PIXE microanalysis in human cells: physiology and pharmacology

The micro-PIXE technique has been regularly carried out for more than two years to provide elemental distributions in human cells. Using this technique in the framework of cellular biology, two research axes have been developed: The cellular pharmacology of chemotherapeutic agents and the physiology of ionic cellular exchanges. These studies are based upon in vitro experimental models of human cells, either under the form of isolated cultured cells or as part of well-structured tissues. The aim of this paper is to present the experimental procedures and methodological aspects of cellular and subcellular quantitative mapping. Cell processing, identification of intracellular structures, quantitatives results and beam damage will be discussed and illustrated by examples issuing from the above-mentioned studies. (orig.)