The Effects of Selenium on Bone Health: From Element to Therapeutics

Osteoporosis, characterized by low bone mass and a disruption of bone microarchitecture, is traditionally treated using drugs or lifestyle modifications. Recently, several preclinical and clinical studies have investigated the effects of selenium on bone health, although the results are controversial. Selenium, an important trace element, is required for selenoprotein synthesis and acts crucially for proper growth and skeletal development. However, the intake of an optimum amount of selenium is critical, as both selenium deficiency and toxicity are hazardous for health. In this review, we have systematically analyzed the existing literature in this field to determine whether dietary or serum selenium concentrations are associated with bone health. In addition, the mode of administration of selenium as a supplement for treating bone disease is important. We have also highlighted the importance of using green-synthesized selenium nanoparticles as therapeutics for bone disease. Novel nanobiotechnology will be a bridgehead for clinical applications of trace elements and natural products.

The significance of ferritin as one of the markers of inflammation

Iron is an extremely important trace element that plays a large role in oxygen transport, DNA synthesis and muscle tissue metabolism. Ferritin is a protein compound inwhich iron is deposited as a reserve for the body; in laboratory diagnostics, it is usually evaluated as a marker of iron content, and the determination of its concentration is used to diagnose iron deficiency conditions. It structurally consists of the protein apoferritin and the ferric atom in the composition of phosphate hydroxide. One ferritin molecule can contain up to 4,000 iron atoms. The ferritin content in blood is measured in nanograms per milliliter. The normal concentration for men is 29–397 ng/ml, and for women, it is 6–159 ng/ml. A decrease in the level of ferritin in the blood is possible in iron deficiency, but an increase in its concentration may indicate not only the development of hemochromatosis, but also, along with C-reactive protein, be a marker of an active inflammatory reaction. An increase in the synthesis of C-reactive protein, fibrinogen, ferritin, serum amyloid by hepatocytes occurs under the influence of pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-6, IL-18, IL-1, TNF in severe acute processes, especially in the case of their viral etiology.

Вплив цинку на метаболічні процеси в нормі та при патології

Zinc belongs to the independent human trace elements. Its biological role is taken into account with the activity of attracting endocrine secretion. As a component of some enzymes, zinc affects the processes of reproduction, live and carbohydrate metabolism. Zinc is an important trace element with a variety of biological functions, which is involved in cell growth, apoptosis and metabolism, as well as in the regulation of endocrine, immune and neuronal functions. At the cellular level, zinc stimulates the formation of polysomes, inhibits free radical oxidation, which is catalyzed by iron. The important role of zinc in nucleic metabolism, transcription processes, stabilization of nucleic acids, proteins and especially components of biological membranes. Zinc plays an important role in skeletal development. Zinc accelerates the synthesis of collagen in wounds, has a stabilizing effect on cytoplasmic membranes, and prevents the release of hydrolytic enzymes. In mitochondria, zinc inhibits the transport of electrons in the respiratory chain. This property is realized in sperm, where there is a lot of zinc and there is low respiratory activity of mitochondria. Zinc is necessary for the development of brain tissue. Zincergic neurons are found in the cerebral cortex. Zinc has been shown to play an important role in signal transduction by modulating excitatory and inhibitory cellular receptors and intracellular signaling proteins. Zinc has a special effect on the development and course of many diseases, such as Down syndrome, alcoholism, angina, dysmenorrhea, atherosclerosis and more.

Effects of Subchronic Copper Poisoning on Cecal Histology and Its Microflora in Chickens

Copper (Cu) is an important trace element with a two-sided effect on the growth performance of animals, which depends on the timing and dosage of Cu addition, etc. The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of oral copper sulfate (CuSO4, 350 ppm) on growth performance, cecal morphology, and its microflora of chickens (n = 60) after 30, 60, and 90 days. The results showed that after 90 days of copper exposure, the chickens lost weight, the cecum mucosa was detached, and vacuolation and inflammatory infiltration occurred at the base of the lamina propria. In addition, using the 16S rDNA sequencing method, we observed that copper exposure changed the richness and diversity of intestinal microorganisms. At the phylum level, Proteobacteria and Actinobacteria both significantly increased, while Bacteroidetes significantly decreased in the Cu group compared with control check (CK) group. At the genus level, the relative abundance of Rikenellaceae_RC9_gut_group decreased significantly, while Ruminococcaceae_UCG-014, Lachnoclostridium, and [Eubacterium]_coprostanoligenes_group increased significantly after copper exposure, and the change in microflora was most significant at 90 days. Moreover, the relevance of genus-level bacteria was altered. PICRUST analysis revealed potential metabolic changes associated with copper exposure, such as Staphylococcus aureus infection and metabolic disorders of nutrients. To sum up, these data show that subchronic copper exposure not only affects the growth and development of chickens but also causes the imbalance of intestinal microflora, which may further induce metabolic disorders in chickens.

Effects of Fluorine on Neutrophil Extracellular Trap Formation through Regulating AMPK/p38 Signaling Pathway

Fluorine is an important trace element that is widely dispersed, and studies showed that fluorine could cause severe toxicity to fish. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of fluorine on neutrophil extracellular trap (NET) formation in common carp and clarify the possible mechanism. The neutrophils were isolated and exposed to 0.25, 0.5, or 1 mM sodium fluoride (NaF). The results showed that NaF could induce the formation of NETs which exhibited a DNA-based network structure modified with histones and myeloperoxidase (MPO). Furthermore, NaF led to the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in neutrophils. Western blot results showed that NaF significantly increased the phosphorylation of AMPK and p38. In addition, our results showed that NaF-induced NET formation could be inhibited by an AMPK or p38 inhibitor. In conclusion, our results showed that NaF induced NET formation in neutrophils through regulation of the AMPK/p38 signaling pathway.

A Study of Serum Zinc level in Patients with Acute Myocardial Infarction

Acute myocardial infarction is one of the most important reason of death in the world. There are some established risk factors of acute myocardial infarction (AMI), but measurement of trace element like zinc can be helpful in the prevention and better management of AMI. The aim of this study was to estimate serum zinc in AMI patients. This is a case control type of study carried out in the Department of Biochemistry, Dhaka Medical College, Dhaka during the period of January 2015 to December 2015 with a total number of 100 study subjects. Acute myocardial infarction patients were selected as case (50) from coronary care unit (CCU), Department of Cardiology, Dhaka Medical College Hospital. Normal healthy individuals were selected as control (50) from the attendants of patients, relatives and doctors. Serum level of zinc was assessed for both case and control groups. The mean values of the variable were compared between them by statistical analysis using SPSS version 16. For all the statistical analysis p<0.05 was considered as significant. The mean values of serum zinc were 73.18±21.14μg/dl in cases. The mean values of serum zinc were 11.04±23.06 μg/dl in control group. Significant differences were found in mean values between case and control groups and differences were very highly significant (p-value<0.001). In AMI serum zinc levels were found to decrease in this study. Serum zinc is an important trace element act as cofactor in many biochemical reactions. Decrease level of this important trace element may contribute to pathogenesis of AMI. So with other biochemical risks parameters, routine assessment of serum zinc level is advocated, which might be helpful for prevention and better management of AMI. Faridpur Med. Coll. J. 2020;15(2): 92-94

Selenium as a Bioactive Micronutrient in the Human Diet and Its Cancer Chemopreventive Activity

This review answers the question of why selenium is such an important trace element in the human diet. Daily dietary intake of selenium and its content in various food products is discussed in this paper, as well as the effects of its deficiency and excess in the body. Moreover, the biological activity of selenium, which it performs mainly through selenoproteins, is discussed. These specific proteins are responsible for thyroid hormone management, fertility, the aging process, and immunity, but their key role is to maintain a redox balance in cells. Furthermore, taking into account world news and the current SARS-CoV-2 virus pandemic, the impact of selenium on the course of COVID-19 is also discussed. Another worldwide problem is the number of new cancer cases and cancer-related mortality. Thus, the last part of the article discusses the impact of selenium on cancer risk based on clinical trials (including NPC and SELECT), systematic reviews, and meta-analyses. Additionally, this review discusses the possible mechanisms of selenium action that prevent cancer development.

Ions release behavior of vanadium-doped mesoporous bioactive glass particles and effect on BMSCs osteogenic differentiation via FAK/MAPK signaling pathway

Vanadium is an important trace element in bone to involve in bone metabolism, bone formation, and bone growth, but roles of various vanadium ions, especially pentavalent vanadium, in bone tissue...

Degradation Resistance and In Vitro Cytocompatibility of Iron-Containing Coatings Developed on WE43 Magnesium Alloy by Micro-Arc Oxidation

Iron (Fe) is an important trace element for life and plays vital functions in maintaining human health. In order to simultaneously endow magnesium alloy with good degradation resistance, improved cytocompatibility, and the proper Fe amount for the body accompanied with degradation of Mg alloy, Fe-containing ceramic coatings were fabricated on WE43 Mg alloy by micro-arc oxidation (MAO) in a nearly neutral pH solution with added 0, 6, 12, and 18 g/L ferric sodium ethylenediaminetetraacetate (NaFeY). The results show that compared with the bare Mg alloy, the MAO samples with developed Fe-containing ceramic coatings significantly improve the degradation resistance and in vitro cytocompatibility. Fe in anodic coatings is mainly present as Fe2O3. The increased NaFeY concentration favorably contributes to the enhancement of Fe content but is harmful to the degradation resistance of MAO coatings. Our study reveals that the developed Fe-containing MAO coating on Mg alloy exhibits potential in clinical applications.