Whole heart detailed and quantitative anatomy, myofibre structure and vasculature from X-ray phase-contrast synchrotron radiation-based micro computed tomography.
BACKGROUND
While individual cardiac myocytes only have a limited ability to shorten, the heart efficiently pumps a large volume-fraction thanks to a cell organization in a complex 3D fibre structure. Subclinical subtle cardiac structural remodelling is often present before symptoms arise. Understanding and early detection of these subtle changes is crucial for diagnosis and prevention. Additionally, personalized computational modelling requires knowledge on the multi-scale structure of the whole heart and vessels.


RESULTS
We developed a rapid acquisition together with visualization and quantification methods of the integrated microstructure of whole in-vitro rodents hearts using synchrotron based X-ray phase-contrast tomography. These images are formed not only by X-ray absorption by the tissue but also by wave propagation phenomena, enhancing structural information, thus allowing to raise tissue contrast to an unprecedented level. We used a (ex-vivo) normal rat heart and fetal rabbit hearts suffering intrauterine growth restriction as a model of subclinical cardiac remodelling to illustrate the strengths and potential of the technique. For comparison, histology and diffusion tensor magnetic resonance imaging was performed.


CONCLUSIONS
We have developed a novel, high resolution, image acquisition, and quantification approach to study a whole in-vitro heart at myofibre resolution, providing integrated 3D structural information at microscopic level without any need of tissue slicing and processing. This superior imaging approach opens up new possibilities for a systems approach towards analysing cardiac structure and function, providing rapid acquisition of quantitative microstructure of the heart in a near native state.
Fetal i+D Fetal Medicine Research Center, BCNatal-Barcelona Center for Maternal-Fetal and Neonatal Medicine (Hospital Clínic and Hospital Sant Joan de Deu), IDIBAPS, University of Barcelona, and Centre for Biomedical Research on Rare Diseases (CIBER-ER), Barcelona, Spain.
Anna
A
Gonzalez-Tendero
PhySense, DTIC, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain.|CellNetworks, Heidelberg, Germany.
Chong
C
Zhang
Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computing, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia.
Vedrana
V
Balicevic
Fetal i+D Fetal Medicine Research Center, BCNatal-Barcelona Center for Maternal-Fetal and Neonatal Medicine (Hospital Clínic and Hospital Sant Joan de Deu), IDIBAPS, University of Barcelona, and Centre for Biomedical Research on Rare Diseases (CIBER-ER), Barcelona, Spain.|PhySense, DTIC, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain.
Rubén
R
Cárdenes
Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computing, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia.
Sven
S
Loncaric
PhySense, DTIC, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain.
Constantine
C
Butakoff
PhySense, DTIC, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain.
Bruno
B
Paun
European Synchrotron Radiation Facility, Grenoble, France.|Paul Scherrer Institut, Villigen, Switzerland.
Anne
A
Bonnin
PhySense, DTIC, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain.
Patricia
P
Garcia-Cañadilla
Fetal i+D Fetal Medicine Research Center, BCNatal-Barcelona Center for Maternal-Fetal and Neonatal Medicine (Hospital Clínic and Hospital Sant Joan de Deu), IDIBAPS, University of Barcelona, and Centre for Biomedical Research on Rare Diseases (CIBER-ER), Barcelona, Spain.
Emma
E
Muñoz-Moreno
Fetal i+D Fetal Medicine Research Center, BCNatal-Barcelona Center for Maternal-Fetal and Neonatal Medicine (Hospital Clínic and Hospital Sant Joan de Deu), IDIBAPS, University of Barcelona, and Centre for Biomedical Research on Rare Diseases (CIBER-ER), Barcelona, Spain.
Eduard
E
Gratacós
Fetal i+D Fetal Medicine Research Center, BCNatal-Barcelona Center for Maternal-Fetal and Neonatal Medicine (Hospital Clínic and Hospital Sant Joan de Deu), IDIBAPS, University of Barcelona, and Centre for Biomedical Research on Rare Diseases (CIBER-ER), Barcelona, Spain.
Fatima
F
Crispi
PhySense, DTIC, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain.|ICREA, Barcelona, Spain.
Bart
B
Bijnens
D000818:Animals; D002319:Cardiovascular System / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D003198:Computer Simulation; D038524:Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional; D023421:Models, Animal; D032383:Myocytes, Cardiac / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D011817:Rabbits; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D017356:Synchrotrons; D055114:X-Ray Microtomography / Q000379:methods*
coronary vasculature; myocardial remodelling; myofibre structure; synchrotron phase-contrast CT