Summary
Neutron-capture radiography has been applied to the mapping of natural boron in mouse histological sections. The method is based on the fact that the stable isotope boron-10 has an extremely large cross-section for the thermal-neutron reaction10B(n, α)7Li. The local tissue boron concentrations were evaluated from the corresponding track densities of the nuclear reaction using an equation derived from a theoretical model of the system. The adjustable parameters of this equation were determined in two separate calibration experiments using standardized samples prepared by the addition of known amounts of boron. Interference from other nuclides engaged in nuclear reactions with thermal neutrons was also estimated. In the present experimental conditions the natural boron lower detection limit was 0.03 p.p.m. (fresh weight), and the spatial resolution was of the order of a few micrometers. Boron concentrations in mouse serum and urine were close to 0.22 and 0.57 μg ml−1, respectively. In the solid mouse tissues-liver, heart, brain, muscle and spleen-the concentration was usually low, ranging from 0.12 to 0.16 p.p.m. (fresh weight). They were significantly higher in the kidney, especially in the papilla (6.2 p.p.m. fresh weight). Apart from the kidney papilla, where boron was particularly concentrated in wall tubules, the boron distribution in most tissues appeared to be practically homogeneous. Natural boron, and even more so its enriched stable isotope10B, appear as good candidates for molecular labelling using non-radioactive tracers.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Abe, M., Amano, K., Kitamura, K., Tateishi, J. &Hatanaka, H. (1986) Boron distribution analysis by alpha-autoradiography.J. Nucl. Med. 27, 677–84.
Ausserer, W. A., Ling, Y. C., Chandra, S. &Morrison, G. H. (1989) Quantitative imaging of boron, calcium, magnesium, potassium and sodium distributions in cultured cells with ion microscopy.Anal. Chem. 61, 2690–5.
Barth, R. F., Soloway, A. H. &Fairchild, R. G. (1990) Boron neutron capture therapy of cancers.Cancer Res. 50, 1061–70.
Bendayan, M., Barth, R. F., Gingras, D., Londono, I., Robinson, P. T., Alam, F., Adams, D. M. &Mattiazzi, L. (1989) Electron spectroscopic imaging for high-resolution immunocytochemistry: use of boronated protein A.J. Histochem. Cytochem. 37, 573–80.
Carpenter, B. S. &Lafleur, P. D. (1974) Nitrogen determinations in biological material by the nuclear track technique.Anal. Chem. 46, 1112–3.
Clarke, W. B., Koekebakker, M., Barr, R. D., Downing, R. G. &Fleming, R. F. (1987) Analysis of ultratrace lithium and boron by neutron activation and mass-spectrometric measurement of3He and4He.Int. J. Radiat. Appl. Instrum. 38, 735–43.
Edwards, L. C. (1956) Autoradiography by neutron activation: the cellular distribution of boron 10 in the transplanted mouse brain tumor.Internat J. Appl. Radiat. Isot. 1, 184–90.
Ficq, A. (1951) Autoradiographie par neutrons: dosage du lithium dans les embryons d'amphibiens.C. R. Acad. Sci. Paris 233, 1684–5.
Gabel, D., Holstein, H., Larsson, B., Gille, L., Ericson, G., Sacker, D., Som, P. &Fairchild, R. G. (1987) Quantitative neutron capture radiography for studying the biodistribution of tumor-seeking boron-containing compounds.Cancer Res. 47, 5451–4.
Garin, A. &Thellier, M. (1958) Methode de microdétermination du bore dans une solution ou un tissu végétal par activation aux neutrons lents.Bull. Microscopie Appl. 8, 129–48.
Gelinas, Y., Ferraris, J. & Schmit, J. P. (1989) Inorganic fingerprint of rat tissues.Proc. 37th ASMS Conf. Mass Spectr. Allied Top. Miami Beach, FL. pp. 178–9.
Hennequin, E., Laurent-Pettersson, M., Fernandez, T., Larsson, B. &Thellier, M. (1990) Nitrogen imaging in histological sections, using neutron-capture radiography.J. Trace Microprobe Tech. 7, 221–46.
Hunt, C. D. (1989) Dietary boron modified the effects of magnesium and molybdenum on mineral metabolism in the cholecalciferol-deficient chick.Biol. Trace Element. Res. 22, 201–20.
Iyengar, G. V. (1989)Elemental Analysis of Biological Systems. Florida: CRC Press Inc.
Jimenez, R., Loria, L. G., Gallardo, M. &Thellier, M. (1988). Detection and imaging of boron in plant tissues, for agronomical purposes in Costa Rica, using small Cf 252 neutron sources.C. R. Acad. Sci. Paris série III,306, 583–90.
Lamotte, M. (1967)Initiation aux Méthodes Statistiques en Biologie. Paris: Masson.
Laurent Pettersson, M., Courel, M.-N., Girard, N., Abraham, R., Gabel, D., Thellier, M. &Delpech, B. (1990) Immunoreactivity of boronated antibodies.J. Immunol Meth. 126, 95–102.
Magour, S., Schramel, P., Ovcar, J. &Mäser, H. (1982) Uptake and distribution of boron in rats: interaction with ethanol and hexabarbital in the brain.Arh. Environm. Contam. Toxicol. 11, 521–5.
Massie, H. R., Aiello, V. R., Shumway, M. E. &Armstrong, T. (1990) Calcium, iron, copper, boron, collagen, and density changes in bone with aging in C57BL/6J male mice.Exp. Gerontol. 25, 469–81.
Morel, F. &Imbert-Teboul, M. (1980) Mécanismes de concentration de l'urine par le rein. InLa Function Rénale Acquisitions et Perspectives (edited byBonvalet, J.-P.) pp. 125–39. Paris: Flammarion.
Nielsen, F. H. (1990) Studies on the relationship between boron and magnesium which possibly affects the formation and maintenance of bones.Magnesium Trace Elem. 9, 61–9.
Nielsen, F. H. (1991) Nutritional requirements for boron, silicon, vanadium, nickel, and arsenic: current knowledge and speculation.FASEB J. 5, 2661–7.
Pettersson, O.-A. Svensson, P., Larsson, B. & Grusell, E. Studsvik thermal neutron facility. InNeutron Capture Therapy for Cancer (edited byAllen, B. J.). Plenum (in press).
Shorrocks, V. M. (1991) Behaviour, function and significance of boron in agriculture. London; Borax Consolidated Ltd.
Shuler, T. R., Pootrakul, P., Yarnsukon, P. &Nielsen, F. H. (1990) Effect of thalassemia/hemoglobin E disease on macro, trace, and ultratrace element concentrations in human tissue.J. Trace Elem. Exp. Med. 3, 31–43.
Thellier, M., Duval, Y. &Demarty, M. (1979) Borate exchanges ofLemna minor L. as studied with the help of the enriched stable isotopes and a (n, α) nuclear reaction.Plant Physiol. 63, 283–6.
Thellier, M., Heurteaux, C. &Wissocq, J.-C. (1980a) Quantitative study of the distribution of lithium in the mouse brain for various doses of lithium given to the animal.Brain Res. 199, 175–96.
Thellier, M., Wissocq, J.-C. &Heurteaux, C. (1980b) Quantitative microlocalisation of lithium in the brain by a (n, α) nuclear reaction.Nature 283, 299–302.
Thellier, M., Hennequin, E., Heurteaux, C., Martini, F., Pettersson, M., Fernandez, T. &Wisocq, J.-C. (1988) Quantitative estimations in neutron capture radiography.Nucl. Instr. Meth. Phys. Res. B30, 567–79.
Walker, F. W., Miller, D. G. &Feiner, F. (1983)Chart of the Nuclides, 13th edn. San Jose, Florida: General Electrical Company.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Laurent-Pettersson, M., Delpech, B. & Thellier, M. The mapping of natural boron in histological sections of mouse tissues by the use of neutron-capture radiography. Histochem J 24, 939–950 (1992). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01046499
Received:
Revised:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01046499