Synchrotron X-ray microscopy reveals early calcium and iron interaction with crocidolite fibers in the lung of exposed mice Lorella Pascolo a , Giuliano Zabucchi b , Alessandra Gianoncelli c , George Kourousias c , Elisa Trevisan b , Ernesto Pascotto d , Claudia Casarsa b , Chris Ryan e , Monica Lucattelli f , Giuseppe Lungarella f , Eleonora Cavarra f , Barbara Bartalesi f , Marina Zweyer g , Francesca Cammisuli g , Mauro Melato a , Violetta Borelli b, * a Institute for Maternal and Child Health, IRCCS Burlo Garofolo, 34137 Trieste, Italy b Department of Life Science, University of Trieste, 34127 Trieste, Italy c Elettra -Sincrotrone Trieste, 34149-Basovizza, Trieste, Italy d Servizio Diagnostica Veterinaria, University of Udine, 33100 Udine, Italy e CSIRO, Clayton, 3169 South Victoria, Australia f Department of Life Science, Section of Experimental Pathology, University of Siena, 53100 Siena, Italy g Dipartimento Universitario Clinico di Scienze Mediche, Chirurgiche e della Salute, Università di Trieste, 34149 Trieste, Italy H I G H L I G H T S G R A P H I C A L A B S T R A C T  In a murine model of asbestos expo- sure a relevant inflammatory and atypical hyperplastic reaction was induced.  Inflamed lung tissue regions of mice exposed to crocidolite, 1 month after treatment, were analyzed at two different synchrotron facilities: a high and a low energy microscopy set-up.  Where conventional histochemical staining procedures fail to reveal any significant calcium and iron deposition, m-XRF analysis is able to detect significant deposits of both iron and calcium on the macrophage ingested fibers.  Asbestos fibers can induce iron and calcium ions sequestration early on following exposure.  This process is concomitant with the appearance of inflammatory and hyperplastic reactions. A R T I C L E I N F O Article history: Received 7 September 2015 A B S T R A C T Human exposure to asbestos can cause a wide variety of lung diseases that are still a current major health concern, even if asbestos has been banned in many countries. * Corresponding author at: Department of Life Science, University of Trieste, via Valerio, 28, Building R (Room 122), 34127 Trieste, Italy. Fax: +39 405584023. E-mail address: borelliv@units.it (V. Borelli). http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.toxlet.2015.11.016 0378-4274/ ã 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved. Toxicology Letters 241 (2016) 111–120 Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Toxicology Letters journa l homepage: www.e lsevier.com/locate/toxlet