Evaluation the Effects of Copper, Zinc and Aluminum on Plasma Coagulation and Fibrinolysis Indices

Myocardial infarction as a leading cause of death in most populations is associated with blood clot formation in coronary artery, and rapid clot lysis is important for patient treatment. Some reports have indicated the effects of some trace elements on blood coagulation and clot lysis. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of zinc, copper and aluminum on in-vitro coagulation and clot lysis by streptokinase.

The citrated fasting fresh-pooled plasma prepared from healthy individuals was divided to zinc, copper, aluminum and control groups. Calcium chloride and streptokinase were used for induction of plasma coagulation and Fibrinolysis, respectively. Clot formation and lysis were monitored turbidimetrically, and quantitative parameters including lag time for coagulation, clot lysis, time of coagulation and time for half lysis were calculated after plotting a kinetic curve of time versus absorbance. SPSS software and independent t-test were used for statistical analysis.

In comparison with control, addition of zinc reduced lag time of coagulation(216.8±4.4 vs 229.2±2.6 sec, P= 0.001) and copper reduced coagulation time(194.4±3.7 vs 280±3.5 sec, P= 0.001). Addition of aluminum increased lag time for coagulation(563.6±8.8 Sec, P= 0.001), lag time for clot lysis(194±3.6 sec, P= 0.001), coagulation time(484±7 sec, P= 0.001), and time for half lysis of clot (328.4±6.1 sec, P=0.001).

Results indicated that essential trace elements including zinc and copper at low levels do not have important effects on coagulation and fibrinolysis, but aluminum as a toxic element affects these processes and partially inhibits them even at very low levels.