Hogers Bianca, van der Weerd Louise, Olofsen Hans, van der Graaf Linda M, DeRuiter Marco C, Gittenberger-de Groot Adriana C, Poelmann Robert E
Department of Anatomy and Embryology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, P.O. Box 9600, 2300 RC Leiden, The Netherlands.
NMR Biomed. 2009 May;22(4):365-73. doi: 10.1002/nbm.1346.
Conventional microscopic techniques, to study embryonic development, require large numbers of embryos and are invasive, making follow-up impossible. We explored the use of in vivo MRI to study embryonic development, in general, and cardiovascular development in particular, over time. Wild-type quail embryos (n = 11) were imaged at embryonic days 3, 5, 7, 9, and 11, covering the main time course of embryonic heart development. On each imaging day cardiac morphology was evaluated and embryonic length was measured. MRI-embryos as well as control embryos (n = 11) were sacrificed at day 11 and scored for external malformations, while embryonic wet weight and stage were determined. In addition, venous clipped embryos (n = 4), known to develop cardiovascular malformations, were scanned at regular intervals and sacrificed at day 9 for histological analysis ex vivo. We were able to follow heart development of individual quail embryos inside their shell non-invasively over time, with sufficient detail to study cardiac morphology in vivo. We did not find any adverse effect of the repeated MRI examinations on morphology, length, or weight. Prenatally diagnosed malformations, like ventricular septal defects and aortic arch interruptions were confirmed by histology. In conclusion, micro-MRI can be used to evaluate in vivo early embryonic development and to diagnose cardiovascular malformations prenatally.
用于研究胚胎发育的传统显微技术需要大量胚胎且具有侵入性，使得后续研究无法进行。我们探索了使用体内磁共振成像（MRI）来总体研究胚胎发育，特别是随着时间推移研究心血管发育。对野生型鹌鹑胚胎（n = 11）在胚胎第3、5、7、9和11天进行成像，涵盖胚胎心脏发育的主要时间进程。在每个成像日评估心脏形态并测量胚胎长度。在第11天处死MRI扫描的胚胎以及对照胚胎（n = 11），对外部畸形进行评分，同时测定胚胎湿重和发育阶段。此外，对已知会发生心血管畸形的静脉夹闭胚胎（n = 4）定期进行扫描，并在第9天处死以进行离体组织学分析。我们能够随着时间非侵入性地跟踪单个鹌鹑胚胎在其壳内的心脏发育情况，细节足以在体内研究心脏形态。我们未发现重复MRI检查对形态、长度或重量有任何不良影响。产前诊断的畸形，如室间隔缺损和主动脉弓中断，经组织学证实。总之，显微MRI可用于评估体内早期胚胎发育并产前诊断心血管畸形。
