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At least 19 records

National User Resource for Biological Accelerator Mass Spectrometry

The National User Resource for Biological Accelerator Mass Spectrometry (User Resource) will provide isotopic analysis (primarily radiocarbon or 14C) by accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) for NIH- funded researchers across the United States and will be the only User Resource of its type in the United States. The User Resource will provide measurement capability and expertise to a research community that requires highly sensitive, quantitative isotope analyses. Since commissioning a new accelerator mass spectrometer in June 2014, we have measured over 4000 samples a year for collaborators and service users. The User Resource will enable us to continue to meet these research needs, as well as provide for new users whose research programs would benefit from AMS as a measurement tool. The User Resource’s forte will be ultra-high sensitivity quantitation of radiocarbon and selected other radioisotopes for research studies where isotopes are required. Radioisotope labeling studies have been and will continue to be an important tool for addressing many complex biomedical science problems. AMS is a specialized and unique type of mass spectrometry that provides absolute quantitation of radiocarbon and other relevant radioisotopes with extreme sensitivity, having limits of detection in real samples on the order of a few attomol/mg of sample at measurement precisions of ~3%. It is the only instrumental method capable of quantifying radioisotope-labeled agents routinely in real-world samples with such precision and sensitivity. The sensitivity of AMS allows for the quantification of radiolabeled metabolites in extremely complex matrices of cells and organisms at very low concentrations and in small samples. AMS allows studies to be conducted without perturbing metabolism leading to more relevant quantification of metabolic rates and pathways. In addition, it enables quantification of pharmacokinetic and metabolic properties of toxicants at environmentally relevant concentrations in model systems as well as the ability to quantify pharmacokinetics and other molecular endpoints directly in humans. Such quantitative assessments can 1) improve risk assessment for toxicants, 2) address safety and efficacy considerations for therapeutic entities, 3) deepen understanding of xenobiotic and intermediary metabolism, 4) help understand the interactions between critical molecular pathways, and 5) improve efforts to model and predict various metabolic and biological states. These capabilities have been applied in a number of areas including research in carcinogenesis, toxicology, nutrition, pharmacology/drug development and basic biological science. As a NIGMS National Resource the National User Resource for Biological Accelerator Mass Spectrometry will help NIH funded scientists achieve a deeper understanding of the etiology of human health concerns by (1) enabling the quantification of pharmacokinetics and other molecular endpoints directly in humans; (2) offering the ability to conduct quantitative studies using biologics such as proteins or lipids, and thereby reducing the amount of radioisotope usage in biomedical labs; and (3) enabling more relevant studies of metabolic pathways in health and disease through the use of much lower, more biologically-relevant, concentrations of metabolic substrates in cells and intact organisms. Such studies support NIGMS’s basic biomedical research areas that contribute to the understanding of fundamental cellular and physiological principles and enable research supported by the Biophysics, Biomedical Technology, and Computational Biosciences (BBCB); Genetics and Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology (GMCDB); Pharmacology, Physiology, Biological Chemistry (PPBC) and Training, Workforce Development, and Diversity (TWD) Divisions.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗

National User Resource for Biological Accelerator Mass Spectrometry (Final Report)

The National User Resource for Biological Accelerator Mass Spectrometry (User Resource) will provide isotopic analysis (primarily radiocarbon or 14C) by accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) for NIH- funded researchers across the United States and will be the only User Resource of its type in the United States. The User Resource will provide measurement capability and expertise to a research community that requires highly sensitive, quantitative isotope analyses. Since commissioning a new accelerator mass spectrometer in June 2014, we have measured over 4000 samples a year for collaborators and service users. The User Resource will enable us to continue to meet these research needs, as well as provide for new users whose research programs would benefit from AMS as a measurement tool. The User Resource’s forte will be ultra-high sensitivity quantitation of radiocarbon and selected other radioisotopes for research studies where isotopes are required. Radioisotope labeling studies have been and will continue to be an important tool for addressing many complex biomedical science problems. AMS is a specialized and unique type of mass spectrometry that provides absolute quantitation of radiocarbon and other relevant radioisotopes with extreme sensitivity, having limits of detection in real samples on the order of a few attomol/mg of sample at measurement precisions of ~3%. It is the only instrumental method capable of quantifying radioisotope-labeled agents routinely in real-world samples with such precision and sensitivity. The sensitivity of AMS allows for the quantification of radiolabeled metabolites in extremely complex matrices of cells and organisms at very low concentrations and in small samples. AMS allows studies to be conducted without perturbing metabolism leading to more relevant quantification of metabolic rates and pathways. In addition, it enables quantification of pharmacokinetic and metabolic properties of toxicants at environmentally relevant concentrations in model systems as well as the ability to quantify pharmacokinetics and other molecular endpoints directly in humans. Such quantitative assessments can 1) improve risk assessment for toxicants, 2) address safety and efficacy considerations for therapeutic entities, 3) deepen understanding of xenobiotic and intermediary metabolism, 4) help understand the interactions between critical molecular pathways, and 5) improve efforts to model and predict various metabolic and biological states. These capabilities have been applied in a number of areas including research in carcinogenesis, toxicology, nutrition, pharmacology/drug development and basic biological science. As a NIGMS National Resource the National User Resource for Biological Accelerator Mass Spectrometry will help NIH funded scientists achieve a deeper understanding of the etiology of human health concerns by (1) enabling the quantification of pharmacokinetics and other molecular endpoints directly in humans; (2) offering the ability to conduct quantitative studies using biologics such as proteins or lipids, and thereby reducing the amount of radioisotope usage in biomedical labs; and (3) enabling more relevant studies of metabolic pathways in health and disease through the use of much lower, more biologically-relevant, concentrations of metabolic substrates in cells and intact organisms. Such studies support NIGMS’s basic biomedical research areas that contribute to the understanding of fundamental cellular and physiological principles and enable research supported by the Biophysics, Biomedical Technology, and Computational Biosciences (BBCB); Genetics and Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology (GMCDB); Pharmacology, Physiology, Biological Chemistry (PPBC) and Training, Workforce Development, and Diversity (TWD) Divisions. Over the next five years, our goals are to: 1. Improve the efficiency of operation for AMS measurements through installation of new interfaces to our AMS systems, technical modifications to improve gas accepting ion source efficiency and upgrading our data analysis software for improved ease of use and data reporting. 2. Increase the accessibility and visibility of ultra-sensitive 14C measurements for the biomedical research community by training of new investigators and expanding our national user base. 3. Provide high throughput, ultra-sensitive 14C analysis for the NIGMS and NIH user community.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗

Determination of cosmogenic Ca-41 in a meteorite with tandem accelerator mass spectrometry

The first use of tandem accelerator mass spectrometry (TAMS) to measure the content of Ca-41 in a natural sample, the iron Bogou meteorite, is reported. Ca in the samples was extracted by hydroxide precipitation and purified by means of a caution exchange resin (AG 50W-X8). After adding 4 percent ammonium oxide, the precipitate was ignited to CaO in a quartz vial at about 1100 C. The Ca-41/Ca ratios were determined following acceleration by alternate measurements of the Ca-40 beam current in an image Faraday cup. Ca-41 particles were also measured using a gas counter. The measured Ca-41/Ca ratio was 3.8 + or -0.6 x 10 to the 12th, which corresponds to a Ca-41 activity of 6.9 + or -1.1 d.p.m. per kg. Calculation of the half-life of Ca-41 in the Bogou meteorite yielded an age of 103,000 years.

Kubik, P. W.↗

Separation of Lipoproteins for Quantitative Analysis of 14 C-Labeled Lipid-Soluble Compounds by Accelerator Mass Spectrometry

To date, 14 C tracer studies using accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) have not yet resolved lipid-soluble analytes into individual lipoprotein density subclasses. The objective of this work was to develop a reliable method for lipoprotein separation and quantitative recovery for biokinetic modeling purposes. The novel method developed provides the means for use of small volumes (10–200 µL) of frozen plasma as a starting material for continuous isopycnic lipoprotein separation within a carbon- and pH-stable analyte matrix, which, following post-separation fraction clean up, created samples suitable for highly accurate 14 C/ 12 C isotope ratio determinations by AMS. Manual aspiration achieved 99.2 ± 0.41% recovery of [5- 14 CH 3 ]-(2R, 4'R, 8'R)-α-tocopherol contained within 25 µL plasma recovered in triacylglycerol rich lipoproteins (TRL = Chylomicrons + VLDL), LDL, HDL, and infranatant (INF) from each of 10 different sampling times for one male and one female subject, n = 20 total samples. Small sample volumes of previously frozen plasma and high analyte recoveries make this an attractive method for AMS studies using newer, smaller footprint AMS equipment to develop genuine tracer analyses of lipophilic nutrients or compounds in all human age ranges.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Radionuclide measurements by accelerator mass spectrometry at Arizona

Over the past years, Tandem Accelerator Mass Spectrometry (TAMS) has become established as an important method for radionuclide analysis. In the Arizona system the accelerator is operated at a thermal voltage of 1.8MV for C-14 analysis, and 1.6 to 2MV for Be-10. Samples are inserted into a cesium sputter ion source in solid form. Negative ions sputtered from the target are accelerated to about 25kV, and the injection magnet selects ions of a particular mass. Ions of the 3+ charge state, having an energy of about 9MeV are selected by an electrostatic deflector, surviving ions pass through two magnets, where only ions of the desired mass-energy product are selected. The final detector is a combination ionization chamber to measure energy loss (and hence, Z), and a silicon surface-barrier detector which measures residual energy. After counting the trace iosotope for a fixed time, the injected ions are switched to the major isotope used for normalization. These ions are deflected into a Faraday cup after the first high-energy magnet. Repeated measurements of the isotope ratio of both sample and standards results in a measurement of the concentration of the radionuclide. Recent improvements in sample preparation for C-14 make preparation of high-beam current graphite targets directly from CO2 feasible. Except for some measurements of standards and backgrounds for Be-10 measurements to date have been on C-14. Although most results have been in archaeology and quaternary geology, studies have been expanded to include cosmogenic C-14 in meteorites. The data obtained so far tend to confirm the antiquity of Antarctic meteorites from the Allan Hills site. Data on three samples of Yamato meteorites gave terrestrial ages of between about 3 and 22 thousand years.

Jull, A. J. T.↗

Producing 236 U reference standards for Accelerator Mass Spectrometry at the University of Notre Dame

36 U is a rare isotope of uranium, naturally occurring in ores with an abundance of 236 U/ 238 U$<$ 1 x 10 -9 . The ability to detect it and make isotopic ratio measurements has applications ranging from nuclear forensics and nonproliferation to energy production and environmental protection. Currently, Accelerator Mass Spectrometry (AMS) is the only technique sensitive enough to accurately measure 236 U/ 238 U isotopic ratios as they exist in naturally occurring ores in the range of 236 U/ 238 U = 10 -12 $-$ 10 -9 . Some AMS facilities have demonstrated their capabilities to make these measurements. Historically, the lack of commercially available reference standards covering the range of naturally occurring 236 U/ 238 U abundances has necessitated the use of absolute measurements, notoriously difficult to do using AMS, resulting in increased uncertainties in measurements and a reliance on knowledge of systematic effects. To mitigate these issues, various AMS facilities have sought to develop their own reference standards. Using a reference standard prepared for other forms of mass spectrometry, a series of AMS suitable standards was created through dilution with low-background natural uranium. The techniques used to produce and characterize these materials as well as analysis of them using AMS will be discussed.

236U↗

Half-life of Si-32 from tandem-accelerator mass spectrometry

A newly developed mass-spectrometry technique employing a tandem Van de Graaff accelerator together with a special beam-transport system and heavy-ion detector has been used to determine the half-life of Si-32. The result obtained, 108 plus or minus 18 yr, disagrees with the accepted value of 330 plus or minus 40 yr. The implications of the new half-life of Si-32, which is used for dating studies, are discussed.

Elmore, D.↗

C-14 content of ten meteorites measured by tandem accelerator mass spectrometry

Measurements of C-14 in three North American and seven Antarctic meteorites show in most cases that this cosmogenic isotope, which is tightly bound, was separated from absorbed atmospheric radiocarbon by stepwise heating extractions. The present upper limit to age determination by the accelerator method varies from 50,000 to 70,000 years, depending on the mass and carbon content of the sample. The natural limit caused by cosmic ray production of C-14 in silicate rocks at 2000 m elevation is estimated to be 55,000 + or - 5000 years. An estimation is also made of the 'weathering ages' of the Antarctic meteorites from the specific activity of loosely bound CO2 which is thought to be absorbed from the terrestrial atmosphere. Accelerator measurements are found to agree with previous low level counting measurements, but are more sensitive and precise.

Brown, R. M.↗

Measurements of I-129 in meteorites and lunar rock by tandem accelerator mass spectrometry

Precise measurements of the half-life of I-129 in three different meteorites and one lunar surface rock are reported. The meteorite source of I-129 was produced by cosmic ray secondary neutron reactions on Te, while the source in lunar materials in spallation on barium and rare earth elements. The Abee, Allende, and Dhajala meteorites were examined, together with the lunar rock 14310. Details of the process used to extract the iodine are provided. The Abee and Allende samples exhibited a production of 0.5 atom/min per gm of Te from the (n,2n) reaction and 0.05 atom/min/gm for the (n,gamma) reaction. The I-129 is concluded to be a viable tool for long-lived cosmogenic nuclide studies. Further work to extend the data to include the constancy of the cosmic ray flux, the meteorite bombardment history, and the cosmic exposure age dating by means of the I-129 and Xe-129 method is indicated.

Nizhiizumi, K.↗

Determination of the isotopic composition of atmospheric methane and its application in the Antarctic

A procedure for establishing the C-13/C-12 ratio and the C-14 abundance in the atmospheric methane is discussed. The method involves air sample collection, measurement of the methane mixing ratio by gas chromotography followed by quantitative conversion of the methane in the air samples to CO2 and H2O, and analysis of the resulting CO2 for the C-13/C-12 ratio by stable isotope ratio mass spectrometry and measurement of C-14 content by accelerator mass spectrometry. The carbon isotropic composition of methane in air collected at Baring Head, New Zealand, and in air collected on aircraft flights between New Zealand and Antarctica is determined by the method, and no gradient in the composition between Baring Head and the South Pole station is found. As the technique is refined, and more data is gathered, small seasonal and long-term variations in C-13 are expected to be resolved.

Lowe, David C.↗

Bio-distribution and deposition of wildfire smoke chemicals into olfactory bulb and brain of rats after intranasal instillation

Epidemiological and experimental studies suggest wildfire smoke is a potential contributor to neurological dysfunction and associated with neuroinflammation. Using doses comparable to those encountered during intense wildfire events (200-300 μg/m 3 ), we explore the absorption, distribution, metabolism, and elimination (ADME) and pharmacokinetics of representative members of major chemical classes (acid, phenol, PAH, aldehyde) in inhaled wood smoke condensates. Male Sprague Dawley rats were intranasally instilled with smoldering eucalyptus woodsmoke extract (WSE) reconstituted in saline spiked with 14 C-labeled palmitic acid (PA), benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P), catechol (CAT) or benzaldehyde (BZ). Serum was collected from 5 min to 2 weeks after exposure and tissues were collected at 0.5, 2, 4, 24 h and 2 weeks after exposure. Urine was collected over the 24 h exposure. Tissues were collected, rinsed in PBS and analyzed by accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) for 14C-labeled chemicals. PA and B[a]P entered circulation slowly, reached maximum concentration (C max ) near 15 ng/mL at 2 h, and had circulating concentrations near 1/3 C max 24 h after exposure. CAT and BZ rapidly entered circulation and were mostly cleared at 2 h. Excess 14 C from all four chemicals was detected in olfactory bulb and brain over the first 24 h but only PA (or its metabolites) was retained in olfactory bulb, brain and kidney at 2 weeks post exposure. All excess 14 C was cleared from the lung at 2 weeks. Metabolite analysis of urine (CAT, BZ and B(a)P) dosed samples did not detect any parent compound. CAT and BZ were rapidly cleared. The slower uptake and clearance of PA or B[a]P or their reactive metabolites when dosed with WSE in brain and olfactory bulb potentially provide greater opportunity for inflammatory response. This study suggests that wildfire smoke chemicals can enter the brain directly from the nasal cavity to the olfactory bulb and via systemic circulation.

63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTAN↗

Quantifying replication through repeated analysis of UVM-A, a liquid reference material for cosmogenic 10 Be and 26 Al studies

In this study, in-situ produced cosmogenic nuclide sample preparation and analysis is a complicated, multi-step process with numerous possible sources of error, many of which have not been robustly quantified. Here, we use a liquid reference material (UVM-A) to test whether the analytic precision associated with individual isotopic ratios (n = 96) measured at two Accelerator Mass Spectrometry facilities (Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and Purdue Rare Isotope Measurement Laboratory) accurately represents the range of values determined for aliquots prepared in a single laboratory over a period of five years. We find that 10 Be/ 9 Be ratios measured at the different accelerator facilities (n = 26 and n = 70) have statistically indistinguishable central tendencies, matching to within 0.1 %. Based on this large dataset, we suggest preliminary consensus values for UVM-A of 1.45 ± 0.06 x 10 -13 for 10 Be/ 9 Be (mean, one standard deviation, n = 96) and 4.47 ± 0.22 x 10 -13 for 26 Al/ 27 Al (mean, one standard deviation, n = 27). For both 10 Be/ 9 Be and 26 Al/ 27 Al, the relative standard deviations of the measured ratios are similar to the reported analytic uncertainties of sample measurement, suggesting that sample preparation introduced little if any additional scatter beyond the uncertainty of isotopic analysis. This dataset demonstrates that robust sample preparation and measurement can generate isotope ratio data reproducible at the level of counting statistics.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗

DNA adducts form in mouse lung and liver after oral naphthalene exposure

Naphthalene is a ubiquitous combustion product and environmental contaminant with known human exposure. Chronic exposure to naphthalene vapor leads to respiratory tumor formation in rodents. Naphthalene forms DNA adducts (precursors to genotoxicity) in tissue explants but it is unclear if this occurs in vivo. Wild-type C57BL/6 mice were orally exposed to 50 mg/kg 14 C-naphthalene. Naphthalene-DNA adducts were detected by accelerator mass spectrometry at 2- to 72-h post-exposure in both lung and liver, with decreasing abundance over time. Adducts persisted even at 72-h after exposure, which indicates possible evasion of DNA repair and potential to contribute to mutagenesis.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗

The development and evolution of biological AMS at Livermore: a perspective

Biological accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) provides ultrasensitive carbon-14 isotopic analysis enabling a deeper understanding of human health concerns by enabling quantification of pharmacokinetics and other molecular endpoints directly in humans. It enables environmentally and human relevant studies of metabolic pathways through the use of very low concentrations of labeled metabolic substrates in cells and organisms. Here, we discuss why AMS is an important tool for the biosciences, the development and evolution of biological AMS at Livermore and discuss technical refinements that will improve the efficiency of operation for the measurement of ultra-trace levels of 14 C, which, long term, will enable greater ease of use and sample throughput.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗

Radioactivities in returned lunar materials and in meteorites

Carbon 14 terrestial ages were determined with low level minicomputers and accelerator mass spectrometry on 1 Yamato and 18 Allan Hills and nearby sited meteorites. Techniques for an accelerator mass spectrometer which make C(14) measurements on small samples were developed. Also Be(10) concentrations were measured in Byrd core and Allan Hills ice samples.

Fireman, E. L.↗

First experimental determination of the ⁴⁰Ar(𝑛, 2𝑛)³⁹Ar reaction cross section and ³⁹Ar production in Earth’s atmosphere

The cosmogenic ³⁹Ar(t1∕2 = 268 years) isotope of argon is used for geophysical dating and tracing of underground and ocean water, as well as ice owing to its appropriate half-life and chemical inertness as a noble gas; ³⁹Ar serves also in nuclear weapon test monitoring. We measured for the first time the total cross section of the main ³⁹Ar cosmogenic production reaction in the atmosphere, namely ⁴⁰Ar(𝑛, 2𝑛)39 Ar, using 14.8 ± 0.3 MeV neutrons. The neutrons, produced by a deuterium-tritium generator, impinged on a stainless steel sphere filled with Ar gas highly enriched in the ⁴⁰Ar isotope and were monitored by a stack of fast-neutron activation foils. The reaction yield was measured by atom counting of long-lived ³⁹Ar with noble gas accelerator mass spectrometry and, independently, by decay counting relative to atmospheric argon (³⁹Ar/Ar= 8.12 × 10−16 ). A total ⁴⁰Ar(𝑛, 2𝑛)39 Ar cross section of 610 ± 100 mb was determined at 14.8 ± 0.3 MeV incident neutron energy. This result serves as a benchmark for recent theoretical calculations and evaluations, found to reproduce well the experimental total cross section. We use these energy-dependent theoretical cross sections together with experimental spectra of cosmogenic neutrons at different altitudes to calculate the global average rate of neutron-induced ³⁹Ar atmospheric production, resulting in 770 ± 240 39 Ar atoms/cm²/day. The secular equilibrium between the ³⁹Ar calculated production rate and radioactive decay rate leads to a partial isotopic abundance ³⁹Ar/Ar = (5.9 ± 1.8) × 10−16 , showing that ≈73% of atmospheric ³⁹Ar is produced by cosmogenic neutrons, the remaining part believed to be induced by muons and high-energy 𝛾 rays. The ⁴⁰Ar(𝑛, 2𝑛)³⁹Ar cross section at 14 MeV is also a key parameter for quantifying the anthropogenic contribution to atmospheric 39 Ar produced during the thermonuclear tests of the 1960s. We estimate that anthropogenic ³⁹Ar accounts for roughly 20% of the present atmospheric inventory.

39 Ar atmospheric production↗

Naphthalene-DNA Adduct Formation in a Lung Airway Explant Model: The Role of Bioactivation and Naphthalene Metabolites

Humans are widely exposed to naphthalene. Once inhaled or ingested, naphthalene is metabolized by cytochrome P450 and other enzymes to form toxic metabolites known to harm lung epithelial cells. Naphthalene metabolites circulate in the blood. Chronic naphthalene inhalation promotes lesions in the epithelium of the mouse lung and rat nose. Oral naphthalene exposure leads to DNA adduct formation in mouse lung, but the contributions of different enzymatic pathways and the metabolites they generate are not fully understood. This study explores the influence of naphthalene metabolites on DNA adduct formation in the lungs of two species (mice and primates). To isolate the lung response, conducting airway explants containing Club cells, a target for pulmonary naphthalene toxicity, were microdissected from live lung tissue and incubated with 14 C-naphthalene or its metabolites: 14 C-1,2-naphthoquinone or 14 C-naphthalene-1,2-dihydrodiol. Explants were incubated for 1 h, then processed immediately (T1), or were transferred to clean media for the remainder of the 24 h (T24), to monitor 14 C in DNA over time. Accelerator mass spectrometry analysis revealed the formation of DNA adducts by all three radiolabeled compounds by T24. Our results support the notion that P450 enzymes of the Cyp2abfgs subfamily contribute to naphthalene-induced DNA adduct formation (approximately 4-fold reduction in male mice lacking the Cyp2abfgs genes, P < 0.01). The finding that naphthalene-1,2-dihydrodiol, a stable metabolite, formed DNA adducts (102–117 adducts/10 8 nucleotides) at 24 h following addition to the culture media validates the concern that circulating naphthalene metabolites can contribute to DNA adduct formation in the lung. DNA adducts persisted to 24 h after exposure in both mouse and primate airways and at comparable levels between species (77.8 vs 129 adducts/10 8 nucleotides, respectively). Together, these results support the importance of a potential genotoxic mechanism of naphthalene and its metabolites in vivo in both mice and nonhuman primates, and possibly also in humans.

Biological and medical sciences↗