High resolution 3D visualization of the spinal cord in a post-mortem murine model

• Published in: Biomedical optics express Vol. 11; no. 4; pp. 2235 - 2253
• Main Authors: Bukreeva, Inna, Asadchikov, Victor, Buzmakov, Alexey, Chukalina, Marina, Ingacheva, Anastasya, Korolev, Nikolay A, Bravin, Alberto, Mittone, Alberto, Biella, Gabriele E M, Sierra, Alejandra, Brun, Francesco, Massimi, Lorenzo, Fratini, Michela, Cedola, Alessia
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Optical Society of America - OSA Publishing 01-04-2020; Optical Society of America
• Subjects: Life Sciences; PLATFORM; IMAGE; RECONSTRUCTION; MOUSE MODEL; RAY PHASE RETRIEVAL; COMPUTED-TOMOGRAPHY; TOOL
• ISSN: 2156-7085; 2156-7085
• DOI: 10.1364/BOE.386837

A crucial issue in the development of therapies to treat pathologies of the central nervous system is represented by the availability of non-invasive methods to study the three-dimensional morphology of spinal cord, with a resolution able to characterize its complex vascular and neuronal organization. X-ray phase contrast micro-tomography enables a high-quality, 3D visualization of both the vascular and neuronal network simultaneously without the need of contrast agents, destructive sample preparations or sectioning. Until now, high resolution investigations of the post-mortem spinal cord in murine models have mostly been performed in spinal cords removed from the spinal canal. We present here post-mortem phase contrast micro-tomography images reconstructed using advanced computational tools to obtain high-resolution and high-contrast 3D images of the fixed spinal cord without removing the bones and preserving the richness of micro-details available when measuring exposed spinal cords. We believe that it represents a significant step toward the in-vivo application.