Composition and Structure of Human Gallstones Studied by Analytical TEM and EPR Spectroscopy

Using analytical transmission electron microscopy (TEM) in different variants, X-ray diffraction (XRD), elementary analyses, and X-band electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) methods, the composition and structural peculiarities of human gallbladder stones (GSs) of various types removed during surgery from five patients with cholelithiasis were studied. TEM and EPR results showed heterogeneous composition and structure of GSs studied. These methods yield mutually complementary structural information. Characteristic EPR parameters of paramagnetic centers (PCs) have been determined as well as their nature and their average concentrations in the GSs samples were measured. In the case of iron ions, values of Fe3+ content measured by EPR and analytical TEM are in a good agreement. We believe that obtaining data on the structure and detailed composition of gallstones will allow prevention to be optimized in the future, and possibly will create new approaches to drug therapy of the cholelithiasis.