[Detection of microvasculature in rat hind limb using synchrotron radiation].
OBJECTIVE
To detect deep-level microvascular structure in rat hind limb by synchrotron radiation and microangiographic technique.


METHODS
Microangiography in vivo and ex vivo was performed by synchrotron radiation based absorption imaging and phase contrast imaging, with omnipaque and barium sulfate solution as contrast media, respectively, and synchrotron radiation-based micro-computed tomography (SRmCT) was also performed to reveal three-dimensional morphology of the blood vessel in rat hind limb.


RESULTS
Using microangiographic technique in vivo and in vitro (with barium sulfate), blood vessels in the rat limb muscle could be visualized with high resolution, and the fourth branches of iliac artery in rat hind limb could be detected with the minimum visualized blood vessels about 40 µm and 9 µm in diameter, respectively. In addition, the vascular network could be defined and analyzed at the micrometer scale from the 3D renderings of limb vessel as shown by SRmCT.


CONCLUSIONS
Synchrotron radiation-based microangiography and SRmCT thus provided a practical and effective means to observe the microvasculature of rat hindlimb, which might be useful in assessment of angiogenesis in lower limbs.
Institution of Vascular Surgery, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China.
Wei-feng
WF
Lu
Zhi-hui
ZH
Dong
Wei-guo
WG
Fu
Xiang-man
XM
Zhang
Yi-feng
YF
Peng
Shao-liang
SL
Chen
Ti-qiao
TQ
Xiao
Hong-lan
HL
Xie
Guo-hao
GH
DU
Biao
B
Deng
D000792:Angiography / Q000379:methods; D000818:Animals; D006614:Hindlimb / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D008297:Male; D008833:Microcirculation; D055806:Microvessels / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D051381:Rats; D011916:Rats, Inbred F344; D017356:Synchrotrons; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods