Most cited article - PubMed ID 27461900
High-contrast X-ray micro-radiography and micro-CT of ex-vivo soft tissue murine organs utilizing ethanol fixation and large area photon-counting detector
Micro-CT imaging is a well-established morphological method for the visualization of animal models. We used ethanol fixation of the mouse brains to perform high-resolution micro-CT scans showing in great details brain grey and white matters. It was possible to identify more than 50 neuroanatomical structures on the 5 selected coronal sections. Among white matter structures, we identified fornix, medial lemniscus, crossed tectospinal pathway, mammillothalamic tract, and the sensory root of the trigeminal ganglion. Among grey matter structures, we identified basal nuclei, habenular complex, thalamic nuclei, amygdala, subparts of hippocampal formation, superior colliculi, Edinger-Westphal nucleus, and others. We suggest that micro-CT of the mouse brain could be used for neurohistological lesions evaluation as an alternative to classical neurohistology because it does not destroy brain tissue.
PURPOSE: The soft tissue imaging in micro-CT remains challenging due to its low intrinsic contrast. The aim of this study was to create a simple staining method omitting the usage of contrast agents for ex vivo soft tissue imaging in micro-CT. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Hearts and lungs from 30 mice were used. Twenty-seven organs were either fixed in 97% or 50% ethanol solution or in a series of ascending ethanol concentrations. Images were acquired after 72, 168 and 336 h on a custom-built micro-CT machine and compared to scans of three native samples. RESULTS: Ethanol provided contrast enhancement in all evaluated fixations. Fixation in 97% ethanol resulted in contrast enhancement after 72 h; however, it caused hardening of the samples. Fixation in 50% ethanol provided contrast enhancement after 336 h, with milder hardening, compared to the 97% ethanol fixation, but the visualization of details was worse. The fixation in a series of ascending ethanol concentrations provided the most satisfactory results; all organs were visualized in great detail without tissue damage. CONCLUSIONS: Simple ethanol fixation improves the tissue contrast enhancement in micro-CT. The best results can be obtained with fixation of the soft tissue samples in a series of ascending ethanol concentrations.
- Keywords
- Ethanol, Heart, Lungs, Mice, Micro-CT,
- MeSH
- Ethanol * MeSH
- Contrast Media * MeSH
- Models, Animal MeSH
- Mice, Inbred C57BL MeSH
- Mice MeSH
- Lung anatomy & histology diagnostic imaging MeSH
- X-Ray Microtomography methods MeSH
- Heart anatomy & histology diagnostic imaging MeSH
- Image Enhancement methods MeSH
- Animals MeSH
- Check Tag
- Male MeSH
- Mice MeSH
- Animals MeSH
- Publication type
- Journal Article MeSH
- Names of Substances
- Ethanol * MeSH
- Contrast Media * MeSH
