The determination of brain magnesium and zinc levels by a dual-probe microdialysis and graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to develop a microdialysis-graphite furnace atomic absorption spectroscopy (MD-GFAAS) for monitoring dynamic changes of extracellular magnesium (Mg) and zinc (Zn) in the cortex of gerbils subjected to focal cerebral ischemia, that had been produced in anesthetized gerbils by occlusion of the right middle cerebral artery.


METHODS
Two microdialysis probes were inserted into both sides of the cortex to simultaneously collect dialysates during cerebral ischemia. Dynamic changes in these analytes, on ipsilateral and contralateral sides of the brain, were assayed by MD-GFAAS. Optimal conditions and analytical precision of GFAAS were studied in the present assay.


RESULTS
The present study demonstrated significant decreases in Mg (65% of baseline) and zinc (74% of baseline) maintained their levels within 3 h on the ipsilateral side of cortex during cerebral ischemia. Slight changes of Mg and Zn on the contralateral sides were also observed.


CONCLUSIONS
The derangement of extracellular Mg and Zn could be important in the progression of cell injury and may be associated with cerebral ischemia insult.
Yang
Dar-Yu
DY
Department of Medical Research, Taichung Veterans General Hospital, Taichung 40705, Taiwan.
Lee
Jen-Bin
JB
Lin
Ming-Cheng
MC
Huang
Yeou-Lih
YL
Liu
Hong-Wen
HW
Liang
Yea-Jiuan
YJ
Cheng
Fu-Chou
FC
D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism*; D001923:Brain Chemistry / Q000502:physiology; D002545:Brain Ischemia / Q000378:metabolism*; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005849:Gerbillinae; D008274:Magnesium / Q000032:analysis / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D017551:Microdialysis; D013054:Spectrophotometry, Atomic; D015032:Zinc / Q000032:analysis / Q000097:blood*
D008274:Magnesium; D015032:Zinc