Biologically active metals in human tissues. I. The effect of age and sex on the concentration of copper in aorta, heart, kidney, liver, lung, pancreas and skeletal muscle.

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Abstract
Autopsy specimens of aorta, heart, kidney, liver, lung, pancreas and skeletal muscle were collected from 86 accident victims. The Cu concentration in each tissue was determined with atomic absorption spectrophotometry. The descending order of the tissues in respect to Cu concentration was: liver, heart, kidney, pancreas, lung, muscle and aorta. No significant difference was found in the Cu levels of samples from male and female autopsies. When the effect of age on the average Cu concentration was studied, liver and kidney showed a decreasing concentration up to maturity, the Cu concentration in pancreas and skeletal muscle showed a continuous decline with increasing age, and there was no clear-cut effect of age on the Cu concentration of heart, lung and aorta. The Finnish population does not differ, on the average, from other populations with respect to tissue Cu concentrations.