Synchrotron Microangiography of the Rat Heart Using the Langendorff Model
Korean Circulation Journal
;
: 462-467, 2008.
Article
in English
| WPRIM
| ID: wpr-57382
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES:
The ability to study microvessels of a beating heart in real time at the level of the capillary is essential for research. However, there are no proven methods currently available to achieve this. The conventional absorption-contrast agents have limitations for studying capillaries. Microangiography with using synchrotron phase-contrast X-ray technology and no contrast agent has recently been reported on. We tried to verify this previous report, and we wanted to visualize the microvessels of a rat heart using air as a contrast agent. MATERIALS ANDMETHODS:
We made the Langendorff apparatus in a hutch of the Pohang Accelerator Laboratory. The images were obtained with a white beam and a monochromatic beam. The visual images were magnified using 3x and 20x optical microscope lenses, and the images were captured with a charge-coupled device camera.RESULTS:
We could not duplicate the previously reported findings in which microvessels were visualized without the use of contrast agent. But with using air as a contrast agent, the microvasculature of rat hearts was clearly identified at a spatial resolution of 1.2 microm. Air being absorbed inside a capillary was also observed. Vessels under 10 microm diameter were unable to be visualized with using iodine as a contrast agent.CONCLUSION:
Phase contrast imaging already allows spatial resolution of 1 microm, which is enough to inspect capillaries. We were able to obtain images of cardiac capillaries with using air as a contrast agent. Yet air has the fatal limitations in that it causes embolism and ischemia. A more suitable contrast agent or imaging method needs to be developed in order to study the microvessels of a beating heart.
Full text:
Available
Index:
WPRIM (Western Pacific)
Main subject:
Capillaries
/
Synchrotrons
/
Contrast Media
/
Embolism
/
Microvessels
/
Heart
/
Iodine
/
Ischemia
Type of study:
Prognostic study
Limits:
Animals
/
Humans
Language:
English
Journal:
Korean Circulation Journal
Year:
2008
Type:
Article
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