RED BLOOD CELL MEASUREMENTS USING RESONANCE IONIZATION SPECTROSCOPY

ASTRONAUTS AND ANIMALS FLOWN IN MICROGRAVITY HAVE EXPERIENCED A LOSS OF RED BLOOD CELL MASS, BUT MECHANISMS CAUSING THIS PHENOMENON ARE NOT UNDERSTOOD. PREPARATIONS FOR IN-FLIGHT HEMATOLOGY STUDIES INCLUDE A DESIRE TO ELIMINATE RADIOACTIVE TRACERS AND SUBSTITUTE SAFE STABLE ISOTOPES. REALISTIC MULTIPLE SAMPLING FOR IN-FLIGHT STUDIESWILL REQUIRE MICROLITER 'PIN-PRICK' BLOOD SAMPLES. ACCURATEMEASUREMENTS OF NANOGRAM AND PICOGRAM QUANTITIES OF ELEMENTSAND ISOTOPES ARE REQUIRED FOR MICROLITER BLOOD SAMPLES. RESONANCE IONIZATION SPECTROSCOPY OFFERS THE POTENTIAL TO PROVIDE THESE MEASUREMENTS. TUNABLE LASER RADIATION IS USED TO SENSITIVELY AND SELECTIVELY FORM IONS THAT ARE MASS ANALYZED AND DETECTED WITH ATOM COUNTING SENSITIVITY. PHASEI OBJECTIVES ARE: 1) DEVELOP OR REFINE ATOMIZATION AND RESONANCE IONIZATION SCHEMES FOR IRON AND CHROMIUM; 2) DEVELOP SIMPLIFIED CHEMICAL SEPARATION PROCEDURES; 3) DEVELOP STABLE ISOTOPE SPIKING AND CALIBRATION PROCEDURES; 4) DEMONSTRATE THE UTILITY OF STABLE ISOTOPES TO MEASURE REDCELL MASS, RED BLOOD CELL SURVIVAL AND RED BLOOD CELL PRODUCTION IN RATS. THIS PROJECT WILL DEMONSTRATE FEASIBILITY AND PROVIDE THE FOUNDATION FOR PHASE II AND III EFFORTS TO EXPAND LAND-BASED ANIMAL STUDIES AND PROVIDE IN-FLIGHT HUMAN STUDIES. THE COMMERCIAL POTENTIAL OF THE TECHNOLOGY INCLUDES A DIAGNOSTIC TOOL IN PEDIATRICS, NEONATOLOGY AND STUDIES OF HEMATOLOGIC DISORDERS.