Minor and Trace Elements in Whole Blood, Tissues, Proteins and Immunoglobulins of Mammals

Microelements play different important roles in many physiological processes in all biological systems in both normal physiological and pathological conditions. They take part in the transport of nutrients and gases, support temperature, acid-base balance, homeostasis of the human organisms, maternal and child mental health, the functioning of enzymes, protein and DNA syntheses, cytoskeleton activation, etc. We have performed simultaneous determination of a number of minor and trace elements in whole blood and tissues of mammals by two-jet plasma atomic emission spectrometry (TJP-AES). TJP-AES allows direct analysis of powders without wet acid digestion and can be used for analysis of both large and small amount of the sample, which is important for biomedical investigations with humans and experimental animals. In addition, a content of different elements in preparations of human immunoglobulins was estimated by TJP-AES as well as using different physicochemical methods, the functional role of metal ions in antibodies functioning was analyzed. The analysis of the relative activity of antibodies with catalytic activity (abzymes) in the hydrolysis of DNA, RNA, proteins, peptides and oxidation-reduction reactions and the role of metal ions in the catalysis of these reactions by abzymes were carried out.