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Updated: Aug 19, 2026

Atomic Absorbance Spectroscopy to Measure Intracellular Zinc Pools in Mammalian Cells
Published on: May 16, 2019
Changes in serum copper and zinc during treatment with anticancer drugs interfering with pyridoxal phosphate
M Slavik1, T R Narasimhan, C Riley
1Department of Medicine, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City 66103.
Abstract:
Hexamethylmelamine, pentamethylmelamine and procarbazine are anticancer drugs known to interfere with pyridoxal phosphate. This paper presents results on copper and zinc serum levels during the treatment with each of these drugs used as single agents. Six NZW rabbits weighing 2.7-4.5 kg were used in these experiments. Hexamethylmelamine and procarbazine were administered by gastric gavage and pentamethylmelamine by intravenous route at the daily doses of 100 mg, 30 mg and 50 mg/kg of body weight respectively for up to four days. Blood samples were collected in metal free tubes at fasting state before and during the treatment. Student's paired t-test was used for statistical analysis. The pretreatment serum copper concentration significantly (p = 0.05) increased and conversely the serum zinc concentration significantly (p = 0.05) decreased during each drug treatment. Consequently the copper/zinc ration significantly increased from 0.32, 0.33 and 0.27 to 1.16, 0.63 and 1.13 for hexamethylmelamine, pentamethylmelamine and procarbazine respectively. These results indicate, that daily administration of three anticancer drugs interfering with pyridoxal phosphate causes changes in serum copper and zinc levels with inversed relationship between both changes.
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