Ion microscopy of the thyroid gland: a method for imaging stable and radioactive iodine

Journal Article · Tue Jul 01 04:00:00 EDT 1986 · Lab. Invest.; (United States)

OSTI ID:5000373

Berry, J P; Escaig, F; Lange, F; Galle, P

Analytical ion microscopy has been applied to the study of distribution of stable and radioactive iodine in the thyroid gland. Analytical images, each of them representing the distribution of one isotope of iodine, can easily be obtained in a few seconds from an Epon section with a resolution of 0.5 micron. In thyroids of normal rats, intrafollicular and intracytoplasmic stable 127I can be clearly distinguished. After thyreostimulin injection, a rapid and important redistribution of 127I is observed which reflects an intense cytoplasmic reabsorption of intrafollicular iodine. After injection of a long-lived isotope of iodine, 129I, the progressive incorporation of this isotope has been observed and the images of the natural iodine 129I have been compared to the images of 127I. An unusual iodine distribution has been observed in proliferating cells of an autonomous nodule. The very high sensitivity of this method makes possible the study of intracellular and extracellular stable iodine in the thyroid gland in a number of physiological and pathological conditions; its ability for isotopic analysis in microscopic volumes offers new possibilities for kinetic studies of iodine metabolism. However, in the present state of the art the specimen cannot be studied at the ultrastructural level as it is with other methods, and some difficulties remain in qualitative analysis such as the contamination of spectra with organic mass fragments which makes difficult the study of some elements such as sulfur. In addition, the matrix effect on ionization efficiency or on sputtering rate makes quantitative analysis difficult. In the future, image processing systems will be needed for a better quantitative interpretation.

• OSTI ID: 5000373
• Journal Information: Lab. Invest.; (United States), Journal Name: Lab. Invest.; (United States) Vol. 1; ISSN LAINA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

560172* -- Radiation Effects-- Nuclide Kinetics & Toxicology-- Animals-- (-1987)
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
ANIMALS
AUTORADIOGRAPHY
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BODY
DISTRIBUTION
ENDOCRINE GLANDS
GLANDS
INTERMEDIATE MASS NUCLEI
INTERNAL CONVERSION RADIOISOTOPES
IODINE 127
IODINE 129
IODINE ISOTOPES
ION MICROSCOPY
ISOTOPES
MAMMALS
MICROSCOPY
NUCLEI
ODD-EVEN NUCLEI
ORGANS
RADIOISOTOPES
RADIONUCLIDE KINETICS
RATS
RODENTS
STABLE ISOTOPES
THYROID
TISSUE DISTRIBUTION
VERTEBRATES
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES