SRXRF elemental imaging of a single neuron from patients with neurodegenerative disorders

Synchrotron Radiation X-ray fluorescence (SRXRF) spectroscopy is applied to non-destructive elemental mapping in the melanized nigral neurons obtained from a patient with Parkinson’s disease (PD) and a control subject. It is demonstrated that iron (Fe) excessively accumulated in the neuromelanin aggregates in and around the nigral neurons, co-precipitating with sulfur (S), calcium (Ca), and zinc (Zn) or copper (Cu) in various degrees in both the diseased and control specimens. The technological problems and pathological significance of the results are discussed.