Micro-PIXE studies on gallium incorporation in mineralized tissue

The influence of gallium ions on the development of the mineralization proc ess in a cell culture model was investigated. To determine the elemental co mposition the proton microprobe in combination with proton induced X-ray em ission (micro-PIXE) and energy-dispersive X-ray fluorescence (XRF) were use d. Micro-PIXE allows a precise quantification of elements combined with the ir accurate localization. In contrast, the XRF results may be used as a rou gh estimate of the mineralization process development. It was found that ga llium influences the mineralization process in a dose-dependent manner. At low doses an increased while at high doses an impaired mineralization was o bserved. The amount of deposited gallium correlates with the concentration of the element in the cell culture medium, (C) 2001 Elsevier Science BN. Al l rights reserved.