Among the physiologic elements, a number of significant changes were seen, including both rising and falling values.
Accordingly, we examined the tissue levels of several physiologic elements (Ca, cobalt, copper, iron, manganese, magnesium, molybdenum, zinc) using ICP mass spectrometry as the detection modality.
Given that we are primarily interested in determining if monensin might be useful in the treatment of Pb intoxication, we focus first on whether or not the ionophore given alone perturbs physiologic elements.
Some further insight into these types of questions is obtained by examining Table 1, which shows tissue levels of physiologic elements in rats that had received Pb and levels in rats that had not been exposed.
Considering the former comparison first, and for the physiologic elements, monensin altered the levels of Ca, Co, Cu, Fe, and Zn in one or more tissues, more so than did DMSA alone, whereas the levels Mg, Mn, and Mo were not affected statistically.
Within this last area of interest, and among the physiologic elements, monensin plus DMSA produced a change in one or more tissues in all cases except Ca. Co rose in kidney, heart, and femur, but these changes were again tending to reverse declines that otherwise occurred in rats that were not treated.
However, this model does not consider the possibility that the mere presence of the source of a stressor presents a psychologic reaction in individuals or communities, creating a psychosocial stress that can contribute to disease and may have physiologic elements such as elevated stress hormones.
When observed, these perturbations were sometimes much larger than what was seen with physiologic elements (e.g., the 2- to 4-fold rise of Cr and Ni in liver during treatment with monensin plus DMSA), supporting the prospects for increased toxicity.
On the other hand, none of the non-physiologic elements was being administered beyond the trace quantities presumably present in diet, water, and the general environment provided to the rats.
