title: Heavy metal staining, a comparative assessment of gadolinium chloride and osmium tetroxide for inner ear labyrinthine contrast enhancement using X-ray microtomography.
abstract: CONCLUSIONS
  The use of both gadolinium chloride (GdCl(3)) and osmium tetroxide (OsO(4)) allowed for the visualization of the membranous labyrinth and other intralabyrinthine structures, at different intensities, as compared with the control sample. This initial comparison shows the advantages of GdCl(3) in radiological assessments and OsO(4) in more detailed anatomical studies and pathways of labyrinthine pathogenesis using X-ray microtomography (microCT).
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To assess an improved OsO(4) staining protocol and compare the staining affinities against GdCl(3).
  
  
  METHODS
  Guinea pig temporal bones were stained with either GdCl(3) (2% w/v) for 7 days or OsO(4) (2% w/v) for 3 days, and scanned in a microCT system. The post-scanned datasets were then assessed in a 3D rendering program.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The enhanced soft tissue contrast as presented in the temporal bones stained with either GdCl(3) or OsO(4) allowed for the membranous labyrinth to be visualized throughout the whole specimen. GdCl(3)-stained specimens presented more defined contours of the bone profile in the radiographs, while OsO(4)-stained specimens provided more anatomical detail of individual intralabyrinthine structures, hence allowing spatial relationships to be visualized with ease in a 3D rendering context and 2D axial slice images.
authors.affiliation: Australian Centre for Microscopy and Microanalysis, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia. christopher.wong@sydney.edu.au
authors.forename: Christopher C
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Wong
authors.forename: Ian S
authors.initials: IS
authors.lastname: Curthoys
authors.forename: Stephen J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: O'Leary
authors.forename: Allan S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Jones
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003287:Contrast Media; D007758:Ear, Inner / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D005682:Gadolinium; D006168:Guinea Pigs; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional; D009993:Osmium Tetroxide; D013194:Staining and Labeling; D013701:Temporal Bone / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D055114:X-Ray Microtomography
chemical_list: D003287:Contrast Media; D005682:Gadolinium; D009993:Osmium Tetroxide; C038958:gadolinium chloride