Blood cadmium concentrations were studied in Alzheimer's disease (AD) and non-demented subjects. The 29 individuals were randomized from the ongoing population survey on ageing and dementia in Stockholm, the Kungsholmen Project. Smokers had, as expected, higher cadmium levels than non-smokers. Cadmium concentrations in blood were related to diastolic blood pressure in non-smoking, non-demented individuals. In contrast to previous reports no differences in blood cadmium levels were found between AD sufferers and non-demented subjects. Furthermore, there were no correlations between cadmium levels in blood and age or cognitive functions. The importance of quality assurance in sample collection and analysis of cadmium as well as scrutinizing smoking habits is emphasized.

Aged↗

PubMed1994

Mercury and selenium distribution in human kidney cortex.

Concentration of mercury and selenium were analyzed in tissue fractions of human kidney cortex samples from seven autopsy cases. Total mercury content ranged between 0.3-9.0 nmol Hg/g wet wt. Between 27-61% of the total mercury was found in the 105,000g supernatant of the tissue homogenate from six cases. In kidney cortex from the seventh case, a decreased dentist with the highest concentration of mercury, only 3% of the total mercury was found in the 105,000g supernatant and about 88% in a SDS-insoluble fraction. In this fraction the molar ratio between mercury and selenium was close to 1:1. This study supports results from previous animal studies and indicates that mercury in human kidney cortex could be deposited in forms with different solubility. It could be of importance to speciate different forms of mercury in tissues according to solubility and association to selenium when interpretations of mercury concentrations are made.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1994

Subcellular targets of cadmium nephrotoxicity: cadmium binding to renal membrane proteins in animals with or without protective metallothionein synthesis.

Nephrotoxic effects of cadmium exposure are well established in humans and experimental animals. An early manifestation of such toxicity is calciuria a few hours after injection of CdMT in rats. Protection against calciuria and other adverse effects such as proteinuria (occurring later) is offered by pretreatment with Cd, which effectively induces metallothionein synthesis. In the present experiment, one group of animals was given pretreatment with CdCl2 to induce metallothionein synthesis. The comparison group was left without pretreatment. The distribution of Cd from a normally nephrotoxic dose of 109CdMT was studied by gel chromatography in subcellular fractions of kidney cortex in both groups. In the pretreated animals, 109Cd in the plasma membrane and microsome fractions of renal cortical cells was mainly bound to metallothionein and other low molecular weight proteins at 4 hr. In nonpretreated animals the major part of 109Cd was bound to high molecular weight proteins. These findings indicate that membrane proteins may be important targets for Cd when inducing nephrotoxicity and that sequestering of Cd by metallothionein (and other low molecular weight proteins) may be a mechanism of protection.

Animals↗

PubMed1993

Stormy weather.

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Disaster Planning↗