Cutting-edge microangio-CT: new dimensions in vascular imaging and kidney morphometry

Area of Science:

• Nephrology
• Medical Imaging
• Biomedical Engineering

Background:

• Contrast-enhanced micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) is crucial for whole-animal kidney imaging.
• Previous methods were limited to visualizing middle-sized vessels.
• Modern micro-CT scanners offer high detail resolution for advanced imaging.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a rapid and consistent method for assessing kidney vasculature and glomeruli number using micro-CT.
• To introduce a novel polymerizing contrast agent, μAngiofil, for complete vascular filling.
• To enable correlative imaging approaches for detailed kidney morphology analysis.

Main Methods:

• Utilized micro-angio-CT (µaCT) with μAngiofil on glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF)^+/- mice and wild-type littermates.
• Employed a new polymerizing contrast agent for homogenous X-ray absorption and continuous vascular filling.
• Compared results with histology-based stereology for validation and artifact assessment.

Main Results:

• The µaCT approach provided significantly faster results than traditional histology-based stereology.
• Both methods confirmed approximately 40% fewer glomeruli in GDNF^+/- male mice.
• The μAngiofil contrast agent facilitates correlative morphology by remaining in vessels and being autofluorescent.

Conclusions:

• The developed µaCT method is a time-efficient, reliable, and quantitative technique for kidney morphometry.
• This approach enables accurate glomerular morphometry and analysis of kidney vasculature.
• It facilitates correlative morphology studies by enabling precise matching of histological sections with µaCT data.