Studies of strontium biokinetics in humans. Part 2: uptake of strontium from aqueous solutions and labelled foodstuffs

The accidental release of radioactive isotopes of strontium, mainly (90)Sr, into the environment and its transfer into the biosphere results in an internal radiation exposure of the affected population. In order to obtain reliable estimates of the committed dose due to an intake of Sr radionuclides, reliable information on its metabolic behaviour inside the human body is needed, i.e. biokinetic data on fractional uptake from contaminated foodstuffs, distribution to and retention in different organs and tissues of the human body. Such information can be obtained by tracer kinetic investigations. The committed effective dose is dependent on the fractional intestinal absorption of the ingested activity (f(1) value). The International Commission on Radiological Protection in its publication ICRP 67 adopted an f(1) value of 0.3 for adults. This study is aimed at investigating if the value corresponds with the actual uptake from contaminated foodstuffs. Aqueous solutions and contaminated vegetables, i.e. cress and salad (lettuce) were used as test materials. For this purpose, the methodology for intrinsic labelling of foodstuffs described in part 1 was applied. For aqueous solutions, a mean f(1) value of 0.63+/-0.14 (mean +/- SD) was obtained by administering 1 mg of strontium. The uptake of Sr from cress intrinsically labelled with about 1 mg Sr almost corresponds to that from aqueous solutions (f(1)=0.62+/-0.10), but from lettuce it is reduced by a factor of 2 (f(1)=0.27+/-0.08).     

gamma-Tocopherol biokinetics and transformation in humans

BACKGROUND: The uptake and biotransformation of gamma-tocopherol (gamma-T) in humans is largely unknown. Using a stable isotope method we investigated these aspects of gamma-T biology in healthy volunteers and their response to gamma-T supplementation. METHODS: A single bolus of 100 mg of deuterium labeled gamma-T acetate (d(2)-gamma-TAC, 94% isotopic purity) was administered with a standard meal to 21 healthy subjects. Blood and urine (first morning void) were collected at baseline and a range of time points between 6 and 240 h post-supplemetation. The concentrations of d(2) and d(0)-gamma-T in plasma and its major metabolite 2,7,8-trimethyl-2-(b-carboxyethyl)-6-hydroxychroman (-gamma-CEHC) in plasma and urine were measured by GC-MS. In two subjects, the total urine volume was collected for 72 h post-supplementation. The effects of gamma-T supplementation on alpha-T concentrations in plasma and alpha-T and gamma-T metabolite formation were also assessed by HPLC or GC-MS analysis. RESULTS: At baseline, mean plasma alpha-T concentration was approximately 15 times higher than gamma-T (28.3 vs. 1.9 micromol/l). In contrast, plasma gamma-CEHC concentration (0.191 micromol/l) was 12 fold greater than alpha-CEHC (0.016 micromol/l) while in urine it was 3.5 fold lower (0.82 and 2.87 micromol, respectively) suggesting that the clearance of alpha-CEHC from plasma was more than 40 times that of gamma-CEHC. After d(2)-gamma-TAC administration, the d(2) forms of gamma-T and gamma-CEHC in plasma and urine increased, but with marked inter-individual variability, while the d(0) species were hardly affected. Mean total concentrations of gamma-T and gamma-CEHC in plasma and urine peaked, respectively, between 0-9, 6-12 and 9-24 h post-supplementation with increases over baseline levels of 6-14 fold. All these parameters returned to baseline by 72 h. Following challenge, the total urinary excretion of d(2)-gamma-T equivalents was approximately 7 mg. Baseline levels of gamma-T correlated positively with the post-supplementation rise of (d(0) + d(2)) - gamma - T and gamma-CEHC levels in plasma, but correlated negatively with urinary levels of (d(0) + d(2))-gamma-CEHC. Supplementation with 100 mg gamma-TAC had minimal influence on plasma concentrations of alpha-T and alpha-T-related metabolite formation and excretion. CONCLUSIONS: Ingestion of 100mg of gamma-TAC transiently increases plasma concentrations of gamma-T as it undergoes sustained catabolism to CEHC without markedly influencing the pre-existing plasma pool of gamma-T nor the concentration and metabolism of alpha-T. These pathways appear tightly regulated, most probably to keep high steady-state blood ratios alpha-T to gamma-T and gamma-CEHC to alpha-CEHC.     

Analysis of strontium metabolism in humans on the basis of the Techa river data

Age and sex features of strontium metabolism have been analyzed based on studies of the population residing on the banks of the Techa river which was contaminated by fission products during the years 1949–1956. Measurements of ⁹⁰Sr body burden have been performed since 1974 using a whole-body counter, and these have made it possible to estimate age-specific long-term retention and elimination rates for men and women. Regarding the retention that correlated with the respective maturation ages, distinct sex differences have been observed for adolescents, whereas only postmenopausal women showed a sharp increase of their elimination rates. There were no differences concerning the reproductive ages. Our experimental findings have a clear physiological interpretation and can be used to develop metabolic models for bone-seeking radionuclides. Received: 22 September 1995 / Accepted in revised form: 10 October 1996     

Human biokinetics of strontium. Part I: Intestinal absorption rate and its impact on the dose coefficient of 90Sr after ingestion

Intestinal absorption of strontium (Sr) in thirteen healthy adult German volunteers has been investigated by simultaneous oral and intravenous administration of two stable tracer isotopes, i.e. (84)Sr and (86)Sr. The measured Sr tracer concentration in plasma was analyzed using the convolution integral technique to obtain the intestinal absorption rate. The results showed that the Sr labeled in different foodstuffs was absorbed into the body fluids in a large range of difference. The maximum Sr absorption rates were observed within 60-120 min after administration. The rate of absorption is used to evaluate the intestinal absorption fraction, i.e. the f (1) value for various foodstuffs. The equivalent and effective dose coefficients for ingestion of (90)Sr were calculated using these f (1) values, and they were compared with those recommended by the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP). The geometric and arithmetic means of the f (1) values are 0.38 and 0.45 associated with a geometric standard deviation and a standard deviation of 1.88 and 0.22, respectively. The 90% confidence interval of the f (1) values obtained in the present study ranges from 0.13 to 0.98. Expressed as the ratio of the 95 and 50% percentiles of the estimated probability, the uncertainty for the f (1) value corresponds to a factor of 2.58. The effective dose coefficients of (90)Sr after ingestion are 6.1 x 10(-9) Sv Bq(-1) for an f(1) value of 0.05, 1.0 x 10(-8) Sv Bq(-1) for 0.1, 1.9 x 10(-8) Sv Bq(-1) for 0.2, 2.8 x 10(-8) Sv Bq(-1) for 0.3, 3.6 x 10(-8) Sv Bq(-1) for 0.4, 5.3 x 10(-8) Sv Bq(-1) for 0.6, 7.1 x 10(-8) Sv Bq(-1) for 0.8, and 7.9 x 10(-8) Sv Bq(-1) for 0.9, respectively. Taking the effective dose coefficient of 2.8 x 10(-8) Sv Bq(-1) for an f (1) value of 0.3, which is recommended by the ICRP, as a reference, the effective dose coefficient of (90)Sr after ingestion varies by a factor of 2.8 when the f (1) value changes by a factor of 3, i.e. it decreases from 0.3 to 0.1 or increases from 0.3 to 0.9, respectively.     

Studies on after-taste of various taste stimuli in humans

This series of experiments was performed in order to evaluatethe physiological characteristics and patterns of after-tasteof various taste substances. The durations of after-taste followingmonosodium glutamate (MSG), inosine-5'-monophosphate (IMP) andguanosine-5'-monophosphate (GMP) (umami substances) were longerthan those for sucrose, NaCl, tartaric acid and quinine-HCIat concentrations corresponding to the recognition threshold.The periods of after-taste of solutions of MSG and IMP, andMSG and GMP, were longer than those for the single componentsolutions. Most subjects recognized sucrose as sweet, NaCl assalty, tartaric acid as sour and quinine-HCI as bitter, bothin terms of immediate taste and after-taste. According to thepatterns of after-taste for umami substances, the subjects weredivided into three groups. In group A, umami (appealing, savorytaste in Japanese cuisine) was the main quality of the after-tastesensation; in group B, an indefinite, equivocal taste was thecharacteristic quality of the aftertaste; and no differencewas reported in group C between the immediate taste and after-taste.These results suggest that the characteristics of after-tastefor MSG, IMP and GMP are different from those of the four basictastes.     

Studies of stimulus-evoked responses in single motoneurones in humans.

Surface electromyography (EMG) has been a powerful technique for studying reflex and other stimulus-evoked responses in the human nervous system. However, important additional insights can be gained into the operation of neural circuits by studying the responses of single motor units to various stimuli. In this paper, some of the advantages of single motor unit recording will be canvassed, and some examples of the application to this method to the study of reflex responses to sensory stimuli and brain stimulation will be presented.     

Studies on luminescence from a cerium‐doped strontium stannate phosphor

The crystal structure and morphology of Ce³⁺‐doped SrSnO₃ materials prepared using the solid‐state reaction method were extensively characterized using experimental techniques. X‐Ray diffraction results show that the cerium substitution of strontium does not change the structure of the strontium stannate. Raman spectroscopy was used to investigate the microstructures and lattice vibrations. Environmental scanning electron microscopy images showed that phosphors aggregate and their particles form irregular shapes. SrSnO₃ exhibits an intense green emission with a broad band originating from the 5d¹ → 4f¹ transition of cerium. It was observed that, after exposure to beta‐irradiation, the glow curve of this material has two broad thermoluminescence peaks, one centered at ~ 127°C and the other at ~ 245°C for a heating rate of 5 K/s. The kinetic parameters, which include the frequency factor and the activation energy of the material, were calculated using Chen's method, after beta‐irradiation. The fading and reusability of the phosphor were also studied and it was found that the phosphor is suitable for radiation dosimetry. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Modeling and biokinetics in anaerobic acidogenesis of starch-processing wastewater to acetic acid

Starch-processing wastewater was anaerobically treated to produce acetic acid in laboratory-scale, continuously stirred tank reactors. The optimal conditions, in which the maximum acetic acid production occurred, were 0.56 d hydraulic retention time, pH 5.9, and 36.1 degrees C. Acetic acid production at the optimum conditions was 672 +/- 20 mg total organic carbon(equivalent) L(-)(1), which indicated a 75% conversion efficiency of influent total organic carbon into acetic acid. A fourth order Runge-Kutta approximation was used to determine the Monod kinetics of the acidogens by using unsteady-state data from continuous unsteady-state experiments at the optimum conditions. The model outputs and experimental data fit together satisfactorily, suggesting that the unsteady-state approach was appropriate for the evaluation of acidogenic biokinetics. These included micro(m), K(s), Y, and k(d), which were evaluated as being 0.13 h(-)(1), 25 mg total carbohydrate (TC) L(-)(1), 0.38 mg volatile suspended solid mg(-)(1) TC, and 0.002 h(-)(1), respectively.     

Studies on microwaves in medicine and biology: from snails to humans

This d'Arsonval Medal acceptance presentation highlights several research themes selected from Dr. Lin's published works, focusing on the microwave portion of the nonionizing electromagnetic spectrum. The topics discussed include investigation of microwave effects on the spontaneous action potentials and membrane resistance of isolated snail neurons, effects on the permeability of blood brain barriers in rats, the phenomenon and interaction mechanism for the microwave auditory effect (the hearing of microwave pulses by animals and humans), the development of miniature catheter antennas for microwave interstitial hyperthermia treatment of cancer, the application of transcatheter microwave ablation for treatment of cardiac arrhythmias, and the use of noninvasive wireless technology for sensing of human vital signs and blood pressure pulse waves. The paper concludes with some observations on research and other endeavors in the interdisciplinary field of bioelectromagnetics.     

Studies of trans-3-methyl-2-hexenoic acid in normal and schizophrenic humans

The report that sweat of certain schizophrenics contains the branched chain fatty acid, trans-3-methyl-2-hexenoic acid (TMHA), stimulated an investigation to evaluate the relationship between this fatty acid and schizophrenia. A sensitive and specific gas-liquid chromatography-mass spectroscopic procedure was developed for analyzing biological fluids for TMHA. Analysis of sweat samples from normal and schizophrenic subjects indicated that the sweat of both groups contains comparable quantities of this fatty acid. In addition, the fate of intravenously administered (14)C-labeled TMHA was shown to be similar in normal and schizophrenic subjects. It is concluded that there is no relationship between TMHA and schizophrenia.     

Presynaptic control of the monosynaptic reflex from Ia afferents: Studies in humans

Neirofiziologiya/Neurophysiology, Vol. 26, No. 5, pp. 391–395, September–October, 1994.     

Colestipol-induced changes in LDL composition and metabolism. II. Studies in humans

We investigated the effect of the bile acid sequestrant, colestipol hydrochloride, on the composition and metabolism of human low density lipoprotein (LDL). Colestipol treatment produced a disproportionate decrease in LDL cholesterol compared to LDL apoB, resulting in a significant decrease in the LDL cholesterol/apoB ratio. Electron microscopy revealed that LDL particles were smaller in size and analytical ultracentrifugation demonstrated that colestipol therapy selectively depleted larger, more buoyant LDL particles of Sf degrees 6-7. Thus, colestipol therapy produced LDL that were smaller in size, more dense, and characterized by a decreased cholesterol to protein ratio. To determine whether the altered LDL had different metabolic properties, autologous LDL was isolated from subjects before and during colestipol therapy and their fractional catabolic rates (FCR) were then simultaneously determined in the same patient while on therapy. Eight LDL turnover studies comparing the catabolism of LDL isolated during therapy (Rx-LDL) and LDL isolated off therapy (Con-LDL) were performed in six subjects. All subjects responded to colestipol treatment, with an average 29% fall in LDL cholesterol. In four of six subjects, and in six of eight studies, the FCR of Rx-LDL was substantially slower than that of Con-LDL. These studies demonstrate that a drug intervention may alter subpopulations of LDL particles in such a way that overall LDL composition is changed. This alteration may independently affect the intrinsic metabolic behavior of the LDL. We suggest that such drug- (or dietary-) induced changes in LDL composition need to be considered in kinetic studies designed to assess the overall impact of the perturbation being studied.     

Removal of radioactive strontium from the rat by feeding stable strontium

The effect of administering the stable isotope of strontium (as phos-phate) at different dietary levels to adult rats (fed on a cereal and pulse-based diet containing 0.4% Ca) on the retention of radiostrontium (⁸⁹Sr) and radiocalcium (⁴⁵Ca) in the femur and the whole skeleton was studied for a period up to 6 weeks after an intraperitoneal injection of the two radioisotopes. The ability of strontium to remove⁸⁹Sr under the above dietary conditions was examined. Feeding Sr at 0.5% or 1% levels for 6 weeks had no effect on the skeletal content of⁸⁹Sr or⁴⁵Ca while a dietary regimen of 2% Sr (2000 times the normal content), significantly lowered the⁸⁹Sr and⁴⁵Ca content by about 30% in the femur but not in the whole skeleton. At this Sr level, the urinary excretion of the isotopes increased with a concomitant decrease in their excretion in the faeces. This study underscores the limitations of dietary Sr to mobilise⁸⁹Sr from the bones after it is incorporated in the bone mineral.