Translational Molecular Imaging, Max-Planck-Institute for Experimental Medicine, Hermann-Rein-Straße 3, 37075, Göttingen, Germany.
4th Physical Institute - Solids and Nanostructures, University of Göttingen, Friedrich-Hund-Platz 1, 37077, Göttingen, Germany.
Sci Rep. 2021 Feb 18;11(1):4163. doi: 10.1038/s41598-021-83319-5.
X-ray based lung function (XLF) as a planar method uses dramatically less X-ray dose than computed tomography (CT) but so far lacked the ability to relate its parameters to pulmonary air volume. The purpose of this study was to calibrate the functional constituents of XLF that are biomedically decipherable and directly comparable to that of micro-CT and whole-body plethysmography (WBP). Here, we developed a unique set-up for simultaneous assessment of lung function and volume using XLF, micro-CT and WBP on healthy mice. Our results reveal a strong correlation of lung volumes obtained from radiographic XLF and micro-CT and demonstrate that XLF is superior to WBP in sensitivity and precision to assess lung volumes. Importantly, XLF measurement uses only a fraction of the radiation dose and acquisition time required for CT. Therefore, the redefined XLF approach is a promising tool for preclinical longitudinal studies with a substantial potential of clinical translation.
基于 X 射线的肺功能（XLF）作为一种平面方法，其 X 射线剂量明显低于计算机断层扫描（CT），但迄今为止，它还缺乏将其参数与肺气量相关联的能力。本研究的目的是校准 XLF 的功能成分，这些成分在生物医学上是可解释的，并且可以直接与微 CT 和全身体积描记术（WBP）相媲美。在这里，我们开发了一种独特的设置，用于同时使用 XLF、微 CT 和 WBP 对健康小鼠进行肺功能和体积评估。我们的结果表明，从放射学 XLF 和微 CT 获得的肺容积具有很强的相关性，并证明 XLF 在灵敏度和精度方面优于 WBP 来评估肺容积。重要的是，XLF 测量仅使用 CT 所需辐射剂量和采集时间的一小部分。因此，重新定义的 XLF 方法是具有临床转化潜力的临床前纵向研究的有前途的工具。
