Bones, human minerals

Hughes, D.E., Salter, D.M., Dedhar, S., et al. (1993) Integrin expression in human bone. Journal of Bone and Mineral Research 8 527-533... 

Salter, D.M., Robb, J.E. and Wright, M.O. (1997) Electrophysiological responses of human bone cells to mechanical stimulation evidence for specific integrin function in mechanotransduction. Journal of Bone and Mineral Research 12 1133-1141... 

As demonstrated by this table, a wide variety of samples has been adopted since 1970, among which are liquid milk, animal bones, human bones, foods, low-level radioactive liquid waste, ground water, mineral water, river sediment, seaweed, pond water, fresh water fish, cereals, seawater, rain water, drinking water, soil, and vegetation. 

Aoshima K, Iwata K, Kasuya M. Environmental exposure to cadmium and effects on human health. Part 2. Bone and mineral metabolism In inhabitants of the cadmium-polluted JInzu River basin In Toyama Prefecture. Jpn J Hyg (In Japanese) 1988 43 864-871. 

Mooney, D.J., W.L. Murphy, S. Hsiong, T.P. Richardson, and C.A. Simmons, Effects of a bone-like mineral film on phenotype of adult human mesenchymal stem cells in vitro. Biomaterials, 2005,26 303-10. 

Mineralizing tissue in humans consists of bone and teeth. These biominerals differ in a number of ways with respect to lead deposition and lead toxicokinetics. By and large, bone is the larger repository of lead in humans and is the more complex mineralizing tissue in terms of deposited Pb. Bone Pb can be readily resorbed and serve as a source of endogenous Pb exposure long after initial transport to and deposition in the various bone subcompartments. Table 8.9 presents illustrative summaries of Pb distributions and accumulations in human mineralizing tissues. 

Viggeswarapu, M., Bargouti, M., Teklemariam, M., Baker, N., Rogers, C., Zhu, L., Titus, L., and Boden, S. D. 2005. Increasing Bmp responsiveness in human mesenchymal stem cells in vitro by addition of the osteoinductive Lmp-1 gene. Journal of Bone and Mineral Research, 20, S359-S359. 

Viggeswarapu, M., Kim, H., Boden, S. D., Hair, G. A., Oliver, C., and Titus, L. 2002. Overcoming the immune response to permit ex vivo gene therapy for spine fusion using human type 5 adenovirus to deliver Lim mineralization protein-1 (Lmp-1) cdna. Journal of Bone and Mineral Research, 17,M45. 

In the treatment of diseases where the metaboUtes are not being deUvered to the system, synthetic metaboUtes or active analogues have been successfully adrninistered. Vitamin metaboUtes have been successfully used for treatment of milk fever ia catde, turkey leg weakness, plaque psoriasis, and osteoporosis and renal osteodystrophy ia humans. Many of these clinical studies are outlined ia References 6, 16, 40, 51, and 141. The vitamin D receptor complex is a member of the gene superfamily of transcriptional activators, and 1,25 dihydroxy vitamin D is thus supportive of selective cell differentiation. In addition to mineral homeostasis mediated ia the iatestiae, kidney, and bone, the metaboUte acts on the immune system, P-ceUs of the pancreas (iasulin secretion), cerebellum, and hypothalamus. 

In frames of the present work the problems of elemental analysis of human bio-substrates (blood semm, hair and bones) are diseussed. Sample pretreatment proeedures using ash and mineral aeids digestion were developed. The main sourees of systematie errors were studied and their elimination ways were suggested. 

We proposed to study diet and health by combining bone chemistry and histomorphometry. Diet would be determined by analysis of stable isotopes of carbon and nitrogen in bone protein and some preserved hair. In addition, trace elements would be quantitatively analyzed in preserved bone mineral. Abonyi (1993) participated in the study by reconstructing the diet from historical sources and analyzing various foods. Having analyzed human tissues for stable isotopes and trace elements, and foods for the same variables, we hoped to learn more about 19th century diet in southern Ontario, and at the same time, learn more about paleodiet reconstruction. 

Table 1.4. Trace elemeni daia for human bone mineral samples (ppm).

The examples discussed above suggest useful directions for future research involving trace element analysis of bones. Specifically, the effects of developmental age and other factors (e.g., porosity, mineralization) that may lead to differences in surface area of specimens should be considered. Diage-netic effects should be monitored by analysis of a suite of elements whose abundances are not controlled by dietary abundances (e.g., Mn, Zr, etc.). Finally, although alkaline elements such as Sr and Ba are most likely to reflect the Sr/Ca and Ba/Ca levels of the diet, omnivores such as humans are likely to obtain the majority of these elements from plants rather than from animals. Therefore for accmate diet reconstruction it is necessary to determine the total abundance of Ca as and the Sr/Ca and Ba/Ca ratios of the plant and animal resources that were potential dietary staples. The effects of culinary practices on elemental abundances (Burton and Wright 1995 Katzenberg et al. this volume) must also be evaluated. 

Figure 9.4. Non-proteinogenetic amino acids in NCP s from all archaeological human bones. The values are the averages of all archaeological human bone samples taken together (cf Table 9.1). Dark columns mineral-bound NCP light columns serum proteins. Most non-proteinogenic amino acids are extracted with the serum proteins.

Schoeninger, M.J. (1985). Trophic level effects on 15N/14N and 13G/12C ratios in bone collagen and strontium levels in bone mineral. Journal of Human Evolution, Vol.l4, pp. 515-525. 

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