MINERALIZATION OF AORTIC WALL - PIXE STUDIES

The application of PIXE and micro-PIXE methods for the description of human aortic wall mineralization including its dynamics is presented. The data was collected both from human autopsy samples and from animal material. The mean concentrations of P, S, Cl, K, Ca, Fe, Cu, Zn, Br, Sr and Pb were determined in tissue samples and in the aortic wall sections. On the basis of PIXE results the following conclusion may be drawn: the concentrations of Ca, Zn, Sr and Pb increase while that of S, Cl and K contents decrease when the mineralization of the vessel wall (determined histochemically) develops. The micro-PIXE method enabled: (1) the determination of the elemental composition of both inorganic and organic materials in the sample, (2) the identification of different Ca—P compounds on the basis of the Ca/P ratio, (3) the investigations of the involvement of other elements in the development of mineralization process (4) the determination of the deposit radii on the basis of Ca concentration and (5) the generalized analysis on the inorganic deposit growth using mathematical description.