Correlations Between Trace Elements in Selected Locations of the Human Brain in Individuals with Alcohol Use Disorder

Abstract

Trace element distribution varies in different locations of the human brain. Several elements were found to cause various negative effects, such as neurodegeneration. In this paper, we analyzed the interactions between seven trace elements: zinc (Zn), selenium (Se), manganese (Mg), iron (Fe), copper (Cu), chromium (Cr) and cobalt (Co) in individuals with alcohol use disorder (AUD) and individuals without (control group). Brain tissue samples from 31 individuals with AUD and 31 control subjects were harvested. Inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry was used for trace element determination. In the control group, there were several positive correlations between Cr, Cu, Fe and Mn. In the AUD group, positive correlations between Co and Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Zn were found. The majority of correlations between Zn and other elements are positive. In the studied group, Mn had strong positive correlations with Co, Cr, Cu and Fe. The strongest positive correlation found between average element concentration was between Cu and Cr. The knowledge of kinetics and metabolism of trace elements as well as the impact of alcohol on these processes is essential for understanding the pathological processes and functioning of human brain tissue.

Magnesium, Calcium, Potassium, Sodium, Phosphorus, Selenium, Zinc, and Chromium Levels in Alcohol Use Disorder: A Review

“…Currently, it is believed that the toxic effects of alcohol on organs are mainly associated with the activity of alcohol metabolites, induction of oxidative stress, and translocation of intestinal endotoxins into the bloodstream [ 17 , 18 , 19 , 20 ]. These processes lead to cell damage and stimulation of inflammatory reactions releasing a large number of cytokines, among others such as TNF-alpha and IL-6 [ 21 , 22 ].…”

Beyond the Mind—Serum Trace Element Levels in Schizophrenic Patients: A Systematic Review

“…The onset of psychiatric conditions or exaggerations of their symptoms might be induced by numerous factors including genetic predispositions, infections, inflammations, trace elements and vitamin levels, severe stress, postpartum complications, intellectual disability, neurodegenerative diseases, trauma, stimulants, and socio-economic and psychological factors [ 24 , 25 , 26 , 27 , 28 , 29 , 30 , 31 ]. The importance of various trace elements’ concentrations in human organisms cannot be underestimated since they are a crucial factor responsible for either induction or exaggeration of numerous disease symptoms ( Table 1 ) [ 32 , 33 , 34 , 35 , 36 , 37 , 38 ].…”

Chronic Alcohol Abuse Alters Hepatic Trace Element Concentrations-Metallomic Study of Hepatic Elemental Composition by Means of ICP-OES

“…Although these correlations have not reached statistical significance, they shed new light on the complex processes of homeostasis in trace element metabolism. So far, such intercorrelations have been tracked by our team in body fluids such as fluid from the anterior chamber of the human eye [ 42 , 43 ], and in tissues collected post mortem from various sites of the human brain [ 12 , 13 , 44 , 45 ]. Our research to date has confirmed that in the case of disturbance of physiological processes that take place in eye diseases (cataracts), AUD, or are the result of medical procedures such as hemodialysis [ 44 ], there are visible changes in the intercorrelation matrices.…”

“…For calibration, we used ICP commercial analytical standards (Romil, Cambridge, UK). The conditions of measurements and validation parameters were described previously [ 12 ]. The uncertainty for the whole analytical process was at the level of 20%.…”

“…Consequently, binge drinking leads to the progression of alcohol-use disorder (AUD), increasing the likelihood of developing alcoholic neuropathy, heart failure, and chronic pancreatitis [ 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 ]. The daily consumption of pure alcohol, which may cause the aforementioned clinical conditions, is estimated at 20 g and 40 g in women and men, respectively [ 11 , 12 ]. Polish men drink over 3 times more alcohol than women (18.7 vs. 5.6 L of pure alcohol annually), which corresponds to an average of 43.7 and 12.3 g of alcohol per day [ 3 ].…”