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Angiofil®-mediated visualization of the vascular system by microcomputed tomography: a feasibility study

  • Grabherr, Silke Centre of Forensic Imaging, Institute of Forensic Medicine, University of Bern, Switzerland
  • Hess, Andreas Institute of Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology, Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nuremberg, Erlangen, Germany
  • Karolczak, Marek Institute of Medical Physics, Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nuremberg, Erlangen, Germany
  • Thali, Michael J. Centre of Forensic Imaging, Institute of Forensic Medicine, University of Bern, Switzerland
  • Friess, Sebastian D. Gloor Instruments AG, Uster, Switzerland
  • Kalender, Willi A. Institute of Medical Physics, Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nuremberg, Erlangen, Germany
  • Dirnhofer, Richard Centre of Forensic Imaging, Institute of Forensic Medicine, University of Bern, Switzerland
  • Djonov, Valentin Institute of Anatomy, University of Fribourg, Switzerland
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    04.04.2008
Published in:
  • Microscopy Research and Technique. - 2008, vol. 71, no. 7, p. 551 - 556
Angiofil®
angiogenesis
microangiography
microCT
vascular phenotyping
English Visualization of the vascular systems of organs or of small animals is important for an assessment of basic physiological conditions, especially in studies that involve genetically manipulated mice. For a detailed morphological analysis of the vascular tree, it is necessary to demonstrate the system in its entirety. In this study, we present a new lipophilic contrast agent, Angiofil®, for performing postmortem microangiography by using microcomputed tomography. The new contrast agent was tested in 10 wild-type mice. Imaging of the vascular system revealed vessels down to the caliber of capillaries, and the digital three-dimensional data obtained from the scans allowed for virtual cutting, amplification, and scaling without destroying the sample. By use of computer software, parameters such as vessel length and caliber could be quantified and remapped by color coding onto the surface of the vascular system. The liquid Angiofil® is easy to handle and highly radio-opaque. Because of its lipophilic abilities, it is retained intravascularly, hence it facilitates virtual vessel segmentation, and yields an enduring signal which is advantageous during repetitive investigations, or if samples need to be transported from the site of preparation to the place of actual analysis, respectively. These characteristics make Angiofil® a promising novel contrast agent; when combined with microcomputed tomography, it has the potential to turn into a powerful method for rapid vascular phenotyping.
Faculty
Faculté des sciences et de médecine
Department
Département de Médecine
Language
  • English
Classification
Medicine
License
License undefined
Identifiers
Persistent URL
https://folia.unifr.ch/unifr/documents/300853
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