Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University, Atlanta, GA, 30332.
The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, MD, 20723.
eNeuro. 2017 Oct 16;4(5). doi: 10.1523/ENEURO.0195-17.2017. eCollection 2017 Sep-Oct.
Methods for resolving the three-dimensional (3D) microstructure of the brain typically start by thinly slicing and staining the brain, followed by imaging numerous individual sections with visible light photons or electrons. In contrast, X-rays can be used to image thick samples, providing a rapid approach for producing large 3D brain maps without sectioning. Here we demonstrate the use of synchrotron X-ray microtomography (µCT) for producing mesoscale (∼1 µm resolution) brain maps from millimeter-scale volumes of mouse brain. We introduce a pipeline for µCT-based brain mapping that develops and integrates methods for sample preparation, imaging, and automated segmentation of cells, blood vessels, and myelinated axons, in addition to statistical analyses of these brain structures. Our results demonstrate that X-ray tomography achieves rapid quantification of large brain volumes, complementing other brain mapping and connectomics efforts.
方法解决三维（3D）大脑的微观结构通常从薄切片和染色的大脑开始，然后用可见光光子或电子成像许多单独的部分。相比之下，X 射线可用于成像厚样品，为不切片而快速生成大型 3D 脑图谱提供了一种方法。在这里，我们展示了使用同步加速器 X 射线微断层扫描（µCT）从毫米级大小的老鼠脑体积中产生介观（约 1 µm 分辨率）脑图谱。我们引入了一个基于 µCT 的脑图谱制作管道，该管道开发并整合了用于样本制备、成像和细胞、血管和髓鞘轴突的自动分割的方法，以及对这些脑结构的统计分析。我们的结果表明，X 射线断层扫描实现了快速量化大型脑体积，补充了其他脑图谱和连接组学的努力。
