X-ray microanalysis of chlorine and phosphorus content in biguanide-treated Acanthamoeba castellanii

Energy dispersive analysis of X-rays (EDAX) was used to study the effects of chlorhexidine diacetate (CHA) and polyhexamethylene biguanide (PHMB) on Acanthamoeba castellanii. A high variation of elements occurred in untreated individual cells and only two elements, Cl (a biocide marker) and P, were investigated. X-ray dot mapping of untreated trophozoites and cysts revealed that Cl in cells was uniformly distributed throughout the cytoplasm, whereas P was less dense in the vacuoles. X-ray dots of Cl in biocide-treated trophozoites and cysts appeared denser and evenly distributed within the cells as the biguanide concentration increased. Quantitative analysis of either CHA or PHMB within the cells using Cl as an elemental marker was unsatisfactory because of the high Cl levels in untreated cells. The apparent increases of P in some experiments with treated cells might be associated with reduced permeability, protein coagulation or aggregation of phospholipids.