High-speed single-breath-hold micro-computed tomography of thoracic and abdominal structures in mice using a simplified method for intubation.
OBJECTIVE
Respiratory gating with and without controlled ventilation has been applied for in vivo micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) of thoracic and abdominal structures in mice. We describe a simplified method for intubation and demonstrate its applicability for single-breath-hold micro-CT in mice.


METHODS
Mice (n = 10) were anesthetized, intubated, ventilated, and relaxed by intraperitoneal administration of rocuronium. Contrast-enhanced micro-CT of the complete thorax including the upper abdominal organs (80 kV; 37.5 μA; 190-degree rotation; 600 projections/20 seconds or 1200 projections/40 seconds; 39 × 39 × 50-μm voxel size) was performed with and without single-breath-hold technique.


RESULTS
The simplified method of intubation was fast (<1 minute) and required no special hardware in all mice. Relaxation of mice allowed prolonged single-breath-hold imaging of up to 40 seconds. Diameter of smallest identifiable lung vessels was 100 μm.


CONCLUSIONS
The presented simplified method for intubation in mice is fast, safe, and effective. Additional relaxation allowed high-resolution single-breath-hold micro-CT in mice.
Boll
Hanne
H
Department of Neuroradiology, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany.
Bag
Simona
S
Schambach
Sebastian J
SJ
Doyon
Fabian
F
Nittka
Stefanie
S
Kramer
Martin
M
Groden
Christoph
C
Brockmann
Marc A
MA
D000732:Androstanols / Q000008:administration & dosage; D000818:Animals; D003287:Contrast Media; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D007442:Intubation, Intratracheal / Q000379:methods*; D008114:Liver Neoplasms, Experimental / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D053758:Nanoparticles; D011860:Radiography, Abdominal / Q000379:methods; D013902:Radiography, Thoracic / Q000379:methods; D000077123:Rocuronium; D014183:Transplantation, Heterologous; D055114:X-Ray Microtomography / Q000379:methods*
D000732:Androstanols; D003287:Contrast Media; D000077123:Rocuronium