الفهرس 
CURRENT CONCEPTS IN THE PHYSIOLOGYOnly 14 pages are availabe for public view
 |  | from | 359 |  |  |
| | | from | 359 | | |
Abstract
Many of the heavy metals (trace elements) are known to
be essential for normal health, function and development,
although relatively small amounts (milligrams or
micrograms) are required to be absorbed each day to
maintain balance. Most essential trace element are
biochemically functional as metalloproteins, usually
as enzyme cofactors.
Further, while most of the ancient medicines are
now seen to be outdated and irrelevant, and, hence,
have been discarded, the use of heavey metals (trace
elements) as drugs has an impressive pedijree. In
addition, metals have also been employed for more disreputable
purposes such as murder, suicide
gal abortion.
and ille-
During the past two decades, remarkable advances
have taken place in the field of trace-element researsh.
However, though the toxicity of trace-elements has
been extensively investigated, little attention was
drawn to their effects on the blood coagulation mechanism
and its ally, the fibrinolytic system. In fact,
data on the effects of some metals in this respect are
derived from clinical observations in cases of accidenta!
or suicidal poisoning as well as few scattered experimental reports on either blood clotting, fibrinolytic
process or platelet function.
It was, thus, stimulating to study the interaction
of some metal salts with elements of blood clotting,
fibrinolysis and platelet function in more detail