PIXE MICROANALYSIS OF TRACE-ELEMENTS OF NORMOXIC, ISCHEMIC AND REPERFUSED RAT HEARTS

With a 3 x 3 mu m(2) proton microbeam spatial distributions of Na, Mg, P, S, K, Ca and Fe were measured via PIXE in 50 x 50 mu m(2) areas of rat heart, sliced into 10-15 mu m thick cryosections. The isolated ra t hearts were subjected to normal perfusion, ischemia and reperfusion. Substantial changes in the elemental distribution were found in tissu e after 40 min. of reperfusion, particularly indicated by locally elev ated Ca and decreased K levels. Electron microscopic examination was u sed for assessment of artefacts due to sample preparation and handling . Results of stained cryosections analyzed via STIM demonstrated that this latter technique can be employed prior to PIXE analysis to locali ze individual cells in freeze-dried cryosections.