The Role of Trace Metallic Elements in Neurodegenerative Disorders: Quantitative Analysis Using XRF and XANES Spectroscopy

Abstract

The present paper focuses on the analysis of trace metallic elements and their role in neurodegenerative disorders. The use of synchrotron radiation microbeams allows investigation of pathological tissues from Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease and Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis cases in a nondestructive manner and at cellular level. By employing X-ray absorption near edge structure (XANES) technique, the chemical state of the investigated elements can be determined, while energy-selective X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy provides the spatial distribution of each element in each oxidative state selectively. The investigated tissues (derived from human, monkey and mouse specimens) show distinct imbalances of metallic elements such as Zn and Cu as well as Fe²⁺/Fe³⁺ redox pair, which point to oxidative stress as a crucial factor in the development or progress of these neurodegenerative diseases.