Y. Tohno et al., AGE-RELATED-CHANGES OF MINERAL CONTENTS IN THE HUMAN AORTA AND INTERNAL THORACIC ARTERY, Biological trace element research, 61(2), 1998, pp. 219-226
To elucidate accumulations of minerals in the human aorta and internal
thoracic artery, their relative contents (RCs) of minerals were analy
zed by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry. Aortas
from 47 men and 24 women subjects were examined. The ages of these su
bjects ranged from newborn to 99 yr. After the age of 40 yr, RCs of ca
lcium and phosphorus began to increase, and thereafter increased stepw
ise in the 50s and 70s. In the 70s, their accumulations were markedly
increased. Internal thoracic arteries from 16 men and 7 women subjects
were examined. These subjects ranged in age from 65-93 yr. It was fou
nd that all the RCs of calcium were low, <5.0 mg/g dry wt, and there w
as no age-dependent increase of calcium contents in internal thoracic
arteries.