Tissue Imaging at Atmospheric Pressure Using Desorption Electrospray Ionization (DESI) Mass Spectrometry

Abstract

Images of the masses: Two-dimensional molecular imaging of intact rat brain tissue under ambient conditions was achieved by using the mass spectrometric technique of desorption electrospray ionization (DESI). The distributions of specific lipids, such as sulfatide 24:1, reveal distinctive subanatomical features of the rat brain (cc=corpus callosum; aca=anterior part of anterior commissure) with spatial resolution of less than 500 μm.