title: Synchrotron X-ray microscopy reveals early calcium and iron interaction with crocidolite fibers in the lung of exposed mice.
abstract: Human exposure to asbestos can cause a wide variety of lung diseases that are still a current major health concern, even if asbestos has been banned in many countries. It has been shown in many studies that asbestos fibers, ingested by alveolar macrophages, disrupt lung iron homeostasis by sequestering iron. Calcium can also be deposited on the fibers. The pathways along which iron and above all calcium interact with fibers are still unknown. Our aim was that of investigating if the iron accumulation induced by the inhaled asbestos fibers also involves calcium ions accumulation. Lung sections of asbestos-exposed mice were analyzed using an extremely sensitive procedure available at the synchrotron facilities, that provides morphological and chemical information based on X-ray fluorescence microspectroscopy (μ-XRF). In this study we show that (1) where conventional histochemical procedures revealed only weak deposits of iron and calcium, μ-XRF analysis is able to detect significant deposits of both iron and calcium on the inhaled asbestos fibers; (2) the extent of the deposition of these ions is proportionally directly related and (3) iron and calcium deposition on inhaled asbestos fibers is concomitant with the appearance of inflammatory and hyperplastic reactions.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Maternal and Child Health, IRCCS Burlo Garofolo, 34137 Trieste, Italy.
authors.forename: Lorella
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Pascolo
authors.affiliation: Department of Life Science, University of Trieste, 34127 Trieste, Italy.
authors.forename: Giuliano
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Zabucchi
authors.affiliation: Elettra -Sincrotrone Trieste, 34149-Basovizza, Trieste, Italy.
authors.forename: Alessandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gianoncelli
authors.affiliation: Elettra -Sincrotrone Trieste, 34149-Basovizza, Trieste, Italy.
authors.forename: George
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Kourousias
authors.affiliation: Department of Life Science, University of Trieste, 34127 Trieste, Italy.
authors.forename: Elisa
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Trevisan
authors.affiliation: Servizio Diagnostica Veterinaria, University of Udine, 33100 Udine, Italy.
authors.forename: Ernesto
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Pascotto
authors.affiliation: Department of Life Science, University of Trieste, 34127 Trieste, Italy.
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Casarsa
authors.affiliation: CSIRO, Clayton, 3169 South Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: Chris
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ryan
authors.affiliation: Department of Life Science, Section of Experimental Pathology, University of Siena, 53100 Siena, Italy.
authors.forename: Monica
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lucattelli
authors.affiliation: Department of Life Science, Section of Experimental Pathology, University of Siena, 53100 Siena, Italy.
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Lungarella
authors.affiliation: Department of Life Science, Section of Experimental Pathology, University of Siena, 53100 Siena, Italy.
authors.forename: Eleonora
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Cavarra
authors.affiliation: Department of Life Science, Section of Experimental Pathology, University of Siena, 53100 Siena, Italy.
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Bartalesi
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento Universitario Clinico di Scienze Mediche, Chirurgiche e della Salute, Università di Trieste, 34149 Trieste, Italy.
authors.forename: Marina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zweyer
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento Universitario Clinico di Scienze Mediche, Chirurgiche e della Salute, Università di Trieste, 34149 Trieste, Italy.
authors.forename: Francesca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Cammisuli
authors.affiliation: Institute for Maternal and Child Health, IRCCS Burlo Garofolo, 34137 Trieste, Italy.
authors.forename: Mauro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Melato
authors.affiliation: Department of Life Science, University of Trieste, 34127 Trieste, Italy. Electronic address: borelliv@units.it.
authors.forename: Violetta
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Borelli
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017638:Asbestos, Crocidolite / Q000633:toxicity*; D001195:Asbestosis / Q000473:pathology*; D002118:Calcium / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D006706:Homeostasis / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D019570:Inhalation Exposure; D007501:Iron / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D008168:Lung / Q000473:pathology*; D008171:Lung Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000473:pathology*; D016676:Macrophages, Alveolar / Q000187:drug effects / Q000648:ultrastructure; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008853:Microscopy / Q000295:instrumentation*; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence; D017356:Synchrotrons / Q000295:instrumentation*; D014018:Tissue Distribution; D014965:X-Rays; D015032:Zinc / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D017638:Asbestos, Crocidolite; D007501:Iron; D015032:Zinc; D002118:Calcium
keywords: Animal model; Asbestos; Calcium; Iron; Synchrotron X-ray microscopy; X-ray fluorescence