silicon and Amyotrophic-Lateral-Sclerosis

Silicon and phosphorus contents in polished and unpolished rice planted in a district of high incidence of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) have been determined by neutron activation and X-ray fluorescence methods, and compared with those from control areas. In the neutron activation analysis, beta-ray spectra of 32P produced by the 31P(n, gamma)32P reaction on polished and unpolished rice were measured with a low background beta-ray spectrometer. In the X-ray fluorescence analysis, characteristic X-rays were analyzed with a wavelength dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectrometer. Silicon contents in polished and unpolished rice from the ALS area are 42 micrograms.g-1 and 370 micrograms.g-1, respectively, and the corresponding phosphorus contents are 1,210 micrograms.g-1, and 3,370 micrograms.g-1, respectively. The data for ALS area are equal to those for the control area within standard deviation.

Topics: Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis; Diet; Humans; Japan; Neutron Activation Analysis; Oryza; Phosphorus; Silicon; Spectrometry, X-Ray Emission

Topics: Aluminum; Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis; Calcium; Dementia; Guam; Hippocampus; Histocytochemistry; Humans; Neurons; Parkinson Disease; Silicon