Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 7, 2026
Novel Quantification Protocol for Cardiovascular Calcification Progression Using Longitudinal MicroPET/MicroCT Images
Published on: November 15, 2024
High-resolution X-ray microtomography is a sensitive method to detect vascular calcification in living rats with
Veerle Persy1, Andrei Postnov, Ellen Neven
1University of Antwerp, Department of Pathophysiology, Universiteitsplein 1, T 3.06, B-2610 Antwerp, Belgium. veerle.persy@ua.ac.be
Objective:
Chronic renal failure (CRF) is associated with a 10- to 20-fold increase in cardiovascular risk. Vascular calcification is a prominent feature of cardiovascular disease in patients with end-stage renal failure and contributes to the excess mortality in this population. In this study, we explored in vivo X-ray microtomography (micro-CT) as a tool to detect and follow-up vascular calcifications in the aorta of living rats with adenine-induced CRF.
Methods And Results:
With in vivo micro-CT, calcification of the aorta in uremic rats was clearly discernible on transversal virtual cross-sections. Micro-CT findings correlated well with tissue calcium content and histology. Repetitive scans in animals with light, moderate, and severe vascular calcification showed good reproducibility with minimal interference of motion artifacts. Moreover, both calcified volume and area could be quantified with this method.
Conclusions:
In vivo micro-CT scanning is a sensitive method to detect vascular calcifications in CRF rats, allowing follow-up and quantification of the development, and potential reversal during treatment, of vascular calcifications in living animals.
