Distribution of inorganic elements in human autopsy tissue

In the practice of forensic medicine, we find many of cases of death where the actual cause is not determinable with autopsy, histological or toxicological examinations. In these cases of death, we can consider cardiac dysfunction of unknown origin, in the background of which such a physiologic cardiac insufficiency occurs that cannot be detected with the previously mentioned methods. The dysfunction is possibly associated with a significant change in certain inorganic elements, primarily in the conduction system of the heart. In the absence of published data, our goal was to determine the concentration of inorganic elements in the specialized rhythm determining muscle cell groups in the heart: sinus node (SN), atrioventricular node (AV), septum (SE), left ventricle anterior wall (LVAW). With microwave technology we destroyed the muscle tissue and measured the concentration of ions (Na, Mg, K, Ca, Mn, Fe, Cu, Zn, P, S) using Inductive Completed Plasma Atom Emission Spectrometry (ICP-AES) equipment. Of the 24 cases examined, the average ion concentrations in microgram/g were the following; Sinus: Na 2602 +/- 493, Mg 120 +/- 24, K 1787 +/- 347, Ca 244 +/- 41, Mn 0.129 +/- 0.011, Fe 58 +/- 12, Cu 2.171 +/- 0.46, Zn 10.4 +/- 2.027, P 1147 +/- 227, S 2301 +/- 245; Septum: Na 1452 +/- 315, Mg 243 +/- 56, K 3269 +/- 689, Ca 105 +/- 26, Mn 0.17 +/- 0.05, Fe 74 +/- 16, Cu 3.557 +/- 0.952, Zn 25.75 +/- 8.4, P 2764 +/- 494, S 3001 +/- 523; Av: Na 2614 +/- 517, Mg 242 +/- 40.2, K 2010 +/- 395, Ca 271 +/- 27.3, Mn 0.13 +/- 0.029, Fe 54 +/- 12, Cu 2.369 +/- 0.297, Zn 15 +/- 3.2, P 1625 +/- 291, S 2535 +/- 346; Lvaw: Na 1340 +/- 201, Mg 250 +/- 37, K 3659 +/- 532, Ca 88 +/- 22, Mn 0.175 +/- 0.05, Fe 76 +/- 19, Cu 3.62 +/- 0.58, Zn 27.13 +/- 3.1, P 3025 +/- 441, S 3140 +/- 440.