Two-dimensional μXAFS analysis for accumulated uranium in kidneys of rats exposed to uranyl acetate

Kidneys are critical targets of uranium exposure, meaning that effective analytical methods for characterizing uranium accumulated in kidneys are required in toxicological studies of uranium. In this work, synchrotron radiation micro-X-ray fluorescence (SR-mu XRF) imaging and two-dimensional mu XAFS measurements were combined to analyze renal section specimens. By histochemical staining of the serial sections, the distribution of uranium chemical condition within the uranium-concentrated areas of the proximal tubules, which are toxic target sites of uranium, were obtained with 1 mu m x 1 mu m spatial resolution.