Quantitative analysis of copper, zinc and copper/zinc ratio in selected human brain tumors

Abstract

Serum copper and zinc concentrations and copper/zinc ratios have been shown to be increased in several types of human malignancies, including human brain tumors. In this study, copper and zinc levels and copper/zinc ratios were determined by atomic absorption analysis in tissue and serum from 29 primary and metastatic brain tumor patients. Metastatic carcinomas and malignant gliomas revealed significantly higher tissue copper concentrations than control tissues and meningiomas. Malignant gliomas demonstrated significantly higher tissue copper/zinc ratios. Both serum copper and copper/zinc ratio were significantly higher in the metastatic carcinoma group than control; however, serum copper levels in malignant glioma patients were not significantly different from control tissues. There were no differences both in the serum and the tissue concentrations of these trace elements in meningiomas and controls. These data suggested that copper, an important angiogenic factors, is accumulated within the malignant tissues of metastatic carcinoma and malignant glioma, but not meningiomas. These findings may have implications regarding angiogenesis in these tumors.

Thiram inhibits angiogenesis and slows the development of experimental tumours in mice

“…None of these enzymes is copper dependent. Our data is consistent with previous findings demonstrating copper ions are involved in the sequence of events leading to angiogenesis (Raju et al, 1982;McAuslan et al, 1983), that cornea colonised by capillaries induced by an angiogenic factor become rich in copper ions Gullino, 1986), and that depletion of copper by diet or by penicillamine inhibited brain tumour angiogenesis and growth (Brem et al, 1990a,b;Yoshida et al, 1993Yoshida et al, , 1995. It cannot be excluded that chelation of copper by TR may exert an anti-angiogenic effect in addition to SOD-1 inhibition.…”

Resveratrol–Cu(II) induced DNA breakage in human peripheral lymphocytes: Implications for anticancer properties

“…Our idea is strengthened by a number of other observations mentioned earlier [32]. More significantly it has been proposed that most clinically used anticancer drugs can activate late events of apoptosis (DNA degradation and morphological changes), and the essential signaling pathway differs between pharmacological cell death and physiological induction of cell death [33], Cu ++ and Zn ++ are the major metal ions present in the nucleus [34], serum [35] and tissue [36] concentrations of copper are greatly increased in various malignancies. Copper ions from chromatin can be mobilized by metal chelating agents giving rise to internucleosomal DNA fragmentation a property which is the hallmark of cells undergoing apoptosis [37].…”

Pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate-zinc(II) and -copper(II) complexes induce apoptosis in tumor cells by inhibiting the proteasomal activity

“…Having these important physiologic functions, it is not surprising that the concentrations of both zinc and copper are tightly regulated in an organism (Maverakis et al, 2007;Labbe and Thiele, 1999). Interestingly, disturbed zinc homeostasis and the elevated copper level have been reported in many types of cancer, including breast, prostate, lung, and brain (Geraki et al, 2002;Nayak et al, 2003;Diez et al, 1989;Yoshida et al, 1993).…”