Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Determination of metal elements concentrations in human brain tissues using PIXE and EDX methods

  • Published:
Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Post-mortem brain tissues substantia nigra pars compacta were investigated using PIXE and EDX methods for the presence of iron and other metal elements. Four different brain samples were irradiated with 3 MeV proton beam to collect X-ray spectra from which distribution of Fe, Mn, Cr and Zn in brain tissues were determined using GUPIXWIN software. The concentration of iron in the brain tissues varied from  about 50 ng/cm2 to ~ 4 μg/cm2. The EDX method showed only a qualitative presence of Fe, Zn, Al and Si in investigated samples.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Zucca FA, Bellei C, Giannelli S et al (2006) Neuromelanin and iron in human locus coeruleus and substantia nigra during aging: consequences for neuronal vulnerability. J Neural Transm 113:757–767. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00702-006-0453-2

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. Dexter DT, Wells FR, Lee AJ et al (1989) Increased nigral iron content and alterations in other metal ions occurring in brain in Parkinson’s disease. J Neurochem 52:1830–1836. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1471-4159.1989.tb07264.x

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Zecca L, Youdim MBH, Riederer P et al (2004) Iron, brain ageing and neurodegenerative disorders. Nat Rev Neurosci 5:863–873. https://doi.org/10.1038/nrn1537

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Thomas M, Jankovic J (2004) Neurodegenerative disease and iron storage in the brain. Curr Opin Neurol 17:437–442. https://doi.org/10.1097/01.wco.0000137534.61244.d1

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Tanner CM, Goldman SM (1996) Epidemiology of Parkinson’s disease. Neuroepidemiology 14:317–335. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0733-8619(05)70259-0

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Povinec PP, Masarik J, Ješkovský M et al (2016) Recent results from the AMS/IBA laboratory at the Comenius University in Bratislava: preparation of targets and optimization of ion sources. J Radioanal Nucl Chem. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10967-015-4406-9

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Povinec PP, Masarik J, Kúš P et al (2015) A new IBA-AMS laboratory at the Comenius University in Bratislava (Slovakia). Nucl Instrum Methods Phys Res Sect B Beam Interact Mater Atoms 342:321–326. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nimb.2014.10.011

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Zeman J, Ješkovský M, Kaiser R et al (2017) PIXE beam line at the CENTA facility of the Comenius University in Bratislava: first results. J Radioanal Nucl Chem 311:1409–1415. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10967-016-5004-1

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Biesemeier A, Eibl O, Eswara S et al (2016) Elemental mapping of Neuromelanin organelles of human Substantia Nigra: correlative ultrastructural and chemical analysis by analytical transmission electron microscopy and nano-secondary ion mass spectrometry. J Neurochem. https://doi.org/10.1111/jnc.13648

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Zecca L, Shima T, Stroppolo A et al (1996) Interaction of neuromelanin and iron in substantia nigra and other areas of human brain. Neuroscience 73:407–415. https://doi.org/10.1016/0306-4522(96)00047-4

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Zecca L, Bellei C, Costi P et al (2008) New melanic pigments in the human brain that accumulate in aging and block environmental toxic metals. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 105:17567–17572. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.0808768105

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Kuisma-Kursula P (2000) Accuracy, precision and detection limits of SEM-WDS, SEM-EDS and PIXE in the multi-elemental analysis of medieval glass. X-Ray Spectrom 29:111–118. https://doi.org/10.1002/(SICI)1097-4539(200001/02)29:1%3c111:AID-XRS408%3e3.0.CO;2-W

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the EU Research and Development Operational Program funded by the ERDF (Project No. 26,240,120,012, 26240120026 and 26240220004), and by the IAEA (TC Project RER7008 and SLR/1001). This study has also been supported by the Slovak Research and Development Agency APVV 16-0039.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Medical Physics, Biophysics, Informatics and Telemedicine, Comenius University, Sasinkova 2, 813 72, Bratislava, Slovakia

    Ján Pánik & Martin Kopáni

  2. Faculty of Mathematics, Physics and Informatics, Centre for Nuclear and Accelerator Technologies, Comenius University, Mlynská dolina, 842 48, Bratislava, Slovakia

    Ján Pánik, Jakub Zeman, Miroslav Ješkovský, Jakub Kaizer & Pavel P. Povinec

Authors
  1. Ján Pánik
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Martin Kopáni
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Jakub Zeman
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Miroslav Ješkovský
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Jakub Kaizer
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Pavel P. Povinec
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Ján Pánik.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Pánik, J., Kopáni, M., Zeman, J. et al. Determination of metal elements concentrations in human brain tissues using PIXE and EDX methods. J Radioanal Nucl Chem 318, 2313–2319 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10967-018-6208-3

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10967-018-6208-3

Keywords

Search

Navigation