title: Neovascularization of hepatocellular carcinoma in a nude mouse orthotopic liver cancer model: a morphological study using X-ray in-line phase-contrast imaging.
abstract: This study aimed to determine whether synchrotron radiation (SR)-based X-ray in-line phase-contrast imaging (IL-PCI) can be used to investigate the morphological characteristics of tumor neovascularization in a liver xenograft animal model.
  
  
  
  A human hepatocellular carcinoma HCCLM3 xenograft model was established in nude mice. Xenografts were sampled each week for 4 weeks and fixed to analyze tissue characteristics and neovascularization using SR-based X-ray in-line phase contrast computed tomography (IL-XPCT) without any contrast agent.
  
  
  
  The effect of the energy level and object-to-detector distance on phase-contrast difference was in good agreement with the theory of IL-PCI. Boundaries between the tumor and adjacent normal tissues at week 1 were clearly observed in two-dimensional phase contrast projection imaging. A quantitative contrast difference was observed from weeks 1 to 4. Moreover, 3D image reconstruction of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) samples showed blood vessels inside the tumor were abnormal. The smallest blood vessels measured approximately 20 μm in diameter. The tumor vascular density initially increased and then decreased gradually over time. The maximum tumor vascular density was 4.29% at week 2.
  
  
  
  IL-XPCT successfully acquired images of neovascularization in HCC xenografts in nude mice.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nuclear Medicine, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, No.180, Fenglin Road, Shanghai, 200032, China.|Shanghai Institute of Medical Imaging, Shanghai, 200032, China.
authors.forename: Beilei
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Nuclear Medicine, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, No.180, Fenglin Road, Shanghai, 200032, China.|Shanghai Institute of Medical Imaging, Shanghai, 200032, China.
authors.forename: Yiqiu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Liver Cancer Institute, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China.
authors.forename: Weizhong
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: Shanghai Institute of Applied Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 201800, China.
authors.forename: Guohao
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Du
authors.affiliation: Department of Nuclear Medicine, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, No.180, Fenglin Road, Shanghai, 200032, China.|Shanghai Institute of Medical Imaging, Shanghai, 200032, China.
authors.forename: Liang
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Cai
authors.affiliation: Department of Nuclear Medicine, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, No.180, Fenglin Road, Shanghai, 200032, China.|Shanghai Institute of Medical Imaging, Shanghai, 200032, China.
authors.forename: Hongcheng
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Shi
authors.affiliation: Department of Nuclear Medicine, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, No.180, Fenglin Road, Shanghai, 200032, China. csl20150507@126.com.|Shanghai Institute of Medical Imaging, Shanghai, 200032, China. csl20150507@126.com.
authors.forename: Shaoliang
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D006801:Humans; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional; D008099:Liver / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D051379:Mice; D009389:Neovascularization, Pathologic / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D023041:Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays
keywords: Computed tomography; Hepatocellular carcinoma; In-line phase-contrast imaging; Synchrotron radiation; Tumor neovascularization