INVESTIGATION OF THE UPTAKE OF DRUGS BY INDIVIDUAL CELLS USING A SCANNING PROTON MICROPROBE (SPM)

In this paper we demonstrate the use of micro-PIXE (proton induced X-r ay emission) for measuring the quantitative uptake of anti-AIDS drugs, containing metal atoms, by individual Vero cells (African green monke y kidney cell line). Hetero-polytungstates, which are assessed to pres ent an activity against the HIV virus, were studied using Vero cells. It was found that unlike other techniques, SPM offers both the sensiti vity and the spatial resolution to carry out these programs of investi gations. The use of elemental analysis in single cells of cultured cel l lines has shown to have distinct advantages over peripheral blood ly mphocytes.