Could biological tissue preservation methods change chemical elements proportion measured by energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy?

• Published in: Biological trace element research Vol. 196; no. 1; pp. 168 - 172
• Main Authors: Ladeira, Luiz Carlos Maia, dos Santos, Eliziária Cardoso, Valente, Gilmar Edilberto, da Silva, Janaina, Santos, Talita Amorim, dos Santos Costa Maldonado, Izabel Regina
• Format: Journal Article Web Resource
• Language: English
• Published: New York Springer US 01.07.2020; Springer Nature B.V; Humana Press
• Subjects: Analytical methods; Animals; Bioaccumulation; Biochemistry; Biological effects; Biological properties; Biological samples; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Biotechnology; Chemical element proportion; Chemical elements; Cofactors; copper; Dispersion; Elements; Energy Dispersive X-ray spectroscopy; energy-dispersive X-ray analysis; Fixative methods; Freezing; Heavy metals; Life Sciences; liver; Liver - chemistry; Male; Metals, Alkali - analysis; Metals, Alkaline Earth - analysis; Metals, Heavy - analysis; Mice; Nanoparticles; Nutrition; Oncology; Potassium; Preservation; Sample preservation; Sciences du vivant; Sodium; Spectrometry, X-Ray Emission; Spectrum analysis; therapeutics; Tissue; Tissue Preservation; Tissues; X rays; X-ray spectroscopy; Chemical element proportion; Energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy; Fixative methods
• ISSN: 0163-4984; 1559-0720; 1559-0720
• DOI: 10.1007/s12011-019-01909-x

Energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) is a powerful technical tool used in the biomedical field to investigate the proportion of chemical elements of interest in research, such as heavy metal bioaccumulation and the enzymatic cofactors and nanoparticle therapy in various pathologies. However, the correct evaluation of the proportion of the elements is subject to some factors, including the method of sample preservation. In this study, we seek to investigate the effect of biological tissue preservation methods on the proportion of chemical elements obtained by the EDS methodology. For such, we used EDS to measure the proportion of chemical elements with biomedical interest in preserved livers, using three common methods for preserving biological tissues: (a) freezing, (b) paraformaldehyde fixative solution, and (c) Karnovsky solution. We found an increased level of sodium and reduced contents of potassium and copper in samples fixed in fixative solutions, when compared to frozen samples ( p  < 0.05). Our data indicate that preservation methods can change the proportion of chemical elements in biological samples, when measured by EDS. Frozen preservation should be preferred to retain the actual chemical content of samples and allow a correct assessment of the proportion of their elements.