Brain regional uptake of radioactive Sc, Mn, Zn, Se, Rb and Zr tracers into normal mice during aging

Radioactive multitracer technique was applied to study the brain regional uptake of trace elements by the normal mice during aging. The brain regional radioactivities of ⁴⁶Sc, ⁵⁴Mn, ⁶⁵Zn, ⁷⁵Se, ⁸³Rb and ⁸⁸Zr were measured 48 hours after intraperitoneal injection of a solution in normal mice aged 6 to 52 weeks to evaluate the brain regional (corpus striatum, cerebellum, cerebral cortex, hippocampus, and pons and medulla) uptakes. The radioactive distributions of ⁴⁶Sc, ⁵⁴Mn and ⁸⁸Zr tracers were variable and region-specific in the brain, while those of ⁶⁵Zn, ⁷⁵Se and ⁸³Rb tracers were comparable among all regions of interest. The brain regional uptakes of all tracers slightly increased with age from 10 to 28 weeks, and then remained constant during aging after 28 weeks. These uptake variations may be involved in the functional degenerative process of the blood-brain barrier during aging.     

Simultaneous biobehavior of trace elements, Sc, Mn, Fe, Co, Zn, Se, Rb and Zr in the brain and other organs of C57BL/6N mice

The radioactive multitracer technique was applied to a study on the uptake of trace elements in normal C57BL/6N mice. Comparative uptake behavior of⁴⁶Sc,⁵⁴Mn,⁵⁹Fe,⁵⁸Co,⁶⁵Se,⁸³Rb and⁸⁸Zr tracers was examined among 11 organs (brain, cardiac muscle, lung, liver, spleen, pancreas, kidneys, bone, muscle, eyeballs and testes) and blood, and evaluated in terms of the “tissue uptake rate (the radioactivity percentage of injected dose per gram of tissue, %dose/g)”. The multitracer technique revealed reliable data demonstrating characteristic uptake of the 8 trace elements, Sc, Mn, Fe, Co, Zn, Se, Rb and Zr by the brain and other organs, as well as the distinctive features of the accumulation and retention of each element in the brain.     

Multitracer screening for in vivo element-element interrelations

Radioactive multitracer technique was applied to study the screening of in vivo interrelations between radioactive tracers (⁴⁶Sc, ⁵⁹Fe, ⁵⁸Co, ⁶⁵Zn, ⁷⁵Se, ⁸³Rb, ⁸⁵Sr and ⁸⁸Zr) and stable Mn species. Comparative uptake rates were examined in the blood, 9 organs (thymus, lung, cardiac muscle, spleen, pancreas, kidney, liver, testes and bone) and 8 brain regions (cerebral cortex, striatum, hippocampus, thalamus and hypothalamus, midbrain, cerebellum, pons and medulla, olfactory bulb) using the 3-weeks-old mice fed the Mn-deficient, -adequate or -excessive diets with Mn concentration from 0.4 to 300.4 ppm. Significant diet-related differences were found for ⁶⁵Zn uptake in some organs. The dietary Mn-deficient state induced increase Zn absorption in thymus and lung in short-time span (during 48 hours after injection). On the other hand, no significant diet-related differences were observed in any brain regional uptake rates except for ⁵⁴Mn uptake rate. The screening results are expected to give us new findings concerning the diet-related element-element interrelations in living bodies.     

Brain regional distribution of the minor and trace elements, Na, K, Sc, Cr, Mn, Co, Zn and Se, in mice bred under Zn-deficient, -adequate and -excessive diets

Instrumental neutron activation analysis was to study the regional distributions of the minor (Na, K) and trace (Sc, Cr, Mn, Co, Zn, Se) elements in mice bred under the controlled diets with Zn content from 0.7 to 3520 ppm in small amounts of brain regions (cerebral cortex, corpus striatum, hippocampus, thalamus and hypothalamus, midbrain, cerebellum, pons and medulla, olfactory bulb). The trace elements were distributed heterogeneously among all brain regions and concentrated in corpus striatum and hippocampus. No significant changes were observed in Zn concentration of most brain regions among the mice bred under Zn-deficient ([Zn] = 3.6 ppm), -adequate and -excessive diets. The results indicate that the homeostasis of Zn seems to be maintained and the brain regional concentrations of Zn seem to be generally constant in all brain regions over a wide range of dietary Zn content from a deficient content as few ppm up to apparently excessive content as 3520 ppm. In an extremely severe Zn-deficient diet ([Zn]<0.7 ppm) where mice can hardly survive, the brain regions may have higher Zn concentration.     

Multitracer study on transport and distribution of metal ions in plants

Transport and distribution of metal ions in rice and soybean plants were studied using multitracers produced by irradiating an Au target by 135 MeV/nucleon¹²C,¹⁴N, or¹⁶O ions accelerated by RIKEN Ring Cyclotron. The multitracer consisted of radioisotopes of the following elements: Be, Na, Sc, Mn, Fe, Co, Zn, Se, Rb, Sr, Y, Zr, Nb, Ag, Te, Ba, Ce, Pm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Tm, Yb, Lu, Hf, Ir, and Pt. Rice and soybean plants were grown in a nutrient solution and also on soil containing a multitracer. -ray spectroscopy of different parts of the plants showed that all the elements were more or less taken up by roots, while appreciable transport to leaves and seeds was observed only for Mn, Zn, Se, Rb, Sr, and Ba.     

Uptakes of trace elements in Zn-deficient mice

A multitracer technique was used to obtain uptake rates of essential trace elements in various organs and tissues in Zn-deficient mice. A multitracer solution, containing more than 20 radioisotopes, was injected intraperitoneally into Zn-deficient state mice and control ones. Uptake rates of the radioisotopes were compared with concentrations of trace elements determined by instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA) in order to study a specific metabolism of Zn and other essential trace elements, such as Mn, Co, Se, Rb, and Sr. The result suggests that Zn is supplied from bone to other organs and tissues and an increase in Co concentration in all organs and tissues depends on its chemical form, under the Z-deficient state.     

Effect of zinc on the uptake of various elements into carrot

The effect of ZnCl₂ on the uptake of Be, Na, Mn, Co, Zn, Se, Rb, Sr, Rh, Cs and lanthanoids (Ce, Pm, Gd and Lu) by carrot (Daucas carota cv. U.S. harumakigosun) was investigated. Uptake was measured using a multitracer technique which enables to acquire information about various elements under identical conditions. The amount of uptake of Rb, Cs, Sr, Mn and Co, into roots decreased with increasing concentration of ZnCl₂. On the other hand, little effect was observed for the uptake of Be, Se, Rh and lanthanoids. These results suggest that Rb, Cs, Sr, Mn and Co competed antagonistically with Zn for the binding sites of carriers in the roots, while there was no influence on the uptake of the other elements. Uptake of Se was not influenced by Cl added as ZnCl₂. It is concluded, therefore, that carrot can distinguish Se from Cl based on the physicochemical differences between these two anion species.     

Accumulation and distribution of elements in rice /seed,brand layer,husk/ by neutron activation analysis

Various rice samples /seed, brand layer, husk/ from Vietnam were analyzed for Se, Hg, Cr, Ni, Sc, Rb, Fe, Zn and Co by neutron activation analysis. The concentration values found /seed/ were the following: Se 0.04–0.07 ppm, Hg 0.02–0.07 ppm, Cr 2.13–8.65 ppm, Ni 1.56–4.95 ppm, Sc 0.02–0.06 ppm, Rb 0.84–2.71 ppm, Fe 26.31–96.07 ppm, Zn 10.65–27.39 ppm and Co 0.02–0.15 ppm. The values were reported in ppm /dry weight/. Statistical analysis /t-test, t=0.05/ showed that the content of elements varies between sorts of rice; the content of Rb, Fe, Ni, Cr of rice husk was significantly higher than in rice seed and brand layer.     

Instrumental method for the determination of trace elements in water samples by neutron activation analysis

Thermal neutron activation analysis and a large-volume high-resolution Ge(Li) gammaray spectrometer, connected on-line to a DEC PDP 8/L computer, have been used to measure the concentrations of Na, Sc, Cr, Fe, Co, Ni, Zn, As, Se, Br, Rb, Ag, Sb, Cs, W and Hg in some Italian subsurface water samples. The instrumental method requires neither a chemical separation technique nor a pre- or post-concentration of the trace elements to be detected. As a consequence, this method eliminates many inherent errors associated with chemical determinations. The technique is sensitive, precise and particularly suitable for routine analysis of many trace elements at both natural and pollution levels in water samples. The interferences due to fast neutron (n, p) and (n, α) reactions are not appreciable, with the only exception of the⁵⁴Fe(n, p)⁵⁴Mn and⁵⁸Ni(n, p)⁵⁸Co reactions. Losses of volatile, elements, e. g. As, Br and Hg, during irradiation proved to be negligible.     

Excretion of biotrace elements using the multitracer technique in mice

A radioactive multitracer solution obtained from the nuclear reaction of selenium with 25 MeV/nucleon⁴⁰Ar ions was applied to the investigation of the trace elements behavior in feces and urine of mouse. The excretion rates of 23 elements, Na, K, Rb, Mg, Ca, Sr, Ga, As, Sc, V, Cr, Mn, Co, Fe, Zn, Y, Zr, Mo, Nb, Tc, Ru, Ag and In were simultaneously detected under strictly identical experimental conditions, in order to clarify the excretion behavior of the elements in mice. Fecal and urinary excretion rates of the elements in mice reached the highest value separately at 48 and 24 hours. The total excretion of Mo, Tc and Co within 96 hours were all larger, more than 60%. Accumulative excretion rates of Ca, Nb, Mg, Sr, V, Sc, Na, Cr, Fe, Ag, Mn and Zr were 60-30%. The total rates of Ru, K, As, Zn, Rb, Y, Ga and In were less than 30%, and low excretion. The main excretion pathway of Mo, Co, Mg, Fe and Ag was through urine, and Na, K, As and Rb were eliminated from the body also in urine. But fecal excretion of Tc, Nb, Sr, Y, Ru, and In were larger than urinary excretion, and Ca, Sc, Mn, Zr, Zn were eliminated from the body in feces.     

Instrumental neutron activation analysis of brewer's yeast

Instrumental neutron activation was used for the determination of 23 trace and minor elements in 4 different samples of brewer's yeast. Detection limits for these elements vary from 2 ppb to 100 ppm. The following average concentrations were found (ppm, dry weight): Al 597, Br 0.36, Cl 1473, Co 0.21, Cu 19, Fe 285, K 16 400, Mg 1355, Mn 8.4, Na 2330, Rb 19, Sb 0.053, Se 1.2, V 2.2 and Zn 80. NBS standard 1569 was also analyzed and the following concentrations (in ppm) were measured: Al 2300, Br 0.65, Ce 0.23, Cl 460, Co 0.26, Cr 2.12, Cu 11, Fe 707, Gd 7.1, Hf 0.13, K 15 500, Mg 1780, Mn 7, Na 510, Rb 16, Sb 0.075, Sc 0.18, Se 0.92, Th 3.7, Ti 38, U 0.49, V 4.1 and Zn 70.     

In vivo assessment of dynamics of various elements in living rat by using a multitracer

Time series of the distribution of bio-trace elements in the upper abdomen of living rats were examined using the in vivo multitracer analysis technique. The in vivo dynamics of the elements were estimated by comparison with the distribution of ⁷⁴As. Vanadium, Mn, Fe, Co, Zn, Se, and Rb were distributed in tissues of the upper abdomen, i.e., mainly in the liver. Be, Sr, and Y might be in the blood or bone at a low level and in the excretion stage already. Dynamics of bio-trace elements were noninvasively obtained in a living rat within one hour after administration.     

Instrumental neutron activation analysis of blood serum

Instrumental neutron activation analysis has been used to determine 15 trace elements in twelve blood serum samples taken from healthy students at Bilkent University in Ankara. The method allowed the determination of Sc, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Zn, Se, Rb, Cs, Ce, Eu, Tb, Hf, Ta and Hg, which occur at the g.ml^–1 to ng.ml^–1 levels. There are no values reported for Tb, Hf, Ce, Eu and Ta before. The other results are compared with the values reported in the literature. Most are in the range of the reported values except for Fe, Zn, Se and Cs.     

Determination of trace elements in food by neutron activation analysis

Neutron activation analysis (NAA) methods have been developed for the determination of major, minor and trace elements in duplicate diets and individual food items. These include a cyclic instrumental NAA (CINAA) method for measuring Se content through its short-lived nuclide^77mSe; epithermal INAA (EINAA) for I and As; conventional INAA for Br, Ca, Cl, Co, Cr, Fe, K, Mg, Mn, Na, Rb, Sb, Sc, Sn and Zn; combination of EINAA and INAA for Al; radiochemical NAA (RNAA) for As, Au, Co, Cu, Fe, Hg, Mo, Sb, Se and Zn; and preconcentration NAA (PNAA) for U and Th. Accuracy of measurements have been evaluated by analyzing a number of biological and diet reference materials. Multielement concentrations of diets and foods have been measured by these methods.     

Biliary excretion of essential trace elements in rats under oxidative stress caused by selenium deficiency

The excretion of essential trace elements, namely, Se, Sr, As, Mn, Co, V, Fe, and Zn into the bile of Se-deficient (SeD) Wistar male rats was studied using the multitracer (MT) technique, and instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA). Normal and Se-control (SeC) rat groups were used as reference groups to compare the effects of Se levels on the behaviors of the essential trace elements. The excretion (% dose) of Se, Sr, As, Mn, Co, and V increased with Se levels in the liver. The biliary excretion of Mn and As dramatically enhanced for SeC rats compared with SeD rats, while that of V accelerated a little for SeC rats. The radioactivity levels of ⁵⁹Fe and ⁶⁵Zn in the MT tracer solution were insufficient to measure their excretion into bile. The role of glutathione and bilirubin for biliary excretion of the metals was discussed in relation to Se levels in rat liver.     

Effect of humic acid on the bioavailability of radionuclides to rice plants

We investigated the effect of humic acid and solution pH on the uptake of the radionuclides, (83)Rb, (137)Cs, (54)Mn, (65)Zn, (88)Y, (102)Rh, and (75)Se in rice plants by the multitracer technique. The addition of humic acid to a culture medium containing SiO(2) increased the uptake of Mn and Zn at pH 4.3, whereas their uptake was decreased at pH 5.3. Humic acid depressed the uptake of Y at both pHs. The uptake of Se, which does not interact with humic acid, was not affected by its presence. These results suggest that uptake of the radionuclides by the rice plant is regulated by the affinity of radioactive nuclides for humic acid, as well as by the soil solution's pH.     

Trace element content of medicinal plants from Algeria

Neutron activation analysis (INAA) has been applied to multielemental determination of eleven medicinal plants used to cure the urinary tract diseases observed in Algeria. These plants include Androgena Citratus, Ceratonia Siliquata, Punica Granatum, Glyryrrhiza Glabra, Lausaunia Alba, Fragaria Vesca, Arbutus Unedol, Hordeum Vulgaris, Papieteria Officinalis, Zea Mays L, and Davallia Seae. Concentrations of twenty elements Ba, Br, Ca, Cl, Co, Cu, Cr, Fe, I, Mn, Na, Mg, Rb, Sb, Se, Sc, Sr, Ti, V, and Zn have been determined by short, and long irradiation times with a thermal and epithermal flux of 1.4·10¹² n·cm⁻²·s⁻¹ and 1.4·10¹¹ n·cm⁻²·s⁻¹, respectively. These analyses were performed in conjunction with Compton suppression. In almost herbs studied the Co, Cr, Cu, Rb, Sb, Sc, Se and V are found to be present at trace levels, Br, Mn, and Zn at the minor level, and Ca, Cl, Fe, Mg and Na are generally at the major level. The accuracy of the measurements has been evaluated by analyzing NIST-botanical references materials.     

Loss of trace impurities during NAA of liquid reagents

The loss of trace elements during NAA of five liquid reagents, hydrofluoric acid, hydrochloric acid, nitric acid, hydrogen peroxide and deioniyed water, has been investigated using 17 radioactive tracers of⁴⁶Sc,⁵¹Cr,⁵⁴Mn,⁵⁹Fe,⁶⁰Co,⁶⁴⁵Zn,⁷⁵Se,⁸⁵Sr,⁹⁵Zr,¹¹³Sn,¹²⁴Sb,¹⁵¹Eu,¹⁶⁰Yb,¹⁷⁷Lu,¹⁸²Ta,²³³Pa. Two kinds of container quartz and polyethylene have been used for irradiation and also for preconcentration of the reagents. The containers were cleaned before use by washing-leaching-rinsing procedure. The reagents were preconcentrated by subboiling evaporation under the infrared lamp in clean bench. The loss of trace elements has been revealed to be severer for the reagents of hydrochloric acid and nitric acid in the container of quartz than for the other cases, while that is lowest for hydrogen peroxide.     

Evaluation of strontium isotope abundance ratios in combination with multi-elemental analysis as a possible tool to study the geographical origin of ciders

In order to evaluate alternative analytical methodologies to study the geographical origin of ciders, both multi-elemental analysis and Sr isotope abundance ratios in combination with multivariate statistical analysis were estimated in 67 samples from England, Switzerland, France and two Spanish regions (Asturias and the Basque Country). A methodology for the precise and accurate determination of the ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr isotope abundance ratio in ciders by multicollector inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (MC-ICP-MS) was developed. Major elements (Na, K, Ca and Mg) were measured by ICP-AES and minor and trace elements (Li, Be, B, Al, Sc, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Ga, As, Se, Rb, Sr, Y, Mo, Cd, Sn, Sb, Cs, Ba, La, Ce, W, Tl, Pb, Bi, Th and U) were measured by ICP-MS using a collision cell instrument operated in multitune mode. An analysis of variance (ANOVA test) indicated that group means for B, Cr, Fe, Ni, Cu, Se, Cd, Cs, Ce, W, Pb, Bi and U did not show any significant differences at the 95% confidence level, so these elements were rejected for further statistical analysis. Another group of elements (Li, Be, Sc, Co, Ga, Y, Sn, Sb, La, Tl, Th) was removed from the data set because concentrations were close to the limits of detection for many samples. Therefore, the remaining elements (Na, Mg, Al, K, Ca, Ti, V, Mn, Zn, As, Rb, Sr, Mo, Ba) together with ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr isotope abundance ratio were considered for principal component analysis (PCA) and linear discriminant analysis (LDA). Finally, LDA was able to classify correctly 100% of cider samples coming from different Spanish regions, France, England and Switzerland when considering Na, Mg, Al, K, Ca, Ti, V, Mn, Zn, As, Rb, Sr, Mo, Ba and ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr isotope abundance ratio as original variables.     

Preliminary study of trace elements in human brain tumor tissues by instrumental neutron activation analysis

Elemental profiles of brain tumor tissues from 15 patients of astrocytomas (grade I–III) and normal human brain tissues of 23 male age matched autopsies as controls have been studied by instrumental neutron activation analysis. The SLOWPOKE reactor with a thermal neutron flux of 8·10¹¹n·cm^–2·s^–1 and swimming pool type reactor with a thermal neutron flux of 1·10¹³n·cm^–2·s^–1 were used for short and long irradiation of samples, respectively. Spectrophotometry was only used for analyzing phosphorus. A total of 18 elements Se, Na, K, Br, Cl, Mn, Mg, S, Ca, Cu, Hg, Cr, Fe, Rb, Zn, Co, Sc and P has been determined for this purpose. The reliability of methods has been checked by analyzing biological standard reference materials horse kidney (IAEA H-8) and bovine liver (NBS SRM 1577a). The analytical results showed that compared with the normal brain tissues, concentrations of Ca, Fe, Cu, Zn, Se, Mn, Br and Sc were significantly higher in tumor tissues (P<0.01) and concentrations of Rb, K and P were lower, while no differences for contents of Mg, S, Cr, Hg, Na and Cl were observed. A negative correlation between P and Ca in malignant and normal brain tissues was observed.