Kinetic model of molybdenum metabolism developed from dual stable isotope excretion in men consuming a low molybdenum diet

A recycling systemic model for the biokinetics of molybdenum radionuclides

An overview of the available data on molybdenum biokinetics and metabolism in humans is presented, with special emphasis on the results of stable tracer studies conducted in recent years, after the publication of the systemic model for incorporated radionuclides of molybdenum recommended by the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP). On the basis of the presented information, a new structure for a compartmental model of molybdenum biokinetics, including the return of material from the organs back to the systemic circulation, was developed. The structure chosen is a compromise between the attempt to provide a realistic description of the biokinetics and the need to have a simple tool for dose estimation. The model consists of two compartments associated to the extracellulare fluids (blood plasma and interstitial fluids), liver, kidneys, and one generic compartment to represent all other tissues. The possibility of a direct excretion pathway into the urine was introduced, in order to correctly describe the rapid excretion as observed in the human studies. Reference values of the model parameters have been estimated taking into consideration that the amounts of radioactive molybdenum accidentally incorporated are negligible in comparison to the daily dietary intake of stable molybdenum.

Molybdenum intake influences molybdenum kinetics in men

The objectives of this study were to determine physiologic adaptations that occur when humans are exposed to a wide range of molybdenum intake levels and to identify the pathways that are influenced by dietary intake. Four males consumed each of 5 daily molybdenum intakes of 22, 72, 121, 467, and 1490 microg/d (0.23, 0.75, 1.3, 4.9, and 15.5 micromol/d) for 24 d each. During each treatment period, oral and intravenous doses of (100)Mo and (97)Mo were administered. Serial plasma, urine, and fecal samples were analyzed for labeled and unlabeled molybdenum. Compartmental modeling was used to determine rates of distribution and elimination at each dietary intake level. Three pathways were sensitive to daily molybdenum intake. With increasing intake, absorption and urinary molybdenum excretion increased, whereas the fraction deposited in tissues decreased. Kinetic analysis suggested a daily intake of 115-120 microg/d (1.20-1.25 micromol/d) would maintain initial plasma molybdenum levels at their prestudy values and that their prestudy dietary intake was well above the Recommended Dietary Allowance of 45 microg/d. The physiological adaptations to changing intake that the model demonstrated may help prevent molybdenum deficiency and toxicity.

Gut transport of a molybdenum/ascorbic acid complex

BACKGROUND

Relatively little work has been done on the absorption of trace elements in the mammalian small intestine. Recently, studies have demonstrated that a molybdenum/ascorbic acid complex has shown some promise as a potentially orally administered insulin-mimetic agent. However, the transport mechanism of the molybdenum/ascorbic acid complex is unknown. In this study we examine some aspects of the movement of the complex across the intestinal wall using measurements of elemental molybdenum as an indicator because it is not possible to measure the complex directly.

METHODS

Everted rat small intestine sacs were used to determine some aspects of the transport of the complex across the intestine. Intestinal sacs from five rats were incubated in a medium containing 1 g/L of the molybdenum complex. Sacs from a further five rats had 1 mmol/L of 2,4-dinitrophenol, a known inhibitor of oxidative phosphorylation, added to the incubation medium. In a second experiment, everted sacs from five rats were also incubated in media containing one of six concentrations of the molybdenum complex (0.5, 1, 2, 4, 8 or 10 g/L).

RESULTS

There was no significant difference between transport rates of groups with or without 2,4-dinitrophenol in the incubation medium, suggesting that the predominant mechanism of molybdenum transport is energy-independent. There was a significant positive, linear increase in the transport rate with increasing concentration of the molybdenum complex.

CONCLUSION

These data suggest that the predominant mechanism of this molybdenum/ascorbic acid complex transport in the small intestine is non-saturable and therefore not protein-mediated.

Molybdenum kinetics in men differ during molybdenum depletion and repletion

In this study we developed an expanded compartmental model of molybdenum (Mo) kinetics to determine rates of molybdenum distribution during molybdenum depletion and repletion. The model was based on a clinical study in which 4 men consumed a low-molybdenum diet of 22 microg/d (0.23 micromol/d) for 102 d, followed by a high molybdenum diet of 467 microg/d (4.9 micromol/d) for 18 d. Stable isotopes 100Mo and 97Mo were administered orally and intravenously, respectively, at several time points during the study, and serial samples of plasma, urine, and feces were analyzed for 100Mo, 97Mo, and total Mo. Based on plasma, urine, and fecal molybdenum levels, kinetic parameters of distribution and elimination were determined. The rates of molybdenum distribution and elimination were different during depletion and repletion. During high intake, urinary molybdenum excretion was greater than during low intake. In addition, fractional tissue storage of molybdenum was lower during high intake than during low intake. This suggests that low intake results in an adaptation to conserve body Mo, and that high intake results in an adaptation to eliminate Mo. The model also suggested that food-bound molybdenum was approximately 16% less bioavailable than purified Mo. Finally, under the conditions of this study, the model suggested that an intake of 43 microg/d (0.45 micromol/d) would be sufficient to maintain plasma molybdenum levels at steady state. This is a minimum estimate because subjects in this study were in a molybdenum-sparing state. These findings provide an understanding of the adaptations in molybdenum metabolism that take place during depletion and repletion.

A compartmental model of magnesium metabolism in healthy men based on two stable isotope tracers

The aim of this study was to build a compartmental model of magnesium (Mg) kinetics by using data collected from six healthy adult men after oral administration of 26Mg and intravenous administration of 25Mg. Blood, urine, and feces were collected for 12 days after administration of the isotopes. Isotopic ratios were determined by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry. Data were analyzed for each subject using SAAMII. We began with a compartmental model previously proposed (Avioli LV and Berman M. J Appl Physiol 21: 1688-1694, 1966) and developed an alternative approach to resolve the discrepancy between model-predicted curves and experimental data. This analysis enables the exploration of 25% of total body Mg that exchanges rapidly from plasma compartment with two extraplasma pools. One of the extraplasma compartments contains 80% of the exchangeable Mg with a transport rate of 48 +/- 13 mg/h. The second exchanges 179 +/- 88 mg of Mg/h. The model permitted estimation of kinetic parameters as well as fractional Mg absorption and fecal endogenous excretion.

Molybdenum metabolism: stable isotope studies in infancy

The essential trace element molybdenum (Mo) is bound to and required for the function of molybdoenzymes, e.g. sulfite and xanthine oxidase. Dietary recommendations for early infancy are based on limited knowledge about its metabolism. 100Mo was used as an extrinsic tag to study the absorption and kinetics of excretion in infancy. 10 infants with a gestational age of 35 (30-39) weeks, a birth weight of 2.0 (0.9-2.3) kg and a post-natal age of 20 (10-54) days were studied. They received 25 microg 100Mo/kg with a feed of human milk or formula. Fractional urinary and fecal collections were conducted preceding the 100Mo intake and for 48-72 hours afterwards. The materials were analyzed by atomic absorption spectroscopy and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. The median absorption of 100Mo intake was 97.5 (96.3 to 99.1) %. The retention of nutritive Mo intake and 100Mo in the study period was 11.2 (3.8-15.7) microg Mo/kg, equivalent to 35.7 (12.7-55.6) %. The Mo concentration increased to a peak value in urine within 8 (6-13) hours and in feces within 24 (7-48.5) hours. In addition, increases of copper in feces and urine were observed in 8 of 9 infants studied. Mo given orally is well resorbed in premature infants, and predominantly excreted in the urine. Dietary recommendations should prevent excessive intakes in infancy.

Molybdenum supplementation in phenylketonuria diets: adequate in early infancy?

BACKGROUND

Molybdenum concentrations in formulas exceed those in human milk by far. Infants with phenylketonuria require semisynthetic phenylalanine-restricted diets. Because these diets are presently supplemented with molybdenum, a study was conducted to determine whether retention and plasma concentration in the recipients are equivalent to those of healthy breast-fed infants.

METHODS

Balance and plasma studies were conducted in healthy breast-fed infants (n = 17) and in patients with phenylketonuria (n = 4) at the age of 4 weeks, and the plasma investigations were repeated at the ages of 4 and 12 months. The samples were analyzed by atomic absorption spectroscopy (balance studies) and high-resolution inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (plasma).

RESULTS

Molybdenum intake and retention in all infants with phenylketonuria were more than 18 times those of breast-fed infants. The plasma concentrations reflected these differences. A median of 0.04 microg/l was assessed in breast-fed infants at 4 weeks and less than 0.02 microg/l at 4 months of age. Comparative results of infants with phenylketonuria were 2.9 microg/l and 2.5 microg/l, respectively. There were no significant differences between the groups at 12 months of age.

CONCLUSIONS

The phenylketonuria diets investigated showed excessive retention and plasma concentrations of the essential trace element molybdenum in early infancy. In view of these findings, the present practice of molybdenum fortification should be revised.

Molybdenum absorption and utilization in humans from soy and kale intrinsically labeled with stable isotopes of molybdenum

BACKGROUND

Stable-isotope studies of molybdenum metabolism have been conducted in which molybdenum was added to the diet and was assumed to be absorbed and utilized similarly to the molybdenum in foods.

OBJECTIVE

Our objective was to establish whether the molybdenum in foods is metabolized similarly to molybdenum added to the diet.

DESIGN

We first studied whether sufficient amounts of molybdenum stable isotopes could be incorporated into wheat, kale, and soy for use in a human study. Enough molybdenum could be incorporated into soy and kale to study molybdenum absorption and excretion. Two studies were then conducted, one in women and one in men. In the first study, each meal contained approximately 100 microg Mo from soy, kale, and extrinsic molybdenum. In the second study, soy and extrinsic molybdenum were compared; the meal contained approximately 300 microg Mo.

RESULTS

In the first study, molybdenum was absorbed equally well from kale and an extrinsic source. However, the molybdenum in soy was less well absorbed than the molybdenum in kale or that added to the diet. In the second study, absorption of molybdenum from soy was less than from the extrinsic label. Urinary excretion of soy molybdenum was also lower than urinary excretion of the extrinsic label, but excretion as a percentage of the absorbed dose was not significantly different between treatments.

CONCLUSIONS

The molybdenum in soy is less available than molybdenum added to the diet, but the molybdenum in kale is as available as molybdenum added to the diet. Once absorbed, excretion is not significantly different for soy, kale, and extrinsic molybdenum.

Kinetic analysis and comparison of uptake, distribution, and excretion of 48V-labeled compounds in rats

Vanadium has been found to be orally active in lowering plasma glucose levels; thus it provides a potential treatment for diabetes mellitus. Bis(maltolato)oxovanadium(IV) (BMOV) is a well-characterized organovanadium compound that has been shown in preliminary studies to have a potentially useful absorption profile. Tissue distributions of BMOV compared with those of vanadyl sulfate (VS) were studied in Wistar rats by using 48V as a tracer. In this study, the compounds were administered in carrier-added forms by either oral gavage or intraperitoneal injection. Data analyzed by a compartmental model, by using simulation, analysis, and modeling (i.e., SAAM II) software, showed a pattern of increased tissue uptake with use of 48V-BMOV compared with 48VS. The highest 48V concentrations at 24 h after gavage were in bone, followed by kidney and liver. Most ingested 48V was eliminated unabsorbed by fecal excretion. On average, 48V concentrations in bone, kidney, and liver 24 h after oral administration of 48V-BMOV were two to three times higher than those of 48VS, which is consistent with the increased glucose-lowering potency of BMOV in acute glucose lowering compared with VS.