The Preliminary Analysis Of Microstructure And Material Composition Of Human Gallstones

BackgroundGallstone is a common disease with an increasing incidence year by year. However, there is no effective preventive measures currently, consuming much medical resources. The formation of gallstones is a pathological process of mineralization in human body, during which, both structure and component of gallstones record variety of information of stone formation. By studying the structure and component of gallstones, it could provide an important basis for the forming mechanism of gallstones so as to further find scientific precautions and rational treatment programs. Because the previous study on the structure and component of gallstones are mostly from the perspective of a particular discipline, together with limited experimental equipment and techniques, the analysis of structure and component of gallstones meet bottleneck problem. In recent years, with the development of science and technology, more advanced experimental apparatuses and equipments are hired in scientific research, providing advantages to study gallstones intensively with a strong support. Meanwhile, with changes of ideas, a growing number of disciplines and concepts cross each other, it provides a good research platform for studying gallstones.ObjectiveIn this paper, some modern research methods and measuring means of geology mineralogy and crystallography are used to analysis microstructure and mineral component of gallstones preliminarily from the interdisciplinary perspective, providing a theoretical basis for the study on formation process and mechanism of gallstones.MethodsLight microscopes, advanced polarizing microscopy and nano-level high resolution scanning electron microscopy are applied to observe the microstructure of gallstones in this research; Specular reflection of Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy is applied to pinpoint, qualitative and quantitative measure the major organic and inorganic substance of gallstones; X-ray fluorescence spectrometry is applied to measure the major and minor inorganic elements of gallstones; X-ray diffraction is applied to analyse the component of the crystal of gallstones.Results1. Light microscope, polarizing microscope, scanning electron microscopy:a periodic layered structure exists in most cholesterol stones, most of these stones are formed by a core coposed of irregular crystal structure and the periphery of the layered structure. The layered structure was mainly composed of dense clusters of cholesterol crystals, and the arrangement of cholesterol crystals shows a certain regularity like clubs, layered, streak, plate, radial, mica-like, wavy, or irregular arrangement. Such a layered structure in bile pigment stones has been so far observed, it is mainly composed of lumps, large and small particles, scatteredly or clusteredly distributing in stones. There are big gaps between the particles. Mixed stones have both crystals in cholesterol stones and particles in the pigment stones. Black stones have no layered structure and core, mainly composed of the small particles distributed in the stone. In addition, nano particles were also found in gallstones.2. Specular reflection Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy:cholesterol, bilirubin, calcium carbonate, calcium phosphate, stearic acid calcium and other organic and inorganic substances exist in gallstones; the contents of same substance vary in different locations of gallstones; the contents of cholesterol and other calcium salts except bilirubin calcium are related with its locations; the contents of cholesterol are higher than other substances in the outer core and core layered structure, and the outer shell except calcium carbonate.3. X-ray fluorescence spectrometry:all the necessary inorganic elements can be found in the stones, most of essential trace elements exist in the gallstones. Although the contents of various elements are significantly different, the content of Ca is higher and the content of Ca and S, P, Mn was a positive correlation. So do Fe, Al, Mg and Si.4. X-ray diffraction:crystals of various types of gallstones are obviously different. The main part of cholesterol stones are crystalline substance, the main components is cholesterol crystals; the main part of pigment stones are amorphous substance, the main components is bilirubin and bilirubin salt; the main part of mixed stones are a mixture of both crystalline and amorphous substance, the main components is cholesterol crystals and bilirubin.ConclusionVarious types of gallstones have diversities of the microstructure. A periodic layered structure exists in most cholesterol stones, mainly composed of the regular arrangement of the cholesterol crystals. Nano-particulates exist in gallstones. The composition, content and distribution of main material in various types of gallstones have both generality and heterogeneous. The content and distribution of gallstones has a certain regularity.