干旱胁迫对红花玉兰幼苗生长和生理特性的影响

以1年生红花玉兰幼苗为试验材料,采用称重控制土壤含水量的方法,设置对照(CK)、轻度干旱胁迫(T1)、中度干旱胁迫(T2)和重度干旱胁迫(T3)4个水分处理水平,研究了干旱胁迫对红花玉兰幼苗生长过程中的生长和生理生化指标的影响.结果显示:(1)随着干旱胁迫的加剧,红花玉兰幼苗株高、地径和生物量逐渐降低,可溶性蛋白含量逐渐升高,叶绿素a、叶绿素b和总叶绿素含量在T1处理略有升高,在T2和T3处理明显降低.(2)随着胁迫时间的延长,红花玉兰幼苗叶片组织相对含水量降低,丙二醛含量先升后降再升,脯氨酸含量逐渐升高,保护酶SOD、POD、CAT和APX活性均呈先增加而后降低的变化趋势.研究表明,在不同程度的干旱胁迫条件下,红花玉兰幼苗的生长受到一定程度的抑制,但能够通过调节自身的保护酶系统活性和渗透调节物质含量来减轻干旱伤害,维持植物体的正常生理代谢功能,从而表现出一定的抗旱耐旱潜力.     

Grain and flour quality of wheat genotypes grown under heat stress

Heat stress during the grain-filling period is the main abiotic stress factor limiting grain yield and quality in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). In this study, 64 wheat genotypes were exposed to heat stress during reproduction caused by delayed sowing in two growing seasons. Grain yield, 1000 grain weight (GW), grain hardness (GH), and grain-quality related traits were investigated. Heat stress caused a significant decrease in GW through reducing starch content (SC) and a non-compensating rise in protein content (PC), and thereby resulted in lower yield. In addition, significant increases in flour water absorption (WA), Zeleny sedimentation volume (ZT), ash content (AC), lipid content (LC), loaf volume (LV), wet gluten content (WG), dry gluten content (DG), gluten index (GI), and amylopectin content (APC) were found following heat stress. In contrast, decreases in grain moisture content (MC) and amylose content (AMC) induced by heat stress were observed. The heat-tolerant genotypes were superior in grain yield, GW, SC, AMC, and MC. While the sensitive genotypes contained higher PC, LV, GI and AMP. A group of wheat genotypes characterized with a higher yield, AMC, GW, and SC as well as lower PC, WA, GH, ZT, and LV; and was found to be the most heat tolerant by principal component analysis. Lighter weight and smaller grains produce a smaller starchy endosperm with lower quality (less amylose) and higher grain protein content in heat stress compared to normal conditions. Heat stress caused by delayed sowing improves some of the baking-quality related traits.     

赤霉素、钙和甜菜碱对小桐子种子萌发及幼苗抗低温和干旱的影响

小桐子(Jatropha curcas L.)属大戟科( Euphorbiaceae)麻疯树属(Jatropha L.)的能源植物。分别以小桐子种子和幼苗为实验材料,研究了不同浓度的赤霉素和CaCl₂单独处理,以及不同浓度的赤霉素、CaCl₂和甜菜碱组合处理对小桐子种子萌发及幼苗抗低温和干旱的影响。结果表明:分别用10 mg/L赤霉素和10 mmol/L CaCl₂处理小桐子种子,不仅可以提高其在正常萌发条件(26℃)、低温(18℃)和干旱胁迫(5% PEG6000)下的发芽率,还可缓解小桐子幼苗在低温(2℃)或干旱胁迫(25% PEG6000)下电解质渗漏率的增加和丙二醛(MDA)的积累。用10 mg/L赤霉素、5 mmol/L CaCl₂和15 mmol/L甜菜碱组合处理小桐子种子,也可进一步增强其在正常萌发(26℃)、低温(18℃)和干旱胁迫(5% PEG6000)条件下种子的发芽率,以及缓解小桐子幼苗在低温(2℃)或干旱胁迫(25% PEG6000)下电解质渗漏率的增加和MDA的积累,表明10 mg/L赤霉素和10 mmol/L CaCl₂分别处理或10 mg/L赤霉素、5 mmol/L CaCl₂和10 mmol/L甜菜碱组合处理可提高小桐子种子在低温和干旱胁迫下的发芽率,以及提高小桐子幼苗对低温和干旱胁迫的抵抗能力。     

干旱胁迫对文冠果幼苗生长和生理生化特征的影响

以文冠果1年生盆栽苗为材料,采用称重控水的方法,设置土壤含水量分别为7.5%～9.4%(重度干旱)、11.3%～13.1%(中度干旱)、15.0%～16.9%(轻度干旱)、22.5%～24.4%(对照)4个处理,研究了水分胁迫对文冠果幼苗生长过程中的生长和生理生化指标的影响.结果表明:(1)随着干旱胁迫的加剧,文冠果幼苗单株鲜重、干重和株高逐渐降低,主根和一级侧根长度逐渐增加,叶面积和叶片数逐渐减少,并在重度胁迫下达到显著水平.(2)随着胁迫时间的延长,文冠果幼苗叶片超氧化物歧化酶活性在对照和轻度干旱胁迫条件下保持相对稳定,而在重度干旱胁迫下逐渐升高;各胁迫处理叶片的过氧化物酶活性逐渐升高,而过氧化氢酶活性则表现为逐渐下降趋势.(3)在整个干旱胁迫过程中,叶片丙二醛含量在对照中始终稳定在0.045 μmol·g-1FW左右,而轻度干旱处理于胁迫21 d后趋于稳定(0.056 μmol·g-1FW),中度和重度胁迫处理则表现出逐渐升高的趋势;随着干旱胁迫加剧,各处理叶片可溶性蛋白含量先降低后升高,根系活力逐渐增强.可见,文冠果幼苗能通过增强保护酶活性及提高可溶性蛋白含量和根系活力来缓解土壤干旱胁迫的伤害,从而表现出较强的抗干旱特性.     

Left ventricular systolic and diastolic function during tilt-table positioning and passive heat stress in humans

The ventricular response to passive heat stress has predominantly been studied in the supine position. It is presently unclear how acute changes in venous return influence ventricular function during heat stress. To address this question, left ventricular (LV) systolic and diastolic function were studied in 17 healthy men (24.3 ± 4.0 yr; mean ± SD), using two-dimensional transthoracic echocardiography with Doppler ultrasound, during tilt-table positioning (supine, 30° head-up tilt, and 30° head-down tilt), under normothermic and passive heat stress (core temperature 0.8 ± 0.1°C above baseline) conditions. The supine heat stress LV volumetric and functional response was consistent with previous reports. Combining head-up tilt with heat stress reduced end-diastolic (25.2 ± 4.1%) and end-systolic (65.4 ± 10.5%) volume from baseline, whereas heart rate (37.7 ± 2.0%), ejection fraction (9.4 ± 2.4%), and LV elastance (37.7 ± 3.6%) increased, and stroke volume (-28.6 ± 9.4%) and early diastolic inflow (-17.5 ± 6.5%) and annular tissue (-35.6 ± 7.0%) velocities were reduced. Combining head-down tilt with heat stress restored end-diastolic volume, whereas LV elastance (16.8 ± 3.2%), ejection fraction (7.2 ± 2.1%), and systolic annular tissue velocities (22.4 ± 5.0%) remained elevated above baseline, and end-systolic volume was reduced (-15.3 ± 3.9%). Stroke volume and the early and late diastolic inflow and annular tissue velocities were unchanged from baseline. This investigation extends previous work by demonstrating increased LV systolic function with heat stress, under varied levels of venous return, and highlights the preload dependency of early diastolic function during passive heat stress.     

黄土高原冰草叶片抗坏血酸和谷胱甘肽合成及循环代谢对干旱胁迫的生理响应

通过盆栽实验, 对干旱胁迫下黄土高原地区冰草(Agropyron cristatum)叶片的抗坏血酸和谷胱甘肽合成及循环代谢相关酶及物质含量进行了研究。结果表明: 冰草可以通过增强叶片的抗坏血酸和谷胱甘肽合成及循环代谢酶: 抗坏血酸过氧化物酶、谷胱甘肽还原酶、脱氢抗坏血酸还原酶、单脱氢抗坏血酸还原酶、L-半乳糖酸-1, 4-内酯脱氢酶和γ-谷氨酰半胱氨酸合成酶活性, 维持植物体内抗坏血酸和谷胱甘肽水平及氧化还原状态, 从而抵御干旱造成的氧化胁迫。但叶片抗坏血酸和谷胱甘肽合成及循环代谢对不同水平干旱胁迫的响应, 随胁迫时间的延长而不同。在胁迫24天以前, 严重干旱下叶片的抗坏血酸和谷胱甘肽合成及循环代谢增强较显著; 在胁迫24天后, 由于该胁迫下植物所遭受的氧化胁迫较为严重, 叶片中上述6种酶的活性均呈降低趋势。而在中度干旱下叶片抗坏血酸和谷胱甘肽合成及循环代谢相关的6种酶在整个胁迫过程中均保持较高的活性。这说明, 冰草能够长时间有效地抵御中度干旱所造成的氧化胁迫, 但只能在一定时间范围内有效地抵御严重干旱所造成的氧化胁迫, 胁迫时间延长则会降低其抵御严重干旱的能力。     

甜菜碱对干旱胁迫下湖北海棠超微弱发光及抗氧化能力的影响

以盆栽4年生的苹果砧木湖北海棠（Malus hupehensis）为试材,叶面喷施100 mmol·L^-1的甜菜碱,研究外源甜菜碱对干旱胁迫下湖北海棠叶片超微弱发光（UWL）、丙二醛(MDA)、超氧化物歧化酶（SOD）、过氧化物酶（POD）、过氧化氢（H₂O₂）、脯氨酸（Pro）及甜菜碱（GB）含量的影响.结果表明,轻度干旱胁迫下,叶片UWL强度提高,但随着干旱胁迫程度的加重而下降,至严重干旱胁迫时UWL明显低于正常供水处理;H₂O₂、MDA含量随干旱胁迫加重而升高;SOD和POD活性随胁迫加重而升高,但至重度干旱时下降.与单独干旱处理相比,叶片喷施甜菜碱显著提高了轻度和中度干旱胁迫叶片的UWL（分别提高35.27%和43.95%）、SOD和POD活性,降低了H₂O₂和MDA含量;促进了Pro和GB的积累.表明甜菜碱及通过甜菜碱诱导的脯氨酸积累,能够提高干旱胁迫下叶片的抗氧化能力,减轻过氧化损伤,对叶片细胞起到保护作用.     

Photosynthesis Characteristics of Tall Fescue under Snow-Melting Agent,Acid Precipitation and Freeze-Thaw Stress

Russian Journal of Plant Physiology - To explore the physiological response characteristics of plant photosynthesis under acid precipitation stress (A stress), snow-melting agent stress (S stress),...     

氧化应激对原代培养乳鼠心房肌细胞中内质网应激及凋亡因子的影响

目的：研究氧化应激对原代培养乳鼠心房肌细胞凋亡、内质网应激及凋亡因子的影响。方法：实验分2组：对照组、氧化应激组。原代培养乳鼠心房肌细胞,氧化应激组在培养的原代心房肌细胞中加入终浓度为100μmol/L的H₂O₂培养2 h,检测氧化和抗氧化指标超氧化物歧化酶（SOD）活力、丙二醛（MDA）及还原型谷胱甘肽（GSH）含量;检测细胞凋亡、细胞GRP78、GRP94及chop、bax、bcl-2 mRNA表达。结果：与对照组相比较,氧化应激组心房肌细胞SOD活力和GSH含量下降、MDA含量增加（P < 0.01）,细胞凋亡增加（P < 0.01）,细胞GRP78、GRP94、chop、bax mRNA表达增加、bcl-2 mRNA表达减少（P < 0.01）。结论：氧化应激反应可能介导内质网应激反应并激活促凋亡因子表达,抑制抗凋亡因子表达,引起心房肌细胞凋亡增加。这可能与心房纤颤的发生有一定关联性。     

水分胁迫对春播玉米苗期生长及其生理生化特性的影响

采用盆栽试验,以‘蠡玉18'玉米单交种为供试材料,设置充分供水(CK)、轻度水分胁迫(LS)、中度水分胁迫(MS)和重度水分胁迫(SS)4个水分处理水平,研究了水分胁迫对春播玉米苗期保护酶活性和生长的影响,以探讨土壤水分胁迫对玉米苗期生长发育及其生理过程的影响机制.结果表明:(1)随着水分胁迫程度的加剧,玉米幼苗的生物量显著下降,根冠比、根系活力和脯氨酸含量增加,且水分胁迫对玉米幼苗地上部生物量的抑制作用更大;可溶性蛋白含量差异不明显,MDA含量波动变化.(2)随着水分胁迫时间的延长,根冠比、根系活力和植株脯氨酸含量先升高后降低,可溶性蛋白含量呈先下降后升高的趋势;玉米幼苗叶片和根系MDA积累波动变化,而叶片MDA含量始终高于根系.(3)在水分胁迫初期,玉米叶片中CAT活性较SOD、POD响应更敏感;玉米苗期根系在中度水分胁迫下主要依赖CAT来降低氧化危害,而在重度水分胁迫下前期主要依赖CAT、后期通过CAT和POD的共同作用来降低氧化伤害;水分胁迫条件下,叶片和根系POD同步降低氧化伤害,而SOD和CAT在叶片和根系间存在互补作用.研究表明,在不同程度的水分胁迫条件下,玉米幼苗的生长受到一定程度的抑制,但其能够通过调节自身的保护酶活性和渗透调节物质含量来减轻干旱伤害,维持植株的正常生理代谢功能.     

Relationships Between Catecholamine Levels and Stress or Intelligence

Catecholamines, including epinephrine (E), norepinephrine (NE), and dopamine (DA), are associated with the response to stressful conditions. However, the relationships of catecholamines with intelligence and their interactions with stress remain unclear. This study assessed stress, intelligence quotient (IQ), and catecholamine levels in 70 healthy subjects to elucidate associations between catecholamines and stress, and between catecholamines and IQ. Additionally, the associations of catecholamines with stress and IQ were analyzed according to hemispheric dominance using the Brain Preference Indicator (BPI). There were positive correlations between the NE/E ratio and the somatization of stress but negative correlations between the E/NE ratio and the somatization of stress among the total number of subjects. In the right-brain-dominant group, a high E/DA ratio was correlated with low levels of stress, somatization and depression, and high NE/E and DA/E ratios were associated with high levels of somatization. In the left-brain-dominant group, high E levels were correlated with low levels of depression. In the total subjects, there were positive correlations between the NE/E and DA/E ratios and the sum of the vocabulary, arithmetic, picture arrangement, and block design IQ subtests. Thus, these catecholamines were associated with stress and IQ, which suggests that the autonomic functional regulation of catecholamine levels in relation to stress may also affect cognitive functions related to intelligence in the brain. Furthermore, the relationships between catecholamines and stress or IQ differed depending on hemispheric dominance, which suggests that the present results could be used to inform the development of personalized therapies based on hemispheric asymmetry.

     

旱-盐复合胁迫对玉米种子萌发和生理特性的影响

分别用15% PEG、100 mmol·L^-1 NaCl及其混合溶液模拟干旱(D)、盐(S)及旱-盐复合胁迫(D+S)对玉米种子萌发及幼苗生长的影响.结果表明: 3种胁迫处理均明显抑制了种子萌发、幼芽、幼根的伸长及生物量的积累,且影响程度为D>D+S>S;幼芽及幼根中过氧化氢(H₂O₂)、超氧阴离子(O^-·₂)等活性氧含量及丙二醛(MDA)含量明显升高,质膜相对透性增大,脯氨酸、可溶性糖和可溶性蛋白等生理渗透调节物质含量显著增加,且幼芽中含量高于幼根,积累程度均为D>D+S>S.3种胁迫处理均使幼芽、幼根中的超氧化物歧化酶(SOD)、过氧化氢酶(CAT)、过氧化物酶(POD)及抗坏血酸过氧化物酶(APX) 等抗氧化酶活性增强;其中,SOD和APX活性表现为复合胁迫介于单一胁迫之间,而POD和CAT活性表现为复合胁迫大于单一胁迫;说明旱-盐复合逆境胁迫对玉米种子萌发及幼苗生理特性的影响并不是单一胁迫的简单叠加,与单一干旱胁迫相比,旱-盐复合胁迫在一定程度上能够缓解干旱胁迫对玉米种子萌发及幼苗生长的影响.     

Mental stress induces sustained elevation of blood pressure and lipid peroxidation in postmenopausal women

Mental stress is thought to underlie cardiovascular events, but there is information on oxidative stress induced by mental stress in association with cardiovascular responses in women. Using a sensitive assay for plasma 4-hydroxy-2-nonenal (HNE), as a marker for oxidative stress, we addressed the relation between pressor responses and oxidative stress induced by mental or physical stress in premenopausal and postmenopausal women. Healthy subjects (7 postmenopausal and 8 premenopausal women, in early and late follicular phases) were subjected to mental and physical stress evoked by a Color Word Test (CWT) and isometric handgrip, respectively. The CWT induced a rapid elevation of diastolic blood pressure (DBP), at a higher level in the postmenopausal than in the premenopausal women (p<0.01), and this higher DBP was sustained during the CWT and recovery (p<0.01). The CWT induced a significant elevation in plasma noradrenaline in premenopausal women in the early follicular phase and in postmenopausal women (p<0.05). Plasma nitric oxide metabolites were higher in postmenopausal than in the premenopausal women in the late follicular phase (p<0.05), but did not change during exposure to the two types of stress in either group. Plasma HNE was increased during recovery from the CWT, but not the handgrip, in postmenopausal women (2.4 times, p<0.05). There was a significant difference in the time course of the CWT-induced HNE response between the postmenopausal and premenopausal women (p<0.05). These findings suggest that mental, but not physical, stress causes sustained diastolic blood pressure elevation in postmenopausal women, accompanied by heightened oxidative stress.     

Nitric oxide modulates antioxidant defense and the methylglyoxal detoxification system and reduces salinity-induced damage of wheat seedlings

The present study investigates the possible regulatory role of exogenous nitric oxide (NO) in antioxidant defense and methylglyoxal (MG) detoxification systems of wheat seedlings exposed to salt stress (150 and 300 mM NaCl, 4 days). Seedlings were pre-treated for 24 h with 1 mM sodium nitroprusside, a NO donor, and then subjected to salt stress. The ascorbate (AsA) content decreased significantly with increased salt stress. The amount of reduced glutathione (GSH) and glutathione disulfide (GSSG) and the GSH/GSSG ratio increased with an increase in the level of salt stress. The glutathione S-transferase (GST) activity increased significantly with severe salt stress (300 mM). The ascorbate peroxidase (APX), monodehydroascorbate reductase (MDHAR), dehydroascorbate reductase (DHAR), catalase (CAT) and glutathione peroxidase (GPX) activities did not show significant changes in response to salt stress. The glutathione reductase (GR), glyoxalase I (Gly I), and glyoxalase II (Gly II) activities decreased upon the imposition of salt stress, especially at 300 mM NaCl, with a concomitant increase in the H₂O₂ and lipid peroxidation levels. Exogenous NO pre-treatment of the seedlings had little influence on the non-enzymatic and enzymatic components compared to the seedlings of the untreated control. Further investigation revealed that NO pre-treatment had a synergistic effect; that is, the pre-treatment increased the AsA and GSH content and the GSH/GSSG ratio, as well as the activities of MDHAR, DHAR, GR, GST, GPX, Gly I, and Gly II in most of the seedlings subjected to salt stress. These results suggest that the exogenous application of NO rendered the plants more tolerant to salinity-induced oxidative damage by enhancing their antioxidant defense and MG detoxification systems.     

Protective effect of jasmonic acid and potassium against cadmium stress in peas (Pisum sativum L.)

A combination of mineral nutrients and plant growth regulators should be assessed to improve crop performance under various abiotic stresses. There is a need to include plant growth regulators in fertilization regime of various crops along with essential mineral nutrients, especially when they are irrigated with polluted water with higher levels of heavy metals. The performance of pea was evaluated under cadmium (Cd) stress coupled with potassium (K) and jasmonic acid (JA) supplementation. The Cd stress (50 μM) was applied to soil (sandy loam) grown pea plants as basal dose after a month of sowing. The control and stressed plants were then supplemented with K (5 M), JA (0.5 mM) and their collective application along with control as distilled water. Cd stress showed a marked reduction in growth pattern, however, the collective supplementation sufficiently improved the growth pattern of stressed peas plants as evidenced by improvement in shoot length (cm), root length (cm), number of leaves per plant, leaf area (cm²), plant fresh and dry weight (gm). Potassium application under Cd stress significantly enhanced internodal distance (cm) while the number of seeds per pod and relative water contents remained nonsignificant. The applied treatment (JA + K) under Cd stress prominently improved enzymatic activities, which were measured as nitrate reductase activity (NRA), nitrite reductase activity (NiRA), superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD) and catalase (CAT). Cd stress impacted the biochemical profile by enhancing antioxidant capacity (AC), antioxidant activity (AA), total phenols (TP), while reducing total soluble protein (TSP), chlorophyll ‘a’, chlorophyll ‘b’ and carotenoids. The combined application of JA and K under Cd stress enhanced AC, AA, TP, Chl a and b, TSP and carotenoids. The results indicate that foliar application of JA and K efficiently negated the harmful effects of Cd stress on peas.     

Interplay between Cytoskeletal Stresses and Cell Adaptation under Chronic Flow

Using stress sensitive FRET sensors we have measured cytoskeletal stresses in α-actinin and the associated reorganization of the actin cytoskeleton in cells subjected to chronic shear stress. We show that long-term shear stress reduces the average actinin stress and this effect is reversible with removal of flow. The flow-induced changes in cytoskeletal stresses are found to be dynamic, involving a transient decrease in stress (phase-I), a short-term increase (3–6 min) (Phase-II), followed by a longer-term decrease that reaches a minimum in ∼20 min (Phase-III), before saturating. These changes are accompanied by reorganization of the actin cytoskeleton from parallel F-actin bundles to peripheral bundles. Blocking mechanosensitive ion channels (MSCs) with Gd³⁺ and GsMTx4 (a specific inhibitor) eliminated the changes in cytoskeletal stress and the corresponding actin reorganization, indicating that Ca²⁺ permeable MSCs participate in the signaling cascades. This study shows that shear stress induced cell adaptation is mediated via MSCs.     

Low pH altered salt stress in antioxidant metabolism and nitrogen assimilation in ginger (Zingiber officinale) seedlings

The effects of low pH on antioxidant metabolism and nitrogen (N) assimilation in ginger seedlings under salt stress were investigated. A two-way randomized block design was used: the main treatment consisted of two pH levels, normal and low pH (6.0 and 4.0, respectively), and the other treatment consisted of two salinity levels, 0 and 100 mmol l⁻¹ Na⁺ (NaCl and Na₂SO₄). The results showed that low pH decreased the malondialdehyde (MDA) and hydrogen peroxide contents of ginger seedling leaves under salt stress. Moreover, low pH and salt stress significantly decreased the contents of non-enzymatic antioxidants, including ascorbate (AsA) and glutathione (GSH), and increased the activities of antioxidant enzymes, such as superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), ascorbate peroxidase (APX), monodehydroascorbate reductase (MDHAR), dehydroascorbate reductase (DHAR) and glutathione reductase (GR). In addition, salt stress inhibited the N assimilation process in ginger seedling leaves, but low pH improved N assimilation under salt stress. Our finding was that low pH alleviated oxidative damage and promoted N assimilation under salt stress.     

Cross-Sectional Relationship Between Chronic Stress and Mineral Concentrations in Hair of Elementary School Girls

Chronic stress exposure is associated with diverse negative health outcomes. It has been hypothesised that stress may also negatively affect the body's mineral status. This study investigates the association between chronic stress and long-term mineral concentrations of calcium (Ca), copper (Cu), iron (Fe), magnesium (Mg), phosphorus (P) and zinc (Zn) in scalp hair among elementary school girls. Complete information on child-reported stress estimates (Coddington Life Events Scale (CLES)), hair cortisone and hair mineral concentrations, and predefined confounders in the stress–mineral relationship (i.e. age, body mass index, physical activity, diet, hair colour and parental education) was provided cross-sectionally for 140 girls (5–10 years old). The relationship between childhood stress measures (predictor) and hair minerals (outcome) was studied using linear regression analysis, adjusted for the abovementioned confounders. Hair cortisone concentrations were inversely associated with hair mineral concentrations of Ca, Mg, Zn and the Ca/P ratio. Children at risk by life events (CLES) presented an elevated Ca/Mg ratio. These findings were persistent after adjustment for confounders. This study demonstrated an independent association between chronic stress measures and hair mineral levels in young girls, indicating the importance of physiological stress–mineral pathways independently from individual or behavioural factors. Findings need to be confirmed in a more heterogeneous population and on longitudinal basis. The precise mechanisms by which stress alters hair mineral levels should be further elucidated.