Micro-Computed Tomography for the Quantitative 3-Dimensional Assessment of the Compact Myocardium in the Mouse Embryo.
BACKGROUND
Ventricular non-compaction is characterized by a thin layer of compact ventricular myocardium and it is an important abnormality in the mouse heart. It is reminiscent of left ventricular non-compaction, a fairly common human congenital cardiomyopathy. Non-compaction in transgenic mice has been classically evaluated by measuring the thickness of the compact myocardium through histological techniques involving image analysis of 2-dimensional (D) sections. Given the 3D nature of the heart, the aim of this study was to determine whether a technique for the non-destructive, 3D assessment of the mouse embryonic compact myocardium could be developed.


RESULTS
Micro-computed tomography (micro-CT), in combination with iodine staining, enabled the differentiation of the trabecular from the compact myocardium in wild-type mice. The 3D and digital nature of the micro-CT data allowed computation anatomical techniques to be readily applied, which were demonstrated via construction of group atlases and atlas-based descriptive statistics. Finally, micro-CT was used to identify the presence of non-compaction in mice with a deletion of the cell cycle inhibitor protein, p27(Kip1).


CONCLUSIONS
Iodine staining-enhanced micro-CT with computational anatomical analysis represents a valid addition to classical histology for the delineation of compact myocardial wall thickness in the mouse embryo. Given the quantitative 3D resolution of micro-CT, these approaches might provide helpful information for the analysis of non-compaction. (Circ J 2016; 80: 1795-1803).
Small Animal Imaging Facility, Department of Bioengineering, University of Utah.
Samer S
SS
Merchant
Yasuhiro
Y
Kosaka
H Joseph
HJ
Yost
Edward W
EW
Hsu
Luca
L
Brunelli
D000818:Animals; D050760:Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitor p27 / Q000172:deficiency*; D004622:Embryo, Mammalian / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000196:embryology; D006330:Heart Defects, Congenital / Q000196:embryology / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D009206:Myocardium; D055114:X-Ray Microtomography
C493961:Cdkn1b protein, mouse; D050760:Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitor p27