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Mapping metals in Parkinson's and normal brain using rapid-scanning x-ray fluorescence

Bogdan F Gh Popescu1, Martin J George1, Uwe Bergmann2, Alex V Garachtchenko2, Michael E Kelly3, Richard P E McCrea1, Katharina Lüning2, Richard M Devon1, Graham N George1,4, Akela D Hanson1, Sheri M Harder5, L Dean Chapman1, Ingrid J Pickering4 and Helen Nichol1,6

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Rapid-scanning x-ray fluorescence (RS-XRF) is a synchrotron technology that maps multiple metals in tissues by employing unique hardware and software to increase scanning speed. RS-XRF was validated by mapping and quantifying iron, zinc and copper in brain slices from Parkinson's disease (PD) and unaffected subjects. Regions and structures in the brain were readily identified by their metal complement and each metal had a unique distribution. Many zinc-rich brain regions were low in iron and vice versa. The location and amount of iron in brain regions known to be affected in PD agreed with analyses using other methods. Sample preparation is simple and standard formalin-fixed autopsy slices are suitable. RS-XRF can simultaneously and non-destructively map and quantify multiple metals and holds great promise to reveal metal pathologies associated with PD and other neurodegenerative diseases as well as diseases of metal metabolism.


PACS

87.64.kd X-ray and EXAFS

82.80.Ej X-ray, Mössbauer, and other gamma-ray spectroscopic analysis methods

87.19.X- Diseases

87.19.L- Neuroscience

Subjects

Medical physics

Biological physics

Chemical physics and physical chemistry

Dates

Issue 3 (7 February 2009)

Received 26 June 2008, in final form 3 November 2008

Published 9 January 2009



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