Darmstadt 2008 – scientific programme
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MO: Fachverband Molekülphysik
MO 16: Biomoleküle
MO 16.6: Poster
Tuesday, March 11, 2008, 14:00–19:00, Poster C1
The Influence of Seasonal Changes of the Day-Night Rhythm on the Composition of Hamster Bones Investigated by Raman Spectroscopy — •Jing Shen1,2, Jiming Hu2, Alexander Lerchl1, and Arnulf Materny1 — 1Jacobs University Bremen, Germany — 2Wuhan University, China
Raman spectroscopy is a non-destructive method, which can provide vibrational information on molecular level for biomedical samples. The change of the light and dark phases (photoperiods) considerably influences the vital functions of Djungarian hamsters. For example, it has been proven that a winter-time photoperiod results in a decline of body weight and is associated with changes of the gonadal function and fur color [1]. In our study, Raman spectroscopy is applied to observe bone compositional differences between long- (16L:8D) and short-day (8L:16D) photoperiod Djungarian hamsters. The bones were cut perpendicularly to the diaphysis at the condyle and in the middle of the diaphysis in order to have access to both cortical bone and trabeculae. Spectra were obtained from different points of each sample and were then averaged. Our results demonstrate that long-day cortical bone samples have a higher phosphate-to-carbonate ratio in both femur and tibia.
[1] A. Lerchl et al., Neuroendocrinology 57,359 (1993).