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Menopause effect on blood Fe and Cu isotope compositions
Author(s) -
Jaouen Klervia,
Balter Vincent
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
american journal of physical anthropology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.146
H-Index - 119
eISSN - 1096-8644
pISSN - 0002-9483
DOI - 10.1002/ajpa.22430
Subject(s) - menopause , isotope , copper , human blood , isotope fractionation , chemistry , physiology , fractionation , endocrinology , biology , metallurgy , materials science , chromatography , physics , quantum mechanics
Iron (δ 56 Fe) and copper (δ 65 Cu) stable isotope compositions in blood of adult human include a sex effect, which still awaits a biological explanation. Here, we investigate the effect of menopause by measuring blood δ 56 Fe and δ 65 Cu values of aging men and women. The results show that, while the Fe and Cu isotope compositions of blood of men are steady throughout their lifetime, postmenopausal women exhibit blood δ 65 Cu values similar to men, and δ 56 Fe values intermediate between men and premenopausal women. The residence time of Cu and Fe in the body likely explains why the blood δ 65 Cu values, but not the δ 56 Fe values, of postmenopausal women resemble that of men. We suggest that the Cu and Fe isotopic fractionation between blood and liver resides in the redox reaction occurring during hepatic solicitation of Fe stores. This reaction affects the Cu speciation, which explains why blood Cu isotope composition is impacted by the cessation of menstruations. Considering that Fe and Cu sex differences are recorded in bones, we believe this work has important implications for their use as a proxy of sex or age at menopause in past populations. Am J Phys Anthropol 153:280–285, 2014. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.