Department of Spine Surgery, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410008, People's Republic of China.
Phys Med Biol. 2012 Mar 7;57(5):N55-63. doi: 10.1088/0031-9155/57/5/N55.
Computed tomography combined with angiography has recently been developed to visualize three-dimensional (3D) vascular structure in experimental and clinical studies. However, there remain difficulties in using conventional x-ray angiography to detect small vessels with a diameter less than 200 μm. This study attempted to develop a novel method for visualizing the micro-angioarchitecture of rat spinal cord. Herein, synchrotron radiation-based x-ray in-line phase contrast computed tomography (IL-XPCT) was used to obtain 3D micro-vessel structure without angiography. The digital phase contrast images were compared with conventional histological sections. Our results clearly demonstrated that the resolution limit of the spatial blood supply network in the normal rat thoracic cord appeared to be as small as ~10 μm. The rendered images were consistent with that obtained from histomorphology sections. In summary, IL-XPCT is a potential tool to investigate the 3D neurovascular morphology of the rat spinal cord without the use of contrast agents, and it could help to evaluate the validity of the pro- or anti-angiogenesis therapeutic strategies on microvasculature repair or regeneration.
计算机断层扫描（CT）与血管造影术相结合，最近已被开发用于在实验和临床研究中可视化三维（3D）血管结构。然而，使用传统的 X 射线血管造影术检测直径小于 200μm 的小血管仍然存在困难。本研究试图开发一种新的方法来可视化大鼠脊髓的微血管结构。在此，基于同步加速器辐射的 X 射线线内相位对比 CT（IL-XPCT）用于在不进行血管造影的情况下获得 3D 微血管结构。数字相位对比图像与常规组织学切片进行了比较。我们的结果清楚地表明，正常大鼠胸段脊髓中空间血液供应网络的分辨率极限似乎小至约 10μm。渲染图像与从组织形态学切片获得的图像一致。总之，IL-XPCT 是一种无需使用造影剂即可研究大鼠脊髓 3D 神经血管形态的潜在工具，它可以帮助评估促血管生成或抗血管生成治疗策略对微血管修复或再生的有效性。
