title: Electron paramagnetic resonance analysis of heavy metals in the aging human brain.
abstract: Electron paramagnetic studies of heavy metals were performed with the use of a Radiopan spectrometer on autopsy material of 5 aged patients (mean age 80.2 years) and 15 control patients (mean age 29 years). The obtained results lead to the following conclusions: 1. The aging brain is characterized by a tendency to decrease in concentration of isolated Cu2+ ions, and a marked decrease in concentration of Fe3+ ions as well as of free radicals, whereas the concentration of Cu2+ clusters is significantly increased. 2. The cases showing both arteriosclerotic and senile degenerative changes are characterized by higher concentrations of Cu2+ clusters than the brains with dominance of the arteriosclerotic process, whereas the concentrations of isolated Cu2+ and Fe3+ ions as well as that of free radicals do not differ between the two subgroups. 3. The diminished concentrations of Cu2+ and Fe3+ ions and free radicals observed in brains of old persons and concomitant with increased concentration of multi-ion aggregates (clusters), more marked in cases of senile atrophy of Alzheimer type, seem to result from some slow-down of metabolic processes in the aging brain.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, School of Medicine, Polish Academy of Sciences, Poznań.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wender
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Szczech
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hoffmann
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Hilczer
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000378:metabolism; D001923:Brain Chemistry; D004578:Electron Spin Resonance Spectroscopy; D006801:Humans; D008670:Metals / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D008670:Metals