Biochemistry of the normal dura mater of the human brain determination of water, sodium, potassium, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, copper, iron, sulfur and nitrogen contents

A series of investigations has evidenced, in the blood serum of patients with several types of neoplasms, an increase of the concentrations of sulfur 15 . 16 1 , comparing the composition of a spongioblastoma with the normal grey matter, found higher values of K, lower values of Mg and P, and similar levels of Na. Higher concentrations of Ca were found in two-thirds of 25 gliomas studied by Wender and Hierowski 32 ; in 60 per cent of the cases Na was increased, while K was lowered; in a third of cases, however, K levels were higher than in normal brain tissue. Studying the Taiochemistry of 9 astrocytomas, 10 glioblastomas and 10 medulloblastomas as compared to the normal brain tissue, Canelas et al. 6 found higher contents of Ca, Cu and Mg, irrespective of the histological pattern; the levels of Na were higher in astrocytomas and glioblastomas, K showed a trend to higher levels in astrocytomas, and the values of P were higher in glioblastomas and medulloblastomas.In a survey of the literature on meningiomas we have only found studies on some organic components of the tumors, such as fatty acids, phospholipides, lipides in general, and mucopolysaccharides.A study has been made of Cu, ceruloplasmin, Mg and S contents in the blood serum of patients with meningiomas, as well as of Cu, Mg, Ca, P, K and Na concentrations in the tumor itself. The results were compared with the normal values in the serum and in the dura mater (it is well

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“…for ceruloplasmin. The results 'were compared with the normal values in the blood serum VW 2 and in the human dura mater 5 .…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…known that meningiomas arise in the arachnoid membrane; however, owing to the difficulties for the isolated removal of the arachnoid, the concen trations in the normal dura mater of human brain 5 were used as control in the comparative studies, a method already adopted by Cain et al * in a similar investigation).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%