Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Clinical Effects of Cesium Intake

  • Published:
Biological Trace Element Research Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The knowledge about cesium metabolism and toxicity is sparse. Oral intake of cesium chloride has been widely promoted on the basis of the hypothesis referred to as “high pH cancer therapy”, a complimentary alternative medicine method for cancer treatment. However, no properly confirmed tumor regression was reported so far in all probability because of neither theoretical nor experimental grounds for this proposal. The aim of the present review was to resume and discuss the material currently available on cesium salts and their applications in medicine. The presence of cesium in the cell does not guarantee high pH of its content, and there is no clinical evidence to support the claims that cancer cells are vulnerable to cesium. Cesium is relatively safe; signs of its mild toxicity are gastrointestinal distress, hypotension, syncope, numbness, or tingling of the lips. Nevertheless, total cesium intakes of 6 g/day have been found to produce severe hypokalemia, hypomagnesemia, prolonged QTc interval, episodes of polymorphic ventricular tachycardia, with or without torsade de pointes, and even acute heart arrest. However, full information on its acute and chronic toxicity is not sufficiently known. Health care providers should be aware of the cardiac complications, as a result of careless cesium usage as alternative medicine.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Moore B (1911) In memory of Sidney ringer [1835–1910]: some account of the fundamental discoveries of the great pioneer of the biochemistry of crystallo-colloids in living cells. J Biochem 5:i.b3–xix

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Braverman ER, Sohler A, Pfeiffer CC (1988) Cesium chloride: preventive medicine for radioactive cesium exposure? Med Hypotheses 26:93–95

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Brewer KA (1984) The high pH therapy for cancer tests on mice and humans. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 21(Suppl 1):1–5

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Shogg D, West D, Holler FJ, Crouch SR (2005) Fundamental analytical chemistry, 8th edn. Thomson, Australia

    Google Scholar 

  5. Centeno JA, Pestaner JP, Omalu BI, Torres NL, Field F, Wagner G, Mullick FG (2003) Blood and tissue concentration of cesium after exposure to cesium chloride. Biol Trace Elem Res 94:97–104

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Melo DR, Lipsztein JH, Oliveira SA, Lundgren DL, Muggenburg BA, Guilmette RA (1997) A biokinetic model for 137Cs. Health Phys 73:320–332

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Lawnorder. Case study: accidental leakage of cesium-137 in Goiania, Brazil in 1987. Available at: http://lawnorder.blogspot.com/2003/03/case-study-accidenal-leakage-of.html

  8. Argonne National Laboratory, EVS (2005) Cesium. Human Health Fact Sheet. Available at: http://www.ead.anl.gov/pub/doc/Cesium.pdf

  9. Räälf CL, Falk R, Thornberg C, Zakaria M, Mattsson S (2004) Human metabolism of radiocaesium revisited. Radiat Prot Dosim 112:395–404

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Greenwood NN, Earnshow A (1984) Chemistry of the elements. Pergamon, Oxford

    Google Scholar 

  11. Vlasov KA (1966) Mineralogy of rare elements, vol 2. Nauka, Moscow

    Google Scholar 

  12. Ghoshi A, Sharma A, Talukder G (1993) Effects of cesium on cellular systems. Biol Trace Elem Res 38:165–172

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Williams LR, Leggett RW (1987) The distribution of intracellular alkali metals in reference man. Phys Med Biol 32:173–190

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Cseke JL, Kaufman PB, Polila GK, Tsai Ch-J (2004) Handbook of molecular and cellular methods in biology and medicine, 2nd edn. CRC, Boca Raton

    Google Scholar 

  15. Leggett RW, Williams LR (2003) A physiologically based biokinetic model for cesium in the human body. Sci Total Environ 317:235–255 See references therein

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  16. Lin W, Mota de Freitas D, Zhang O, Olsen KW (1999) Nuclear magnetic resonance and oxygen affinity study of cesium binding in human erythrocytes. Arch Biochem Biophys 369:78–88

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  17. Rosoff B, Cohn SH, Spencer HI (1963) Cesium-137 metabolism in man. Radiat Res 19:643–654

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  18. Lipsztein JH, Bertelli L, Dantas BM (1991) Studies of Cs retention in the human body related to body parameters and Prussian Blue administration. Health Phys 60:57–61

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  19. Melo DR, Lipsztein JH, Oliveira CAN, Lundgren DL, Muggenburg BA, Guilmette RA (1998) Prussian Blue decorporation of 137Cs in humans and beagle dogs. Radiat Prot Dosim 79:473–476

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Gawlik D, Behne D, Kraft D, Offermann G (1989) The influence of renal insufficiency on cesium metabolism in man and rat (with a note on cesium content of some biological standard materials). J Trace Elem Electrolytes Health Dis 3:43–50

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  21. Iinuma T, Nagai TJ, Ishinara K, Watari K (1965) Cesium turnover in man following single administration of 132Cs. Whole body retention and excretion pattern. J Rad Res 6:73–81

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. Schwartz G, Dunning DE Jr (1982) Imprecision in estimates of dose from ingested 137Cs due to variability in human biological characteristics. Health Phys 43:631–645

    Google Scholar 

  23. Rääf CL (2006) Human metabolism of caesium. Electronic report ISBN 87-7893-181-9. Available: http://www.nks.org/download/pdf/NKS-Pub/NKS-120.pdf Accessed 16 Jul 2009

  24. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Services, Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (2004) Toxicological profile for cesium. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Services, Atlanta, Atlanta

    Google Scholar 

  25. Bohm R (1999) Deathquest: an introduction to the theory and practice of capital punishment in the United States, 3rd edn. Anderson, Cincinnati

    Google Scholar 

  26. Neulieb R (1984) Effects of oral intake of cesium chloride. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 21(1 Suppl):15–16

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  27. Lyon AW, Mayhew WJ (2003) Cesium toxicity: a case of self-treatment by alternate therapy gone awry. Ther Drug Monit 25:114–116

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  28. Pinter A, Dorian P, Newman D (2002) Cesium-induced torsades de pointes. N Engl J Med 346:383–384

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  29. Vyas H, Johnson K, Houlihan R, Bauer BA, Ackerman MJ (2006) Acquired long QT syndrome secondary to cesium chloride supplement. J Altern Complement Med 12:1011–1014

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  30. Chan CK, Chan MH, Tse ML, Chan IH, Cheung RC, Lam CW, Lau FL (2009) Life-threatening torsades de pointes resulting from “natural” cancer treatment. Clin Toxicol (Phila) 47:592–594

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  31. O'Brien CE, Harik N, James LP, Seib PM, Stowe CD (2008) Cesium-induced QT-interval prolongation in an adolescent. Pharmacotherapy 28:1059–1065

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  32. Isenberg G (1976) Cardiac Purkinje fibers: cesium as a tool to block inward rectifying potassium currents. Pflugers Arch 365:99–106

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  33. Denyer JC, Brown HF (1990) Pacemaking in rabbit isolated sino-atrial node cells during Cs+ block of the hyperpolarization-activated current if. J Physiol 429:401–409

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  34. Sohn HG, Vassalle M (1995) Cesium effects on dual pacemaker mechanisms in guinea pig sinoatrial node. J Mol Cell Cardiol 27:563–577

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  35. Harvey RD, Ten Eick RE (1989) Voltage-dependent block of cardiac inward-rectifying potassium current by monovalent cations. J Gen Physiol 94:349–361

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  36. Marban E (2002) Cardiac channelopathies. Nature 415:213–218

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  37. Kinnaird AA, Man RY (1991) Electrophysiological effects of cesium and tetraethylammonium in canine cardiac Purkinje fibers. J Pharmacol Exp Ther 258:778–783

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  38. Patterson E, Szabo B, Scherlag BJ, Lazzara R (1990) Early and delayed afterdepolarizations associated with cesium chloride induced arrhythmias in the dog. J Cardiovasc Pharmacol 15:323–331

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  39. Nuss HB, Kaab S, Kass DA, Tomaselli GF, Marban E (1999) Cellular basis of ventricular arrhythmias and abnormal automaticity in heart failure. Am J Physiol 277:80–91

    Google Scholar 

  40. Brachmann J, Scherlag BJ, Rosenshtraukh LV, Lazzara R (1983) Bradycardia-dependent triggered activity: relevance to drug-induced multiform ventricular tachycardia. Circulation 68:846–856

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  41. Takahashi N, Ito M, Fujino T, Iwao T, Nakagawa M, Yonemochi H, Saikawa T, Sakata T (1998) Elucidating the mechanism of cesium-induced sustained monomorphic ventricular tachycardia in rabbits. J Cardiovasc Pharmacol 3:706–713

    Article  Google Scholar 

  42. Gay LA, Stanfield PR (1977) Cs+ causes a voltage-dependent block of inward K+ currents in resting skeletal muscle fibres. Nature 267:169–170

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Federal University of Mato Grosso do Sul, Campo Grande, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil

    Petr Melnikov

  2. Department of Pediatrics, Campus Universitário, Campo Grande, CEP 79070-900, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil

    Lourdes Zélia Zanoni

Authors
  1. Petr Melnikov
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Lourdes Zélia Zanoni
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Lourdes Zélia Zanoni.

Additional information

Sources of support—FUNDECT (Brazilian agency).

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Melnikov, P., Zanoni, L.Z. Clinical Effects of Cesium Intake. Biol Trace Elem Res 135, 1–9 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12011-009-8486-7

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12011-009-8486-7

Keywords

Search

Navigation