Elemental analysis of cellular samples by in-air micro-PIXE

Abstract We developed a micro-PIXE system for the analysis of frozen cellular samples at atmospheric pressure under helium gas cooling. We analyzed bovine aortic endothelial (BAE) cells previously cultured in a medium containing bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU). It is known that these cells take BrdU into their nuclei at the S phase of their metabolic cycle. We examined the Br uptake for incubation times of 6, 12 and 24 h, respectively. The Br maps showed an accumulation in the nuclei and the Br concentration was found strongly dependent on the incubation time. We have demonstrated that in-air micro-PIXE analysis is a relevant technique for examining the molecular uptake in cells.