Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Trace element imbalances in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

S S Khare1, W D Ehmann, E J Kasarskis

  • 1Department of Chemistry, University of Kentucky, Lexington 40506.

Neurotoxicology
|January 1, 1990
PubMed
Summary

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) patients show significant trace element imbalances, particularly in mercury and selenium levels, compared to healthy individuals. These findings suggest a potential role for elemental dysregulation in ALS pathogenesis.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Factors associated with Noninvasive ventilation compliance in patients with ALS/MND.

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis & frontotemporal degeneration·2021
Same author

Correlates of functional capacity among centenarians.

Journal of applied gerontology : the official journal of the Southern Gerontological Society·2014
Same author

Age group differences in positive and negative affect among oldest-old adults: findings from the Georgia Centenarian Study.

International journal of aging & human development·2014
Same author

Applications of neutron activation analysis to the study of age-related neurological diseases.

Biological trace element research·2013
Same author

Dentigerous cyst in a young child: clinical insight and a case report.

Journal of the Indian Society of Pedodontics and Preventive Dentistry·2013
Same author

Nuclear and radiochemical analysis.

Analytical chemistry·2010

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Biochemistry
  • Environmental Health

Background:

  • Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease affecting nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord.
  • The precise causes of ALS remain largely unknown, highlighting the need for research into potential contributing factors.
  • Trace element dysregulation has been implicated in various neurological disorders.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate and quantify the concentrations of 15 elements in biological samples from ALS patients and control subjects.
  • To identify significant differences in trace element levels between ALS patients and controls.
  • To explore the potential relationship between observed elemental imbalances and the pathogenesis of ALS.

Main Methods:

  • Instrumental Neutron Activation Analysis (INAA) was employed to determine elemental concentrations.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Samples analyzed included brain, spinal cord, blood cells, serum, and nails.
  • Comparison was made between ALS patient samples and those from appropriately matched control subjects.

    • Main Results:

    • Significant imbalances in trace element levels were detected in ALS samples compared to controls.
    • Widespread changes in mercury (Hg) and selenium (Se) levels were particularly notable in ALS tissues.
    • Some observed changes may be secondary to tissue mass loss, especially in the spinal cord.

    Conclusions:

    • The study identified significant alterations in trace element profiles in ALS patients.
    • Elevated mercury and selenium levels in ALS tissues warrant further investigation.
    • These elemental imbalances may play a role in the pathogenesis of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis.