Relation between trace element levels in plasma and myocardium during coxsackievirus B3 myocarditis in the mouse

During most infections the plasma levels of trace elements change, but it i s not clear if this reflects changes in the infected tissues. Coxsackieviru s B3 (CB3) infection may result in viral replication, subsequent inflammati on and changed trace element levels in the myocardium. In the present study , the trace element levels in the plasma and heart of adult male A/J mice w ere determined during the pre-inflammatory stage (day 4) of CB3 myocarditis for the following trace elements: aluminium (Al), arsenic (As), calcium (C a), cobalt (Co), copper (Cu), iron (Fe), magnesium (Mg), manganese (Mn), se lenium (Se), silver (Ag), vanadium (V) and zinc (Zn). The severity of the i nfection was assessed through clinical signs of disease and trace element l evels were measured through inductively-coupled plasma mass-spectrometry (I CP-MS). In the heart, the levels decreased for V (59%; p < 0.01), Co (38%; p < 0.01), Al (81%; p < 0.01), As (66%; p < 0.01) and Se (16%; p < 0.01). I ncreased levels were detected for Mn (13%; p < 0.05), Fe (48%; p < 0.01), C u (34%; p < 0.01) and Ag (46%; p < 0.01). In the plasma, decreases were det ected in the level of Zn (32%; p < 0.05), whereas increases were seen in Mn (362%; p < 0.05), Fe (272%; p < 0.01), Co (71%; p < 0.05), Cu (25%; n.s.) and Mg (43%; p < 0.01) levels. A correlation was found between the levels i n plasma and myocardium for Co (r(s)=-0.636; p < 0.05), Fe (r(s)=0.764; p < 0.05), Mn (r(s)=0.682; p < 0.05) and Mg (r(s)=-0.791; p < 0.05). Thus, det ermination of some of these trace elements in the plasma may be useful to i ndicate target tissue involvement in the early pre- inflammatory stage of a n infectious disease. Some of these elements are important nutrients for th e immune system, while others may be associated with the development of dis ease complications, such as cardiac arrhythmias.