High-resolution elemental mapping of human placental chorionic villi using synchrotron X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy.

ABSTRACT: The placenta is the organ that mediates transport of nutrients and waste materials between mother and fetus. Synchrotron X-ray fluorescence (SXRF) microanalysis is a tool for imaging the distribution and quantity of elements in biological tissue, which can be used to study metal transport across biological membranes. Our aims were to pilot placental biopsy specimen preparation techniques that could be integrated into an ongoing epidemiology birth cohort study without harming rates of sample acquisition. We studied the effects of fixative (formalin or glutaraldehyde) and storage duration (30 days or immediate processing) on metal distribution and abundance and investigated a thaw-fixation protocol for archived specimens stored at -80 °C. We measured fixative elemental composition with and w

SUBMITTER: Punshon T 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4663034 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature