Chemo-physical properties of asbestos bodies in human lung tissues studied at the nano-scale by non-invasive, label free x-ray imaging and spectroscopic techniques

Bardelli, Fabrizio; Brun, Francesco; Panfilis, Simone De; Cloetens, Peter; Capella, Silvana; Belluso, Elena; Bellis, Donata; Napoli, Arianna Di; Cedola, Alessia

doi:10.1016/j.toxlet.2021.05.002

Cited by 6 publications

(10 citation statements)

References 83 publications

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“…Such experiments require longer measuring times and entail higher absorbed doses, so the flexible optimization of experimental parameters is crucial for their success, possibly along with the implementation of cryogenic sample cooling (Deng et al, 2018;Conesa et al, 2020;Gramaccioni et al, 2020). Should radiation damage prevent the reliable collection of high-dose XRF tomography data, lower dose phase-contrast tomography could still be used to produce or validate quantitative results from 2D XRF scans on samples of variable thickness (Bardelli et al, 2021).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Dose-efficient multimodal microscopy of human tissue at a hard X-ray nanoprobe beamline

Sala¹,

Zhang²,

Rosa³

et al. 2022

J Synchrotron Radiat

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X-ray fluorescence microscopy performed at nanofocusing synchrotron beamlines produces quantitative elemental distribution maps at unprecedented resolution (down to a few tens of nanometres), at the expense of relatively long measuring times and high absorbed doses. In this work, a method was implemented in which fast low-dose in-line holography was used to produce quantitative electron density maps at the mesoscale prior to nanoscale X-ray fluorescence acquisition. These maps ensure more efficient fluorescence scans and the reduction of the total absorbed dose, often relevant for radiation-sensitive (e.g. biological) samples. This multimodal microscopy approach was demonstrated on human sural nerve tissue. The two imaging modes provide complementary information at a comparable resolution, ultimately limited by the focal spot size. The experimental setup presented allows the user to swap between them in a flexible and reproducible fashion, as well as to easily adapt the scanning parameters during an experiment to fine-tune resolution and field of view.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Dose-efficient multimodal microscopy of human tissue at a hard X-ray nanoprobe beamline

Sala¹,

Zhang²,

Rosa³

et al. 2022

J Synchrotron Radiat

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“…The estimation of the AB count per gram of dry tissue and per unit volume (cm 3 ), and of their size distribution in the same tissue samples can be found elsewhere (Bardelli et al, 2021a), and a study of their elemental composition and morphology is reported in (Bardelli et al, 2021b).…”

Section: Lung Tissue Samplesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Closing the knowledge gap on the composition of the asbestos bodies

Bardelli

Giacobbe

Ballirano

et al. 2023

Environ Geochem Health

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Asbestos bodies (AB) form in the lungs as a result of a biomineralization process initiated by the alveolar macrophages in the attempt to remove asbestos. During this process, organic and inorganic material deposit on the foreign fibers forming a Fe-rich coating. The AB start to form in months, thus quickly becoming the actual interface between asbestos and the lung tissue. Therefore, revealing their composition, and, in particular, the chemical form of Fe, which is the major component of the AB, is essential to assess their possible role in the pathogenesis of asbestos-related diseases. In this work we report the result of the first x-ray diffraction measurements performed on single AB embedded in the lung tissue samples of former asbestos plant workers. The combination with x-ray absorption spectroscopy data allowed to unambiguously reveal that Fe is present in the AB in the form of two Fe-oxy(hydroxides): ferrihydrite and goethite. The presence of goethite, which can be explained in terms of the transformation of ferrihydrite (a metastable phase) due to the acidic conditions induced by the alveolar macrophages in their attempt to phagocytose the fibers, has toxicological implications that are discussed in the paper.

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“…As a result of the inclusion of iron, asbestos bodies are golden-brown in color. The coat along the fiber is frequently segmented into either spherical or rectangular units along the fiber, and therefore, can be beaded and segmented [100]. The distribution of the coat can be inhomogeneous, and the asbestos body can have a dumbbell or lancet appearance.…”

Section: The Formation Of Ferruginous Bodies and Ironmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The distribution of the coat can be inhomogeneous, and the asbestos body can have a dumbbell or lancet appearance. The ends of the coated fibers can be knobbed, although sheath-like coats are also common [100]. Branched forms of asbestos bodies result from the deposition of a coat on a splayed fiber.…”

Section: The Formation Of Ferruginous Bodies and Ironmentioning

confidence: 99%

Asbestos and Iron

Ghio

Stewart

Sangani

et al. 2023

IJMS

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Theories of disease pathogenesis following asbestos exposure have focused on the participation of iron. After exposure, an open network of negatively charged functional groups on the fiber surface complexes host metals with a preference for iron. Competition for iron between the host and the asbestos results in a functional metal deficiency. The homeostasis of iron in the host is modified by the cell response, including increased import to correct the loss of the metal to the fiber surface. The biological effects of asbestos develop in response to and are associated with the disruption of iron homeostasis. Cell iron deficiency in the host following fiber exposure activates kinases and transcription factors, which are associated with the release of mediators coordinating both inflammatory and fibrotic responses. Relative to serpentine chrysotile, the clearance of amphiboles is incomplete, resulting in translocation to the mesothelial surface of the pleura. Since the biological effect of asbestos is dependent on retention of the fiber, the sequestration of iron by the surface, and functional iron deficiency in the cell, the greater clearance (i.e., decreased persistence) of chrysotile results in its diminished impact. An inability to clear asbestos from the lower respiratory tract initiates a host process of iron biomineralization (i.e., asbestos body formation). Host cells attempt to mobilize the metal sequestered by the fiber surface by producing superoxide at the phagosome membrane. The subsequent ferrous cation is oxidized and undergoes hydrolysis, creating poorly crystalline iron oxyhydroxide (i.e., ferrihydrite) included in the coat of the asbestos body.

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Chemo-physical properties of asbestos bodies in human lung tissues studied at the nano-scale by non-invasive, label free x-ray imaging and spectroscopic techniques

Cited by 6 publications

References 83 publications

Dose-efficient multimodal microscopy of human tissue at a hard X-ray nanoprobe beamline

Dose-efficient multimodal microscopy of human tissue at a hard X-ray nanoprobe beamline

Closing the knowledge gap on the composition of the asbestos bodies

Asbestos and Iron

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