ALUMINUM AND ALZHEIMERS-DISEASE - SITES OF ALUMINUM BINDING IN HUMAN NEUROBLASTOMA-CELLS DETERMINED USING AL-26 AND ACCELERATOR MASS-SPECTROMETRY

The aluminium distribution between the major cell compartments of human neuroblastoma cells grown in culture has been determined using Al-26 and accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS). Cells (IMR-32) were grown for eight days in a culture medium containing Al-EDTA (0.2mM) spiked with Al-26, harvested, and fractionated by standard biochemical techniques. Al-26 in fractions after ashing to Al2O3 was determined by AMS using the 14UD accelerator at ANU Canberra. The cytoplasmic and nuclear cell compartments appeared to have reached diffusive equilibrium with the culture medium. Whilst Al-26 was retained by the nuclear proteins and nuclear sap, Al-26 did not appear to bind to the nucleic acids (DNA/RNA).