Trace element concentration in the human pineal body activation analysis of cobalt, iron, rubidium, selenium, zinc, antimony and cesium

Analysis of the Influence of Zn Excess in the Pineal Gland by Total Reflection X-ray Fluorescence

“…This finding is strengthened by evidence that higher levels of Zn were found in the pineal gland [48] of some animals (calves, cows and pigs) [49]. Particularly, in the human pineal gland and in some brain tumors it has been reported a beneficial association between high zinc content and specific physiological roles [6,49,50,51,52]. In mammalian cells approximately 98% of the total Zn concentration in the body is intracellular, and only a small portion accumulates in the extracellular matrix.…”

“…In mammalian cells approximately 98% of the total Zn concentration in the body is intracellular, and only a small portion accumulates in the extracellular matrix. Neurons containing "free ionic zinc" (Zn2+) are found in various areas of the brain, including the cortex, amygdala, olfactory bulb, hippocampal neurons, and pineal, which appear to have the highest concentration of zinc in the brain [9,10,51,52]. The intracellular homeostasis of Zn is regulated by membrane importers and exporters, known as zinc carriers and these are divided into two distinct families: the ZIP and ZnT families [42,52,53,54,55,56].…”

“…Neurons containing "free ionic zinc" (Zn2+) are found in various areas of the brain, including the cortex, amygdala, olfactory bulb, hippocampal neurons, and pineal, which appear to have the highest concentration of zinc in the brain [9,10,51,52]. The intracellular homeostasis of Zn is regulated by membrane importers and exporters, known as zinc carriers and these are divided into two distinct families: the ZIP and ZnT families [42,52,53,54,55,56]. ZIP transporters mediate the influx of Zn into the cytoplasm, resulting in an increased level of intracellular zinc: the ZnT family acts to reduce intracellular zinc by promoting its efflux from cells or intracellular vesicles [57][58][59].…”

Fluoride and Pineal Gland

“…Therefore, unlike most other brain structures, the pineal gland has open access to blood and all of its components. Extremely rich vascularization and no significant restrictions in transport from the bloodstream make it possible for the pineal gland to accumulate significant amounts of various substances, mainly, calcium [58,[61][62][63][64][65][66]; microelements such as cobalt, zinc, and selenium [67]; and fluoride [52][53][54]. The basic function of the pineal gland is the production and secretion of melatonin [58,64], a hormone found in all vertebrates [60], including humans, which regulates circadian rhythms such as the sleep-wake cycle [64] (Figure 2).…”

The distribution of arsenic and cobalt in patients with laryngeal carcinoma

“…Two groups of subjects were considered: group I, 11 suffering from laryngeal carcinoma. None of the patients had received blood transfusion, radiation, or hormones before the samples were taken.…”