Hypomagnesemia was historically prevalent in individuals with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM), but contemporary results indicate an incidence comparable to that in the general population, likely due to improved treatment in recent decades, resulting in better glycemic control. However, a recent study found a significant difference between the serum Mg isotopic composition of T1DM individuals and controls, indicating that disruptions to Mg homeostasis persist. Significant deviations were also found in samples taken one year apart.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIn the last 20 years, the application of high-precision isotopic analysis of essential mineral elements (Mg, K, Ca, Fe, Cu, and Zn) to biomedicine (sometimes referred to as isotope metallomics) has revealed that their stable isotopic compositions are altered by the metal dysregulation that is fundamental to the pathogenesis of many cancers and other diseases. Despite many published works showing the diagnostic and prognostic potential of this approach, a number of factors that may influence the stable isotopic composition of these essential mineral elements in healthy individuals remain unstudied. In this perspective article, we summarize the available evidence from trophic level studies, animal models, and ancient and modern humans, relating to physiological and lifestyle factors that appear likely (there is evidence indicating their influence) or unlikely (there is evidence indicating their lack of influence) to require controlling for when investigating variations in essential mineral element isotopic compositions in human subjects.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFUranium is chemo- and radiotoxic element which can cause multifactorial health hazards. Natural and anthropogenic uranium contamination raises concerns about potential public health problems. Natural contamination plays a significant role with regard to uranium exposure in the general population, whereas anthropogenic contamination leads to occupational uranium exposure, particularly in nuclear industry workers.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAs a component of many minerals and an essential trace element in most aerobic organisms, the transition metal element Cu is important for studying reduction-oxidation (redox) interactions and metal cycling in the total environment (lithosphere, atmosphere, biosphere, hydrosphere, and anthroposphere). The "fractionation" or relative partitioning of the naturally occurring "heavy" (Cu) and "light" (Cu) isotope between two coexisting phases in a system occurs according to bonding environment and/or as a result of a slight difference in the rate at which these isotopes take part in physical processes and chemical reactions (in absence of equilibrium). Due to this behaviour, Cu isotopic analysis can be used to study a range of geochemical and biological processes that cannot be elucidated with Cu concentrations alone.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe disruption of Zn homeostasis has been linked with breast cancer development and progression. To enhance our understanding of changes in Zn homeostasis both inside and around the tumour microenvironment, Zn concentrations and isotopic compositions (δ66Zn) were determined in benign (BT) and malignant (MT) tumours, healthy tissue from reduction mammoplasty (HT), and histologically normal tissue adjacent to benign (NAT(BT)) and malignant tumours (NAT(MT)). Mean Zn concentrations in NAT(BT) are 5.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBreast, prostate, and pancreatic cancers alter the zinc (Zn) metabolism. Combined analyses of urinary Zn concentrations [Zn] and Zn stable isotope compositions (δ66Zn) may provide a non-invasive approach for tracing malignancy-induced Zn dyshomeostasis. In this study, we measured [Zn] and δ66Zn in urine from prostate (n = 22), breast (n = 16), and from women with benign breast disease (n = 14) and compared those with age-matched healthy controls (22-49 years or 50+ years) and published data for pancreatic cancer (n = 17).
View Article and Find Full Text PDF