The measurement of volatile chromium in biological materials

Chromium is an essential trace element in mammals since dietary chromium deficiency results in glucose intolerance due to decreased sensitivity to insulin. In humans, both adults and children with glucose intolerance have been improved by treatment with chromium. Furthermore, chromium deficiency has been implicated as a causative factor in hypercholesterolemia and atherosclerosis. However, little is known of the metabolism of chromium in humans, primarily because of analytical difficulties. The biologically active form of chromium is the "glucose tolerance factor" (GTF) which is a co-ordination complex of trivalent chromium with nicotinic acid and certain amino acids. At physiological pH, ionic chromium as a simple inorganic salt is insoluble in water, but trivalent chromium forms stable complexes with ascorbic acid, amino acids and other substances present in blood and tissue. Chromium is present in serum, bound to protein and also as dialysable or ultrafiltrable chromium (free chromium). The free chromium includes G.T.F. and other coordination complexes and represents the metabolically active form of the element; the ratio free/protein bound chromium in serum varies within the individual according to the diet and the metabolic state.