By IONTOF GmbH
The ability of TOF-SIMS to image individual molecular compounds in order to obtain their detailed spatial arrangement was used to study the degenerative/regenerative processes in the muscles of a dystrophin-deficient model mouse. The specific distribution of different substances (fatty acids, vitamin E, triglycerides, phosphatidic acids, coenzyme Q 9 and chlorine) were imaged from untreated mouse leg sections. The images of individual substances show their distribution over the section. A concentration of chlorine is found in the destructured zone, known from other analyses to be regenerating. The chlorine is probably combined with sodium and potassium also found in this zone. Fatty acids and triglycerides are located mainly in the blue intermediate zone, vitamin E, phosphatidic acids, and coenzyme Q 9 are found in both the blue and green intermediate zones.
