Development of a Neutron Activation Analysis Method for Studying the Elemental Composition of Atherosclerotic Plaques

Atherosclerosis is one of the most important problems of modern medicine. It involves changes in the structure and inner lining of the arteries. Studying chemical elements directly in vascular tissues allows understanding the mechanisms of evolvement of cardiovascular diseases, in particular, atherosclerosis. This study is aimed at developing the neutron activation technique for the analysis of atherosclerotic plaques formed at various stages of the atherosclerosis and studying their composition. The content of 13 elements in lipid, fibrous, ulcerated, and calcific plaques was determined using the developed method. It was established that upon evolving atherosclerosis, the content of a number of essential elements changes, the content of calcium, strontium, selenium, zinc and iron increases, and the bromine content decreases. Also, it was suggested that iron plays a role in the evolution of atherosclerotic vascular lesions.