Application of FTIR imaging to detect dietary induced biochemical changes in brown and white adipocytes

Fourier Transform Infrared microspectroscopy Imaging (FTIR imaging) has powerful advantages when used as a complementary technique to histopathological investigations. The common histopathological investigations use a number of chemical fixatives and deparaffinizing agents that alter lipid profiles of biological tissues, particularly in lipid-rich adipose tissues. An infrared image is made of a multitude of pixels. For each pixel, identified by its (x,y) coordinates, corresponds an FTIR spectrum that reveals the chemical composition at this specific location. As a result, it allows biochemical analysis in selective locations within samples. Moreover, functional group distribution maps can be used as a staining free technique for spatial characterization of different biomolecules. Though FTIR imaging has been reported as a powerful approach to characterize adipose tissues, the biochemical heterogeneity within adipose tissues has not been acknowledged. This study shows relative changes in brown and white adipose tissues of mice due to consumption of high-fat diet. In particular, we report cryosectioning of adipose tissues, image acquisition, and different image analysis methods to evaluate dietary induced changes in lipids stored in brown and white adipocytes. Since biochemical changes in adipocytes constitute an important component in obesity investigations, this study shows the potential use of FTIR imaging to compare relative biochemical changes associated with dietary interventions.     

Evaluating the biochemical changes of LPS-stimulated endothelial cells by synchrotron FTIR microspectroscopy at a single-cell level

Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry - Endothelial damage is a major manifestation in many forms of heart and lung injuries induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS), but the biochemical responses and...     

Multivariate image analysis of a set of FTIR microspectroscopy images of aged bovine muscle tissue combining image and design information

In this paper we present an algorithm for analysing sets of FTIR microscopic images of tissue sections. The proposed approach allows one to investigate sets of many FTIR tissue images both with respect to sample information (variation from image to image) and spatial variations of tissues (variation within the image). The algorithm is applied to FTIR microscopy images of beef loin muscles containing myofibre and connective tissue regions. The FTIR microscopy images are taken of sub-samples from five different beef loin muscles that were aged for four different lengths of time. The images were investigated regarding variation due to the ageing length and due to the homogeneity of the connective tissue regions. The presented algorithm consists of the following main elements: (1) pre-processing of the spectra to overcome large quality differences in FTIR spectra and differences due to scatter effects, (2) identification of connective tissue regions in every image, (3) labelling of every connective tissue spectrum with respect to its location in the connective tissue region, and (4) analysis of variations in the FTIR microscopic images in regard to ageing time and pixel position of the spectra in the connective tissue region. Important spectral parameters characterising collagen and proteoglycan structure were determined. Figure Effective optical path length estimated by EMSC     

Investigating the heterogeneity of cell growth in microbial colonies by FTIR microspectroscopy

Microorganisms rarely occur as individual cells in nature and are, instead, organized in complex multicellular communities such as colonies, fruiting bodies, or biofilms. Interest in the natural microbial life-style has increased during the last decade and a whole plethora of techniques has been used to gain insight into the development, structure and composition of diverse microbial communities. We have developed a technique for investigating the spatial heterogeneity of microbial growth in macro-colonies which essentially entails excision of the colonies with the underlying agar, freezing and subsequent cryotoming of the colonies, then FTIR microspectroscopic mapping of the cryosections. Colonies from Legionella, Bacillus, and Candida strains were chosen as model systems of multi-cellular communities to evaluate the technique. The results obtained indicate pronounced cell population heterogeneity even in relatively young colonies cultivated under laboratory conditions. Spectral data obtained from different positions within, e.g., a colony of Legionella bozemanii 120 h old indicated that levels of the storage material poly-β-hydroxybutyric acid were significantly higher in cells at the surface of the colonies than in those growing at the bottom next to the agar surface. Similarly, in a 24-h-old macro-colony of Bacillus megaterium significantly more of the capsular compound polyglutamic acid was detected in upper layers than in deeper layers of the colony. Results demonstrate that FTIR microspectroscopy can be an useful tool for investigation of the spatial heterogeneity of cell growth within microbial macro-colonies. It is suggested that the method also can be adapted to the analysis of more complex multicellular communities, for example fruiting bodies, biofilms, or colonies growing under natural conditions.     

Further insights into the assessment of cell cycle phases by FTIR microspectroscopy

Cell growth and replication occurs in an orderly manner through a set of tightly coordinated physiological events, classified as G0, G1, S, G2 and M in conformity to their characteristics. In a previous work, by combining the results of flow cytometry (FC) using propidium iodide (PI) staining, PI-FC, and Fourier Transform Infrared Microspectroscopy (FTIRM), we gathered information to classify live B16 cells into three different set of phases (G0/G1, S and G2/M), according to their nucleic acid content measured as the area integral of the Phosphate I band (PhI, 1274–1182 cm⁻¹). In this work, we demonstrate that, once built a calibration dataset for a cell line determining the intervals of the PhI area integral related to each phase of the cell cycle, such data can be used for assigning the stage to which a live cell belongs without the support of FC. In addition, we evaluate the spectral profile of early G1 B16 cells, and compare it with the one of G0 and late G1 cell cycle phases. FTIRM highlights that G0 and G1 phases are a continuum, where the content of RNA of early G1 cells is in between G0 and late G1, and the overall nucleic acid content varies accordingly. In the paper, we also pinpoint the effects on synchronization protocols on cellular biochemistry, further strengthening the potentialities of a totally label-free methodology for cell sorting. Finally, we demonstrate that the general concept behind the proposed approach may be extended to other mammalian cell lines: human bone osteosarcoma (U2OS) cells were tested.     

FTIR and Raman microspectroscopy of normal,benign, and malignant formalin-fixed ovarian tissues

Ovarian cancer is the sixth most common cancer among women worldwide, and mortality rates from this cancer are higher than for other gynecological cancers. This is attributed to a lack of reliable screening methods and the inadequacy of treatment modalities for the advanced stages of the disease. FTIR and Raman spectroscopic studies of formalin-fixed normal, benign, and malignant ovarian tissues have been undertaken in order to investigate and attempt to understand the underlying biochemical changes associated with the disease, and to explore the feasibility of discriminating between these different tissue types. Raman spectra of normal tissues indicate the dominance of proteins and lower contents of DNA and lipids compared to malignant tissues. Among the pathological tissues studied, spectra from benign tissues seem to contain more proteins and less DNA and lipids compared to malignant tissue spectra. FTIR studies corroborate these findings. FTIR and Raman spectra of both normal and benign tissues showed more similarities than those of malignant tissues. Cluster analysis of first-derivative Raman spectra in the 700–1700 cm⁻¹ range gave two clear groups, one corresponding to malignant and the other to normal+benign tissues. At a lower heterogeneity level, the normal+benign cluster gave three nonoverlapping subclusters, one corresponding to normal and two for benign tissues. Cluster analysis of second-derivative FTIR spectra in the combined spectral regions of 1540–1680 and 1720–1780 cm⁻¹ resulted into two clear clusters corresponding to malignant and normal+benign tissues. The cluster corresponding to normal+benign tissues produced nonoverlapping subclusters for normal and benign tissues at a lower heterogeneity level. The findings of this study demonstrate the feasibility of Raman and FTIR microspectroscopic discrimination of formalin-fixed normal, benign, and malignant ovarian tissues.     

A synchrotron FTIR microspectroscopy investigation of fungal hyphae grown under optimal and stressed conditions

Synchrotron FTIR can provide high spatial resolution (<10 μm pixel size) in situ biochemical analyses of intact biotissues, an area of increasing importance in the post-genomic era, as gene functions and gene networks are coming under direct scrutiny. With this technique, we can simultaneously assess multiple aspects of cell biochemistry and cytoplasmic composition. In this paper, we report the first results of our synchrotron FTIR examination of hyphae of three important fungal model systems, each with sequenced genomes and a wealth of research: Aspergillus, Neurospora, and Rhizopus. We have analyzed the FTIR maps of Aspergillus nidulans cells containing the hypA1 allele, a well-characterized single-gene temperature-sensitive morphogenetic mutation. The hypA1 cells resemble wildtype at 28 °C but have growth defects at 42 °C. We have also investigated Neurospora and Rhizopus cultures grown in media with optimal or elevated pH. Significant differences between the spectra of the three fungi are likely related to differences in composition and structure. In addition, high spatial resolution synchrotron FTIR spectroscopy provides an outstanding method for monitoring subtle subcellular changes that accompany environmental stress. Figure Photomicrographs and FTIR spectra acquired along Rhizopus hyphae grown at pH 6.5 (a) and pH 8.5 (b). Scale bars 50 μm     

Studying anomalous diffusion in a liquid crystal/ polymer system using fast FTIR imaging

The diffusion of liquid crystal 4‐n‐pentyl‐4′‐cyanobiphenyl (5CB) into a poly(butyl methacrylate) (PBMA) matrix has been studied using fast FTIR imaging. The concentration profiles were obtained as a function of time at several temperatures above and below the nematic to isotropic transition temperature (T_NI) of 5CB and the T_g of PBMA. The time‐dependent progression of the diffusion front position, when fitted to a power law model, exhibited exponential values between 0.40 and 0.52. This, along with the observed progression of a sharp 5CB‐diffusion front into the PBMA matrix, indicates the presence of an anomalous diffusion process. It was shown that fast FTIR was able to correctly identify the diffusion process as anomalous, whereas a simple mass uptake analysis would have led to the conclusion that the process proceeded according to Fick's second law. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci B: Polym Phys 37: 2261–2268, 1999     

Methodology for fiber-optic Raman mapping and FTIR imaging of metastases in mouse brains

The objectives of this study were to optimize the preparation of pristine brain tissue to obtain reference information, to optimize the conditions for introducing a fiber-optic probe to acquire Raman maps, and to transfer previous results obtained from human brain tumors to an animal model. Brain metastases of malignant melanomas were induced by injecting tumor cells into the carotid artery of mice. The procedure mimicked hematogenous tumor spread in one brain hemisphere while the other hemisphere remained tumor free. Three series of sections were prepared consecutively from whole mouse brains: dried, thin sections for FTIR imaging, hematoxylin and eosin-stained thin sections for histopathological assessment, and pristine, 2-mm thick sections for Raman mapping. FTIR images were recorded using a spectrometer with a multi-channel detector. Raman maps were collected serially using a spectrometer coupled to a fiber-optic probe. The FTIR images and the Raman maps were segmented by cluster analysis. The color-coded cluster memberships coincided well with the morphology of mouse brains in stained tissue sections. More details in less time were resolved in FTIR images with a nominal resolution of 25 microm than in Raman maps collected with a laser focus 60 microm in diameter. The spectral contributions of melanin in tumor cells were resonance enhanced in Raman spectra on excitation at 785 nm which enabled their sensitive detection in Raman maps. Possible reasons why metastatic cells of malignant melanomas were not identified in FTIR images are discussed.     

FTIR spectroscopy and biochemical investigation of ethanol stressed yeast Pachysolen tannophilus

FTIR can assess multiple aspects of cell biochemistry and cytoplasmic components. The aim of this study was the FTIR examination of control and ethanol stressed Pachysolen tannophilus. The results of FTIR measurements were compared with those obtained by traditional biochemical methods. The data obtained with both FTIR and chemical methods, showed that ethanol stress led to changes in carbohydrate, lipids and proteins. This study demonstrates that the relative proportions of the major macromolecules contained in P. tannophilus cells and their changes in response to external stimuli can be determined rapidly, simultaneously and inexpensively using FTIR. The technique proved to be equally reliable to and less labour intensive than the more traditional chemical methods.     

The spatial correlation between crystalline and amorphous orientations of isotactic polypropylene during plastic deformation: An in situ observation with FTIR imaging

On the basis of research method in FTIR imaging, we made a heterogeneous thin film of isotactic polypropylene(i PP) that contains a few large spherulites(~150 μm) which are surrounded by small spherulites(~15 μm) for tensile testing. The evolution processes of crystalline and amorphous orientations of i PP are monitored with its characteristic peaks at 998 and 973 cm-1, respectively. By introducing the correlation images, the analysis demonstrates the relationships between the orientation evolutions of crystalline and amorphous phases in a space of 250 μm× 250 μm detecting area. During the plastic deformation, crystalline orientation is higher than amorphous orientation outside the large spherulite, while that is opposite inside the region. In addition, the evolutions of crystalline and amorphous orientations almost keep a positive correlation.     

Sensitivity of model-based quantitative FTIR to instrumental and spectroscopic database error sources

We report a theoretical study of the error sources associated with the quantification of gas-phase FTIR spectra using synthetic calibrations. A forward model was constructed based on a Bruker IFS66 FTIR spectrometer, modelling the instrument line shape from theory and taking line parameters from a line-by-line spectral database. Default values were set in the forward model for an ‘ideal’ system where the spectrometer is perfectly aligned and all spectroscopic parameters are exactly known. Using a re-iterative non-linear least squares routine input values were perturbed allowing assessment of the model sensitivity to each parameter. Using the sensitivity information and knowledge of the possible absolute uncertainties (e.g. the accuracy to which a user might be able to axially align the field stop aperture) the possible quantitative contribution of each parameter was ranked in the following order (greatest first); field stop aperture axial alignment, line intensity, line centre, air-broadening line width, pressure, lateral field stop aperture/collimating optic alignment, pathlength, temperature. Whilst this ranking was specific to the type of measurement modelled it was discussed which elements would remain consistent for different measurement acquisition set-ups and which would alter. Consequently, it was proposed that the error analysis presented here could be used to determine which parameters in a forward model should be set as variables (i.e. those with the highest potential error contribution) and which should remain fixed in attempting to minimise the errors in using optimisation routines for the purpose of gas quantification.     

Fast FTIR imaging: A new tool for the study of semicrystalline polymer morphology

The distribution of chemical species and the degree of orientation in semicrystalline polymer systems have been studied using fast Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) imaging. A variety of poly(ethylene glycol) systems, including pure polymer, high and low molecular weight blends, and blends with amorphous polymers, were studied. It is shown that fast FTIR imaging can be used to determine the distribution of species with different molecular weights and can be used to determine the degree of segregation of different components in blends with amorphous polymers. Additionally, by employing an infrared polarizer, the degree of orientation was determined in these systems by the generation of spatially‐resolved dichroic ratio images. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci B: Polym Phys 37: 2353–2359, 1999     

FTIR分析在固相有机合成中的应用

综述了近几年来透射、漫反射、衰减全反射、光声及显微红外光谱技术在固相有机合成中的应用研究进展,对它们各自在定性、定量研究固相有机合成中的特点进行了比较.     

原位FTIR在研究催化剂积炭失活中的应用

本文综述了原位傅立叶变换红外光谱(FTIR)在研究石油化工催化反应中积炭现象的进展,介绍了运用原位FTIR在表征催化异构化反应、催化还原反应、催化裂化反应过程中催化剂积炭的结果,总结了对固体酸催化剂和双官能贵金属-酸催化剂上积炭形式的研究,讨论了不同温度下的积炭形成的过程。结合本课题组对正庚烷催化裂解反应的初步研究结果,提出原位FTIR重点问题是峰的识别与归属,其应用可以拓展到更多催化反应的机理和历程的研究。     

FTIR studies of intermolecular hydrogen bonding in halogenated ethanols

The effect of halogen substitution on intermolecular hydrogen-bonding in ethanol is studied. Specifically, Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectra of ethanol, 2,2,2-trifluoroethanol (TFE), and 2,2,2-trichloroethanol dissolved in carbon tetrachloride are reported as a function of temperature and concentration. The spectral intensities corresponding to monomer, dimer, and multimer formation are used to determine the effect of halogen substitution on intermolecular hydrogen-bonding. The enthalpy for dimerization was found to evolve from -4.2+/-0.3 kcal/mol in ethanol to -6.8+/-1.0 kcal/mol in TFE. An opposite trend was observed for multimer formation with enthalpies of -3.7+/-0.5 in ethanol and -2.1+/-1.4 kcal/mol in TFE. The majority of this evolution is assigned to the ability of ethanols to form intramolecular hydrogen bonds involving the hydoxyl proton and the halogen substituents.     

FTIR analysis of hydrogen bonding in amorphous linear aromatic polyurethanes. I. Influence of temperature

Fourier-transform infrared spectral studies of an amorphous linear aromatic polyurethane at various temperatures were performed. Hydrogen bonding was studied in the N? H stretching (3347 cm^?1) and the bending (1535 cm^?1) regions, using the band decomposition technique. The variations with temperature are used to calculate the ratio of the absorptivity coefficients for the H-bonded to the “free” N? H vibrations. This ratio is found to be independent of temperature. The enthalpy and the entropy of hydrogen bond dissociation are also obtained as 9.6 kJ mol^?1 and 44.8 J mol^?1 K^?1, respectively. Two C?C in-plane vibrational bands of the aromatic rings at 1614 and 1598 cm^?1 were studied at different temperatures. The integrated absorbance for both bands decreases clearly and regularly with increasing temperature, and both bands shift to lower wavenumbers. This strongly suggests a specific interaction for the aromatic rings, probably N? H … π hydrogen bonds, which will be discussed in detail in the second part of this series. © 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

FTIR analysis of hydrolysis in aliphatic polyesters

Infrared (IR) spectroscopy was adopted to study the hydrolytic degradation of films of aliphatic polyesters in alkaline environment. A measurable increase with the time of immersion of the absorbance of the peak centered at about 1570 cm⁻¹ was observed. Analysis of the IR spectra showed that the integrated peak area in that region can be used to quantify changes in the concentration of degradation products and thus to provide indications regarding the kinetic constant of the hydrolysis reaction. It was found that the hydrolysis of ester bonds proceeds linearly with time, and this result suggests that the controlling mechanism is the chemical reaction rather than water diffusion. The results also show that degradation rate increases with increasing polydispersity.     

FTIR analysis of bentonite in moulding sands

Bentonite is used in a wide range of applications. One of them is the foundry industry. The aim of this study was to investigate modification of moulding sands by dust which is generated during foundry process. Recycling of this dust is very important from ecological point of view. The samples of moulding sands were examined by Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Analysis of the bands due to the Si–O stretching vibrations allows to reveal the changes of active bentonite and silica sand, i.e. the main components of the moulding sands. FTIR results are compared with technological properties of the materials studied. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) methods have been used as the complementary measurement.     

Applications of diamond crystal ATR FTIR spectroscopy to the characterization of ambers

Diamond crystal ATR FTIR spectroscopy is a rapid technique with virtually no sample preparation which requires small sample amounts and showed potential in the study of ambers. FTIR spectra of ambers present discriminating patterns and can be used to distinguish amber from immature resins as copal, to determine local or Baltic origin of archaeological ambers and to detect most of the falsifications encountered in the amber commercialisation.