Elemental analysis in atherosclerosis and alzheimer's disease using nuclear microscopy

Abstract

<P>TRACE ELEMENTS ARE INVOLVED IN MANY OF THE BODY'S BIOCHEMICAL AND PHYSIOLOGICAL PROCESSES, INCLUDING THE TRANSPORTATION OF OXYGEN TO THE CELLS. AN IMBALANCE OF ESSENTIAL TRACE ELEMENTS INDUCES THE SAME PHYSIOLOGICAL AND STRUCTURAL IMBALANCES REGARDLESS OF THE SPECIES STUDIED AND CAN EVEN LEAD TO DISEASE STATES. OF THESE, IRON AND COPPER, DUE TO THEIR ABILITY TO GENERATE FREE RADICALS VIA THE FENTON REACTION HAS BEEN IMPLICATED IN OXIDATIVE STRESS RELATED DISEASES LIKE ATHEROSCLEROSIS. CALCIUM HAS ALSO BEEN SUGGESTED TO PLAY A ROLE IN THE LATER STAGES OF THE DISEASE. IN NEURODEGENERATIVE DISEASES LIKE ALZHEIMERA??S DISEASE, THERE IS EITHER A DISRUPTION OF ENERGY LEVELS IN THE BRAIN OR DAMAGE TO THE BLOOD BRAIN BARRIER. THIS COULD LEAD TO IMBALANCE IN METAL LEVELS IN THE BRAIN LEADING TO ABNORMAL PROTEIN BEHAVIOUR AND WORSENING OF THE DISEASE. IRON, COPPER AND ZINC ARE SOME OF THE METALS THUS IMPLICATED IN ALZHEIMERA??S DISEASE.</P><P>MAPPING AND QUANTIFYING TRACE ELEMENTS HAS ALWAYS