Spatial distribution of elements in the brain of rats measured by synchrotron radiation X-ray fluorescence

Spatial (two-dimensional) distributions of inorganic elements such as chlorine, potassium, calcium, iron, copper, and zinc in the brain slices of Wistar rats were measured by synchrotron radiation X-ray fluorescence (SRXRF) analysis. Differences in two-dimensional distribution of these elements were observed. Chlorine, calcium, and zinc were primarily concentrated in hippocampus, while the potassium concentration was relatively higher in both cerebral cortex and hippocampus. However, the distribution of copper was comparatively ruleless in the three brain regions. The cluster analysis of the elemental results shows that the spatial distribution of chlorine was correlated well with the distribution of potassium. Since SRXRF is possible to obtain a pictorial representation of the elemental concentrations in tissue sections of brain, this nuclear method may be useful to evaluate the ionic changes in injured brain tissues in relation to histological observations. (authors)