Selenium and mercury are redistributed to the brain during viral infection in mice |
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Authors: | Nils-Gunnar Ilbäck Ulf Lindh Ren Minqin Göran Friman Frank Watt |
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Institution: | (1) Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medical Sciences, Uppsala University Hospital, Uppsala, Sweden;(2) Toxicology Division, National Food Administration, Uppsala, Sweden;(3) Research in Metal Biology, Rudbeck Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden;(4) Centre for Ion Beam Applications, Department of Physics, National University of Singapore, Singapore |
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Abstract: | As part of the general host response to coxsackievirus B3 (CB3) infection, the concentration of essential and nonessential
trace elements changes in different target organs of the infection. Essential (e.g., Se) and nonessential (e.g., Hg) trace
elements are known to interact and affect inflammatory tissue lesions induced by CB3 infection. However, it is unknown whether
these changes involve the brain. In the present study, the brain Hg and Se contents were measured through inductively coupled
plasma-mass spectrometry and their distribution investigated by means of nuclear microscopy in the early phase (d 3) of CB3
infection in normally fed female Balb/c mice. Because of the infection, the concentration of Hg (4.07±0.46 ng/g wet wt) and
Se (340±16 ng/g wet wt) in the brain increased twofold for Hg (8.77±1.65 ng/g wet wt, p<0.05) and by 36% for Se (461±150 ng/g wet wt, ns). Nuclear microscopy of brain sections from mice having elevated Se and
Hg concentrations failed to find localized levels of the elements high enough to make detection possible, indicating approximately
homogeneous tissue distribution. Although the pathophysiological interpretation of these findings requires further research,
the increase of Hg in the brain during infection might have an influence on the pathogenesis of the disease. |
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Keywords: | Viral intection selenium mercury redistribution brain nuclear microscopy mass spectrometry |
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