Accumulation of scandium in plasma in patients with chronic renal failure

Scandium (Sc) is an element with many industrial applications, but relatively little is known about its physiological and/or toxicological effects, and very little data are available concerning the role of Sc in chronic renal failure (CRF). This paper examines the changes in plasma levels of Sc in predialysis patients with CRF and the relationship with blood parameters. The participants in this trial were 48 patients with CRF in predialysis and 53 healthy controls. Erythrocyte, haemoglobin, and haematocrit counts in blood were determined, and levels of creatinine, urea, uric acid, albumin, total protein and Sc were measured in plasma. The glomerular filtration rate (GFR) was calculated using the Cockcroft-Gault index. The CRF patients were found to have higher plasma levels of creatinine, urea, uric acid, albumin, total protein, and Sc and a lower GFR than that the controls. Scandium in plasma was positively correlated with creatinine and plasma urea and negatively correlated with GFR, haemoglobin, and haematocrit and was associated with the risk of lower levels of erythrocytes, haemoglobin, and haematocrit. CRF was associated with increases in the circulating levels of scandium.This research was supported by Plan Nacional I+D Project 1FD 1997-0642

Accumulation of Scandium in Plasma in Patients with Chronic Renal Failure

Scandium (Sc) is an element with many industrial applications, but relatively little is known about its physiological and/or toxicological effects, and very little data are available concerning the role of Sc in chronic renal failure (CRF). This paper examines the changes in plasma levels of Sc in predialysis patients with CRF and the relationship with blood parameters. The participants in this trial were 48 patients with CRF in predialysis and 53 healthy controls. Erythrocyte, haemoglobin, and haematocrit counts in blood were determined, and levels of creatinine, urea, uric acid, albumin, total protein and Sc were measured in plasma. The glomerular filtration rate (GFR) was calculated using the Cockcroft-Gault index. The CRF patients were found to have higher plasma levels of creatinine, urea, uric acid, albumin, total protein, and Sc and a lower GFR than that the controls. Scandium in plasma was positively correlated with creatinine and plasma urea and negatively correlated with GFR, haemoglobin, and haematocrit and was associated with the risk of lower levels of erythrocytes, haemoglobin, and haematocrit. CRF was associated with increases in the circulating levels of scandium

Changes in iron metabolism and oxidative status in STZ-induced diabetic rats treated with bis(maltolato) oxovanadium(IV) as an antidiabetic agent

The role of vanadium as a micronutrient and hypoglycaemic agent has yet to be fully clarified. The present study was undertaken to investigate changes in the metabolism of iron and in antioxidant defences of diabetic STZ rats following treatment with vanadium. Four groups were examined: control; diabetic; diabetic treated with 1 mgV/day; and Diabetic treated with 3 mgV/day. The vanadium was supplied in drinking water as bis(maltolato) oxovanadium (IV) (BMOV). The experiment had a duration of five weeks. Iron was measured in food, faeces, urine, serum, muscle, kidney, liver, spleen, and femur. Superoxide dismutase, catalase, NAD(P)H: quinone-oxidoreductase-1 (NQO1) activity, and protein carbonyl group levels in the liver were determined. In the diabetic rats, higher levels of Fe absorbed, Fe content in kidney, muscle, and femur, and NQO1 activity were recorded, together with decreased catalase activity, in comparison with the control rats. In the rats treated with 3 mgV/day, there was a significant decrease in fasting glycaemia, Fe content in the liver, spleen, and heart, catalase activity, and levels of protein carbonyl groups in comparison with the diabetic group. In conclusion BMOV was a dose-dependent hypoglycaemic agent. Treatment with 3 mgV/day provoked increased Fe deposits in the tissues, which promoted a protein oxidative damage in the liver.The authors are grateful for support received from the Consejería de Innovación, Ciencia y Empresa, Andalusian Regional Government (Project P06-CTS-01435)

Association Between Toenail Selenium and Risk of Acute Myocardial Infarction in European Men: The EURAMIC Study

The association between selenium status and risk of acute myocardial infarction was examined in a multicenter case-control study in 10 centers from Europe and Israel in 1991-1992. Selenium in toenails was assessed for 683 nonfatal male cases with first acute myocardial infarction and 729 controls less than 70 years of age. Median toenail selenium content was 0.553 μg/g for cases and 0.590 μg/g for controls. After adjustment for age, center, and smoking, the odds ratio for myocardial infarction in the highest quintile of selenium as compared with the lowest was 0.63 . The observed inverse trend was somewhat stronger when the authors adjusted for vitamin E status (p = 0.05). Analysis stratified for smoking habits showed an inverse association in former smokers (odds ratio for the 75th-25th percentile contrast = 0.63 (95 percent confidence interval 0.43-0.94)), but not in current smokers (odds ratio = 0.97 ( 0.71-1.32)) or in those who had never smoked (odds ratio = 1.55 (0.87-2.76)). Analysis stratified by center showed a significant inverse association between selenium levels and risk of myocardial infarction for Germany (Berlin) only (75th to 25th percentile odds ratio = 0.62 (95 percent confidence interval 0.42-0.91)), which was the center with the lowest selenium levels. It appears that the increased risk of acute myocardial infarction at low levels of selenium intake is largely explained by cigarette smoking; selenium status does not appear to be an important determinant of risk of myocardial infarction at the levels observed in a large part of Europe. Am J Epidemiol 1997; 145: 373-

Iron: Protector or Risk Factor for Cardiovascular Disease? Still Controversial

nutrient

NUTRISOL: a computer programme for communitary and hospital nutritional evaluation of free access

Comparative Study; English Abstract; Journal Article;We have developed the computer programme NUTRISOL, a nutritional programme destined to analysis of dietary intake by means of the food transformation to nutrient. It has been performed under Windows operative system, using Visual Basic 6.0. It is presented in a CD-Rom. We have used the Spanish CSIC Food Composition Table and domestic food measures commonly used in Spain which could be modified and updated. Diverse kind of diets and reference anthropometric data are also presented. The results may be treated using various statistical programmes. The programme contains three modules: 1) Nutritional epidemiology, which allows to create or open a data base, sample management, analyse food intake, consultation of nutrient content and exportation of data to statistical programmes. 2) Analyses of diets and recipes, creation or modification of new ones. 3) To ask different diets for prevalent pathologies. Independent tools for modifying the original tables, calculate energetic needs, recommend nutrient intake and anthropometric indexes are also offered. In conclusion, NUTRISOL Programme is an application which runs in PC computers with minimal equipment in a friendly interface, of easy use, freeware, which may be adapted to each country, and has demonstrated its usefulness and reliability in different epidemiologic studies. Furthermore, it may become an efficient instrument for clinical nutrition and health promotion.YesHemos desarrollado el programa NUTRISOL, un programa informático destinado al análisis de la ingesta alimentaria mediante la transformación de alimentos a nutrientes. Ha sido elaborado bajo el sistema operativo Windows®,usando el entorno Visual Basic® 6.0. En su elaboración se han usado las tablas de composición de alimentos del CSIC y medidas domésticas de alimentos de uso común en España,siendo posible modificarlas y actualizarlas. También se presentan diversas dietas y datos antropométricos de referencia. Los resultados que aporta pueden procesarse con la mayoría de los programas estadísticos. El programa ofrece tres módulos: 1) Epidemiología nutricional, en el que se pueden crear o abrir bases de datos, gestionar muestras, gestionar la ingesta, consultar contenido de nutrientes y exportar datos para tratarlos con programas estadísticos. 2) Análisis de dietas y recetas, en el que además se pueden crear o modificar las existentes y exportarlas. 3) Solicitud de distintas dietas para patologías prevalentes. También se ofrece un apartado de herramientas independientes en el que se pueden modificar las tablas originales, calcular las necesidades energéticas, las ingestas recomendadas e índices antropométricos. En conclusión, el programa NUTRISOL es una aplicación que funciona en ordenadores tipo PC-compatibles con mínimo equipamiento, con una interfaz “amigable”, de uso sencillo, que se puede adaptar a cualquier región, de acceso gratuito y que ha demostrado su utilidad y fiabilidad en distintos estudios epidemiológicos. Además, puede ser un instrumento eficiente para la educación nutricional, la nutrición hospitalaria y la promoción de la salud