title: Single-cell resolution in high-resolution synchrotron X-ray CT imaging with gold nanoparticles.
abstract: Gold nanoparticles are excellent intracellular markers in X-ray imaging. Having shown previously the suitability of gold nanoparticles to detect small groups of cells with the synchrotron-based computed tomography (CT) technique both ex vivo and in vivo, it is now demonstrated that even single-cell resolution can be obtained in the brain at least ex vivo. Working in a small animal model of malignant brain tumour, the image quality obtained with different imaging modalities was compared. To generate the brain tumour, 1 × 10(5) C6 glioma cells were loaded with gold nanoparticles and implanted in the right cerebral hemisphere of an adult rat. Raw data were acquired with absorption X-ray CT followed by a local tomography technique based on synchrotron X-ray absorption yielding single-cell resolution. The reconstructed synchrotron X-ray images were compared with images obtained by small animal magnetic resonance imaging. The presence of gold nanoparticles in the tumour tissue was verified in histological sections.
authors.affiliation: Stereotactic and Functional Neurosurgery, Freiburg University Medical Center, Breisacher Strasse 64, Freiburg 79106, Germany.
authors.forename: Elisabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Schültke
authors.affiliation: Sincrotrone Trieste SCpA, Science Park, Trieste, Italy.
authors.forename: Ralf
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Menk
authors.affiliation: Swiss Light Source, Paul Scherrer Institute, Villigen, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Bernd
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Pinzer
authors.affiliation: Swiss Light Source, Paul Scherrer Institute, Villigen, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Alberto
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Astolfo
authors.affiliation: Swiss Light Source, Paul Scherrer Institute, Villigen, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Stampanoni
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Fisica, Università di Trieste and Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare Sezione di Trieste, Trieste, Italy.
authors.forename: Fulvia
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Arfelli
authors.affiliation: Medical Physics, Radiology Department, Freiburg University Medical Center, Freiburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Laura-Adela
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Harsan
authors.affiliation: Neurochirurgische Klinik, Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, Schwabachanlage 6, 91054 Erlangen, Germany.
authors.forename: Guido
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Nikkhah
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000166:cytology*; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology; D005910:Glioma / Q000473:pathology; D006046:Gold / Q000737:chemistry*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D053768:Metal Nanoparticles; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D059010:Single-Cell Analysis; D017356:Synchrotrons; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D006046:Gold
keywords: X-ray CT; animal model; brain tumour; gold nanoparticles; high-resolution imaging