Nondestructive imaging of the internal microstructure of vessels and nerve fibers in rat spinal cord using phase-contrast synchrotron radiation microtomography

In this study, this method has been employed for nondestructive imaging of the internal microstructure of rat spinal cord. Furthermore, digital virtual slices based on phase-contrast synchrotron radiation were compared with conventional histological sections. The three-dimensional internal microstructure of the intramedullary arteries and nerve fibers was vividly detected within the same spinal cord specimen without the application of a stain or contrast agent or sectioning. With the aid of image post-processing, an optimization of vessel and nerve fiber images was obtained. The findings indicated that phase-contrast synchrotron radiation microtomography is unique in the field of three-dimensional imaging and sets novel standards for pathophysiological investigations in various neurovascular diseases.

Source: Journal of Synchrotron Radiation - January 31, 2017 Category: Physics Authors: Hu, J. Li, P. Yin, X. Wu, T. Cao, Y. Yang, Z. Jiang, L. Hu, S. Lu, H. Tags: synchrotron radiation imaging virtual slices three-dimensional microstructure phase-contrast imaging spinal cord research papers Source Type: research