Abstract
IN view of the biological importance of molybdenum in enzyme systems, the metabolism of molybdenum in man was investigated. Molybdenum distribution in animals and man has been studied, and the greatest concentrations were found in the liver and kidney1,2. In most species the main route of excretion of molybdenum is via the kidney1,3. Investigations in the rat using molybdenum isotopes showed that about one-third of the dose is excreted in the urine and that the fæcal excretion is minimal4. The recent availability of molybdenum-99 as a tracer prompted the examination of the blood-levels and excretions of this isotope in man. The work was carried out in four patients. A single tracer dose of 50–100 µc. molybdenum-99 was injected intravenously. The molybdenum-99-levels in plasma and whole blood were determined at 2-, 4-, 8-, and 24-h intervals following the injection of the tracer. The urinary and faecal excretions were determined for periods of 5–13 days. Table 1 lists the age, sex, and diagnosis of these patients.
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ROSOFF, B., SPENCER, H. Fate of Molybdenum-99 in Man. Nature 202, 410–411 (1964). https://doi.org/10.1038/202410a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/202410a0
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