Automatic chemistry analyzer

Biochemical parameters in serum, i.e., calcium (s-Ca, mmol/L), inorganic phosphate levels (s-PO4, mmol/L) and the alkaline phosphatase (s-ALP), aspartate aminotransferase (s-AST), alanine aminotransferase (s-ALT) and lactate dehydrogenase activity (s-LDH, µkat/L for all the enzymes) were determined using an automatic chemistry analyzer at the University Medical Center Ljubljana (Olympus Corp., Hamburg, Germany). PCB congeners levels in blood were determined by the solid phase micro extraction technique and gas chromatography with electron capture detection as described previously (Vrecl et al., 2005) . After the three-point bending test, femurs were weighed (Mettler Toledo, AX205DR/A, Uznach, Switzerland) and placed in a muffle furnace (Nabertherm, Bremen, Germany) to be burned at 550°C overnight. The ash mass of the femur (mg) was determined, and calcium (Ca), phosphorus (P) and magnesium (Mg) contents (%) were analyzed by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) using an ICP-mass spectrometer (Varian 820-MS, Mulgrave, Australia) similar to our previous report (Brankovič et al., 2017) . Inorganic content (ash mass to femur mass, in %) and Ca/P ratio were calculated.