On the Way to Detection and Classification of Biogenic Iron in Tissues of Laboratory Animals with the Help of SQUID Magnetometry

Tissues of the left heart ventricle (LHV), liver and aorta of normotensive WKY rats were studied using SQUID magnetometry. Presented is the sample mounting and stabilization procedure, which allows the creation of geometrical and time-stable samples. Described SQUID magnetometry method enables the detection of different types of biogenic iron. In all tissues, a paramagnetic iron, most likely haemoglobin was detected. In samples of the liver was additionally detected also iron in the form of mineralised nanoparticles with a blocking temperature of 11 K, which is indicative of ferritin-like iron.