Determination of the spatial distribution of major elements in the rat brain with X-ray fluorescence analysis.
An energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence analysis was applied for determining the spatial (two-dimensional) distribution of elemental concentrations in rat brain sections. Freeze-dried brain sections prepared from normal and ischemic rats with middle cerebral artery occlusion were scanned with a collimated X-ray beam (0.18 mm in diameter, 50-kV acceleration voltage). The fluorescent Kalpha X-rays of P, S, Cl, and K were detectable, so that the two-dimensional distribution of fluorescent X-ray intensities could be determined for these elements. Furthermore, quantitative determination was possible for P and K by using the fundamental parameter technique. However, the accurate determination of Na and Ca was difficult, because of the low energy of Kalpha X-ray of Na, and the interference of K-Kbeta with Ca-Kalpha. The change in elemental concentrations in ischemic tissue, including the decrease in K concentration and increase in Cl concentration, was demonstrated by this method as a two-dimensional contour map. Since it is possible to obtain a pictorial representation of the elemental concentration in tissue sections, this method may be useful to evaluate the ionic changes in injured brain tissue in relation to histological or autoradiographical observations.
Takahashi
S
S
Environmental and Toxicological Research Group, National Institute of Radiological Sciences, 4-9-1 Anagawa, Inage-ku, 263-8555, Chiba, Japan.sentaro@nirs.go.jp
Hatashita
S
S
Taba
Y
Y
Sun
X Z
XZ
Kubota
Y
Y
Yoshida
S
S
D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D001923:Brain Chemistry / Q000502:physiology*; D002545:Brain Ischemia / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism; D002712:Chlorides / Q000378:metabolism; D004602:Elements; D008297:Male; D010758:Phosphorus / Q000378:metabolism; D011188:Potassium / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012964:Sodium / Q000378:metabolism; D013052:Spectrometry, X-Ray Emission / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D016008:Statistical Distributions; D013455:Sulfur / Q000378:metabolism
D002712:Chlorides; D004602:Elements; D010758:Phosphorus; D013455:Sulfur; D012964:Sodium; D011188:Potassium; D002118:Calcium