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Rodrigues PV, Tostes K, Bosque BP, de Godoy JVP, Amorim Neto DP, Dias CSB, Fonseca MDC. Illuminating the Brain With X-Rays: Contributions and Future Perspectives of High-Resolution Microtomography to Neuroscience. Front Neurosci 2021; 15:627994. [PMID: 33815039 PMCID: PMC8010130 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2021.627994] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2020] [Accepted: 02/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
The assessment of three-dimensional (3D) brain cytoarchitecture at a cellular resolution remains a great challenge in the field of neuroscience and constant development of imaging techniques has become crucial, particularly when it comes to offering direct and clear obtention of data from macro to nano scales. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and electron or optical microscopy, although valuable, still face some issues such as the lack of contrast and extensive sample preparation protocols. In this context, x-ray microtomography (μCT) has become a promising non-destructive tool for imaging a broad range of samples, from dense materials to soft biological specimens. It is a new supplemental method to be explored for deciphering the cytoarchitecture and connectivity of the brain. This review aims to bring together published works using x-ray μCT in neurobiology in order to discuss the achievements made so far and the future of this technique for neuroscience.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paulla Vieira Rodrigues
- Brazilian Biosciences National Laboratory (LNBio), Brazilian Center for Research in Energy and Materials (CNPEM), Campinas, Brazil
- Department of Structural and Functional Biology, State University of Campinas, Campinas, Brazil
| | - Katiane Tostes
- Brazilian Biosciences National Laboratory (LNBio), Brazilian Center for Research in Energy and Materials (CNPEM), Campinas, Brazil
| | - Beatriz Pelegrini Bosque
- Brazilian Biosciences National Laboratory (LNBio), Brazilian Center for Research in Energy and Materials (CNPEM), Campinas, Brazil
- Department of Structural and Functional Biology, State University of Campinas, Campinas, Brazil
| | - João Vitor Pereira de Godoy
- Brazilian Biosciences National Laboratory (LNBio), Brazilian Center for Research in Energy and Materials (CNPEM), Campinas, Brazil
- Department of Structural and Functional Biology, State University of Campinas, Campinas, Brazil
| | - Dionisio Pedro Amorim Neto
- Brazilian Biosciences National Laboratory (LNBio), Brazilian Center for Research in Energy and Materials (CNPEM), Campinas, Brazil
- Department of Structural and Functional Biology, State University of Campinas, Campinas, Brazil
| | - Carlos Sato Baraldi Dias
- Brazilian Synchrotron Light National Laboratory (LNLS), Brazilian Center for Research in Energy and Materials (CNPEM), Campinas, Brazil
| | - Matheus de Castro Fonseca
- Brazilian Biosciences National Laboratory (LNBio), Brazilian Center for Research in Energy and Materials (CNPEM), Campinas, Brazil
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X-ray Dark-Field Imaging (XDFI)-a Promising Tool for 3D Virtual Histopathology. Mol Imaging Biol 2021; 23:481-494. [PMID: 33624229 DOI: 10.1007/s11307-020-01577-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2020] [Revised: 12/20/2020] [Accepted: 12/22/2020] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
X-ray dark-field imaging (XDFI) utilizing a thin silicon crystal under Laue case enables visualizing three-dimensional (3D) morphological alterations of human tissue. XDFI uses refraction-contrast derived from phase shift rather than absorption as the main X-ray image contrast source to render 2D and 3D images of tissue specimens in unprecedented detail. The unique features of XDFI are its extremely high sensitivity (approximately 1000:1 compared to absorption for soft tissues under X-ray energy of around 20 keV, theoretically) and excellent resolution (8.5 μm) without requiring contrast medium or staining. Thus, XDFI-computed tomography can generate 3D virtual histological images equivalent to those of stained histological sections pathologists observe under low-power light microscopy as far as organs and tissues selected as samples in preliminary studies. This paper reviews the fundamental principles and the potential of XDFI, describes two optical setups for XDFI with examples, illustrates features of XDFI that are salient for histopathology, and presents XDFI examples of refraction-contrast images of atherosclerotic plaques, musculoskeletal tissue, neuronal tissue, and breast cancer specimens. Availability of this X-ray imaging in routine histopathological evaluations of tissue specimens would help guide clinical decision making by highlighting suspicious areas in unstained, thick sections for further sampling and analysis using conventional histopathological techniques. XDFI is a promising tool for 3D virtual histopathology.
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Factors influencing real time internal structural visualization and dynamic process monitoring in plants using synchrotron-based phase contrast X-ray imaging. Sci Rep 2015; 5:12119. [PMID: 26183486 PMCID: PMC4648396 DOI: 10.1038/srep12119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2014] [Accepted: 06/09/2015] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Minimally invasive investigation of plant parts (root, stem, leaves, and flower) has good potential to elucidate the dynamics of plant growth, morphology, physiology, and root-rhizosphere interactions. Laboratory based absorption X-ray imaging and computed tomography (CT) systems are extensively used for in situ feasibility studies of plants grown in natural and artificial soil. These techniques have challenges such as low contrast between soil pore space and roots, long X-ray imaging time, and low spatial resolution. In this study, the use of synchrotron (SR) based phase contrast X-ray imaging (PCI) has been demonstrated as a minimally invasive technique for imaging plants. Above ground plant parts and roots of 10 day old canola and wheat seedlings grown in sandy clay loam soil were successfully scanned and reconstructed. Results confirmed that SR-PCI can deliver good quality images to study dynamic and real time processes such as cavitation and water-refilling in plants. The advantages of SR-PCI, effect of X-ray energy, and effective pixel size to study plant samples have been demonstrated. The use of contrast agents to monitor physiological processes in plants was also investigated and discussed.
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Galli S, Naito Y, Karlsson J, He W, Miyamoto I, Xue Y, Andersson M, Mustafa K, Wennerberg A, Jimbo R. Local release of magnesium from mesoporous TiO2 coatings stimulates the peri-implant expression of osteogenic markers and improves osteoconductivity in vivo. Acta Biomater 2014; 10:5193-5201. [PMID: 25153781 DOI: 10.1016/j.actbio.2014.08.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2014] [Revised: 08/03/2014] [Accepted: 08/10/2014] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Local release of Mg ions from titanium implant surfaces has been shown to enhance implant retention and integration. To clarify the biological events that lead to this positive outcome, threaded implants coated with mesoporous TiO2 thin films were loaded with Mg-ions and placed in the tibia of rabbits for 3weeks, after surface characterization. Non-loaded mesoporous coated implants were used as controls. Peri-implant gene expression of a set of osteogenic and inflammatory assays was quantified by means of real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction. The expression of three osteogenic markers (OC, RUNX-2 and IGF-1) was significantly more pronounced in the test specimens, suggesting that the release of Mg ions directly at the implant sites may stimulate an osteogenic environment. Furthermore, bone healing around implants was evaluated on histological slides and by diffraction-enhanced imaging (DEI), using synchrotron radiation. The histological analysis demonstrated new bone formation around all implants, without negative responses, with a significant increase in the number of threads filled with new bone for test surfaces. DEI analysis attested the high mineral content of the newly formed bone. Improved surface osteoconductivity and increased expression of genes involved in the bone regeneration were found for magnesium-incorporation of mesoporous TiO2 coatings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvia Galli
- Department of Prosthodontics, Faculty of Odontology, Malmö University, 205 06 Malmö, Sweden.
| | - Yoshihito Naito
- Oral Implant Center, Tokushima University Hospital, Tokushima, Japan
| | - Johan Karlsson
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Applied Surface Chemistry, Chalmers University of Technology, 412 96 Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Wenxiao He
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Applied Surface Chemistry, Chalmers University of Technology, 412 96 Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Ikuya Miyamoto
- Division of Oral Medicine, Kyushu Dental University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Ying Xue
- Department of Clinical Dentistry, Center for Clinical Dental Research, University of Bergen, Norway
| | - Martin Andersson
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Applied Surface Chemistry, Chalmers University of Technology, 412 96 Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Kamal Mustafa
- Department of Clinical Dentistry, Center for Clinical Dental Research, University of Bergen, Norway
| | - Ann Wennerberg
- Department of Prosthodontics, Faculty of Odontology, Malmö University, 205 06 Malmö, Sweden
| | - Ryo Jimbo
- Department of Prosthodontics, Faculty of Odontology, Malmö University, 205 06 Malmö, Sweden; Department of Applied Prosthodontics, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki, Japan
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Olubamiji AD, Izadifar Z, Chen DX. Synchrotron Imaging Techniques for Bone and Cartilage Tissue Engineering: Potential, Current Trends, and Future Directions. TISSUE ENGINEERING PART B-REVIEWS 2014; 20:503-22. [DOI: 10.1089/ten.teb.2013.0493] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Zohreh Izadifar
- Division of Biomedical Engineering, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Canada
| | - Daniel Xiongbiao Chen
- Division of Biomedical Engineering, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Canada
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Canada
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Majidi K, Wernick MN, Li J, Muehleman C, Brankov JG. Limited-angle tomography for analyzer-based phase-contrast x-ray imaging. Phys Med Biol 2014; 59:3483-500. [PMID: 24898008 DOI: 10.1088/0031-9155/59/13/3483] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
Multiple-image radiography (MIR) is an analyzer-based phase-contrast x-ray imaging method, which is emerging as a potential alternative to conventional radiography. MIR simultaneously generates three planar parametric images containing information about scattering, refraction and attenuation properties of the object. The MIR planar images are linear tomographic projections of the corresponding object properties, which allows reconstruction of volumetric images using computed tomography (CT) methods. However, when acquiring a full range of linear projections around the tissue of interest is not feasible or the scanning time is limited, limited-angle tomography techniques can be used to reconstruct these volumetric images near the central plane, which is the plane that contains the pivot point of the tomographic movement. In this work, we use computer simulations to explore the applicability of limited-angle tomography to MIR. We also investigate the accuracy of reconstructions as a function of number of tomographic angles for a fixed total radiation exposure. We use this function to find an optimal range of angles over which data should be acquired for limited-angle tomography MIR (LAT-MIR). Next, we apply the LAT-MIR technique to experimentally acquired MIR projections obtained in a cadaveric human thumb study. We compare the reconstructed slices near the central plane to the same slices reconstructed by CT-MIR using the full angular view around the object. Finally, we perform a task-based evaluation of LAT-MIR performance for different numbers of angular views, and use template matching to detect cartilage in the refraction image near the central plane. We use the signal-to-noise ratio of this test as the detectability metric to investigate an optimum range of tomographic angles for detecting soft tissues in LAT-MIR. Both results show that there is an optimum range of angular view for data acquisition where LAT-MIR yields the best performance, comparable to CT-MIR only if one considers volumetric images near the central plane and not the whole volume.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keivan Majidi
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago, IL 60616, USA
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Connor DM, Zhong Z, Foda HD, Wiebe S, Parham CA, Dilmanian FA, Cole EB, Pisano ED. Diffraction enhanced imaging of a rat model of gastric acid aspiration pneumonitis. Acad Radiol 2011; 18:1515-21. [PMID: 21958600 DOI: 10.1016/j.acra.2011.08.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2011] [Revised: 08/09/2011] [Accepted: 08/09/2011] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES Diffraction-enhanced imaging (DEI) is a type of phase contrast x-ray imaging that has improved image contrast at a lower dose than conventional radiography for many imaging applications, but no studies have been done to determine if DEI might be useful for diagnosing lung injury. The goals of this study were to determine if DEI could differentiate between healthy and injured lungs for a rat model of gastric aspiration and to compare diffraction-enhanced images with chest radiographs. MATERIALS AND METHODS Radiographs and diffraction-enhanced chest images of adult Sprague Dawley rats were obtained before and 4 hours after the aspiration of 0.4 mL/kg of 0.1 mol/L hydrochloric acid. Lung damage was confirmed with histopathology. RESULTS The radiographs and diffraction-enhanced peak images revealed regions of atelectasis in the injured rat lung. The diffraction-enhanced peak images revealed the full extent of the lung with improved clarity relative to the chest radiographs, especially in the portion of the lower lobe that extended behind the diaphragm on the anteroposterior projection. CONCLUSIONS For a rat model of gastric acid aspiration, DEI is capable of distinguishing between a healthy and an injured lung and more clearly than radiography reveals the full extent of the lung and the lung damage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dean M Connor
- Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC 29425, USA.
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Fahimian BP, Mao Y, Cloetens P, Miao J. Low-dose x-ray phase-contrast and absorption CT using equally sloped tomography. Phys Med Biol 2010; 55:5383-400. [DOI: 10.1088/0031-9155/55/18/008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
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