Tracing exogenous Gd and its effects in single Chang cells

X-ray fluorescence (XRF) is rapidly becoming one of the tools of choice in tracing the presence of both endogenous and exogenous chemical elements in biological samples. The sub-micron spatial resolution routinely obtainable at multi-keV energies at third generation light sources, combined with the high brilliance of the photon beam, allows mapping the presence of biologically relevant elements at sub-cell resolution by means of their fluorescent signature. The fluorescent signal also lends itself for a semi-quantitative analysis of the elements composing the specimen. s work we employed synchrotron-based XRF to analyze two lines of cultured Chang cells. One of them was treated with a Gd-containing magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contrast agents (CA), and the other was left untreated for control purposes. periments highlighted a peri-nuclear distribution of Gd inside the cells, as well as a distinct variation in the distribution and concentration of several elements (P, S, Cl, K, Ca and Fe), with respect to the control line.