37 micrograms l-1) did not differ significantly. Mean lead concentration in semen of fertile men was 11.18 +/- 0.62 micrograms l-1 and significantly higher than lead concentration in semen of fertile men (5.61 +/- 0.53 micrograms l-1, P less than 0.006). Reinvestigation of 18 infertile men after 2 years showed a significant drop of lead concentrations in semen from 17.31 +/- 1.41 to 6.94 +/- 1.32 micrograms l-1 (P less than 0.0002), which might be related to the decreasing use of leaded petrol in the Federal Republic of Germany.

Influence of low and high cadmium diet in normotensive and hypertensive SH-rats.

Normotensive and SH-rats (Münster strain) were fed a cadmium-rich, normal or cadmium-poor diet. The blood pressure was slightly increased in normotensive rats after feeding a cadmium-rich diet and decreased after a cadmium-poor diet. In contrast, in SH-rats blood pressure was decreased after a cadmium-rich and increased after a cadmium-poor diet. This behavior of the blood pressure corresponded with the intra-erythrocytic Ca2+ activities. Whereas the calcium activities increased in the normotensive group after a cadmium-rich diet, the calcium activities decreased in the SH-group after cadmium feeding. It should be pointed out that normally the calcium activities were found to be elevated in SH-rats. Thus, cadmium feeding here had the same effect as a calcium antagonist.