Synchrotron spectromicroscopy of cobalt accumulation in granule cells, glial cells and GABAergic neurons

Recent neurobiophysics experiments based on synchrotron spectromicroscopy indicated that aluminium is selectively accumulated by GABAergic neurons and glial cells rather than by granule cells. Does a similar cell specificity occur in the accumulation of other metals? We provide experimental evidence to the contrary: cobalt is found in granule cells at least with equal probability as in glial cells and GABAergic neurons. This result also confirms that neurobiophysics studies based on surface physics techniques have reached a stage of maturity

Synchrotron Spectromicroscopy in Biophysics - Specificity of Metal Uptake by Neurons

Recent instrumentation advances have made it possible to apply experimental synchrotron radiation techniques of materials science to biophysics problems. We present the first results of a systematic photoelectron spectromicroscopy study of the interaction between metals and neurons in vitro. The main result is that aluminum is not uptaken by granule cells-the most common type of neurons-but it is selectively uptaken by cells such as Purkinje neurons and glial cells. On the contrary, granule cells are capable to uptake other metals like Ni and Co

Aluminum in Rat Cerebellar Primary Cultures - Glial-Cells and Gabaergic Neurons

EXPERIMENTAL evidence of the preferential uptake of aluminium by GABAergic neurones and glial cells was provided by synchrotron spectromicroscopy studies. We observed rat cerebellar cultures enriched for GABAergic neurones or glial cells exposed to aluminium ions, detecting the presence and identifying the chemical status of aluminium on cell structures

Application of Photoelectron Spectromicroscopy to a Systematic Study of Toxic and Natural Elements in Neurons

A systematic photoelectron spectromicroscopy study is presented of the spatial distribution of a toxic element, aluminium, iron or chromium, in neuron cultures, after exposure to a solution of the element. The study was performed by the X-ray secondary-emission microscopy (XSEM) version of photoelectron spectromicroscopy. The distribution of the elements was investigated with two complementary approaches: digital subtraction imaging and individual X-ray absorption spectra from microscopic areas. The results coherently indicate different localization patterns for different elements, and, in particular, extreme localization of aluminium to a few rare cells identifiable as Purkinje neurons. In the case of iron-exposed specimens, the distribution analysis was extended to naturally present phosphorus, and used to estimate the XSEM sensitivity

X-Ray Secondary-Emission Microscopy (Xsem) of Neurons

We present the first X-ray secondary (photoelectron) emission microscopy (XSEM) pictures and video microimages of an uncoated and unstained neuron specimen. This novel kind of synchrotron radiation microscopy is suitable for local chemical analysis with a lateral resolution in the micron range. We explored the details of the neuron system, demonstrated chemical contrast by scanning the photon energy, studied in real time the photoelectron emitting properties of the specimen's components, and made preliminary tests of the radiation damage. These results significantly enhance the potential role of photoemission techniques in the life sciences and specifically in neurobiology

An electron imaging approach to soft-x-ray transmission spectromicroscopy

We tested a new soft-x-ray transmission spectromiscropy technique on the Aladdin storage ring at the Wisconsin Synchrotron Radiation Center. Transmitted x rays were converted with a photocathode into photoelectrons, which were subsequently electron-optically processed by an x-ray secondary electron-emission microscope producing submicron-resolution images. Test images demonstrated the excellent contrast due to the chemical differences between silicon features and a silicon nitride substrate. We also obtained x-ray transmission versus photon energy curves for microscopic specimen areas. (C) 1996 American Institute of Physics