Adsorptive Stripping Measurements of Iron Accumulation in Mice Kidney Using Microelectrodes and Histological Features

Summary The toxic effects caused by iron in kidney was performed on experimental studies with mice following administration of a metallic solution of this specie to simulate the iron corrosion products of a metallic implant. To quantify the total levels of iron present in this organ, an electrochemical method was chosen based on the application of square wave voltammetry using adsorptive collection of iron-catechol on a mercury film microelectrode (MFM). The optimal working conditions to produce a very stable and reproducible iron peak in the digested kidney samples were found to be pH=7.2 provided by 8.0 mmol/L PIPES buffer, catechol concentration of 3.0×10 -4 mol/L, deposition potential -1.80 V and deposition time 20 s. These results were compared with those obtained by atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS) indicating a good performance of the electrochemical method used. The analytical results show an increase of iron concentration with treatment time, which indicates that this metal ion is partially accumulated in the kidney. This accumulation induces with time some morphological alterations as evidenced by the histological analysis.