Xenon-Water Interaction in Bacterial Suspensions as Studied by NMR

Xenon is a perspective gas for creation of oxygen free environment for different applications of biomaterials. To use xenon in suspensions and products properly it is necessary to know the molecular mechanisms of its interactions with water and cells. This work reports the study of bacterial suspensions of Escherichia coli in the presence of xenon using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). The work studied how the spin-lattice relaxation times of water protons in suspension change under xenon conditions. Xenon is able to form clathrate hydrates with water molecules at a temperature above the melting point of ice. The work studied NMR relaxation times which reflect the rotation freedom of water molecules in suspension. Lower relaxation times indicate reduced rotational freedom of water. Single exponential behavior of spin-lattice relaxation of protons in the suspensions of microorganisms has been registered. A recovery of longitudinal magnetization in cell suspensions with xenon clathrates has been characterized by two peaks in T1-distribution. Fast relaxing T1-component was related to the intracellular water and depended on the amount of xenon clathrates. The obtained results elucidate how the NMR method can monitor the process of clathrate formation and how the xenon atoms and hydrates interact with cells.