X-ray phase contrast with injected gas for tumor microangiography

QC 20140624. Updated from manuscript to article in journal.
We show that the microvasculature of mouse tumors can be visualized using propagation-based phase-contrast x-ray imaging with gas as the contrast agent. The large density difference over the gas-tissue interface provides high contrast, allowing the imaging of small-diameter blood vessels with relatively short exposure times and low dose using a compact liquid-metal-jet x-ray source. The method investigated is applied to tumors (E1A/Ras-transformed mouse embryonic fibroblasts) grown in mouse ears, demonstrating sub-15-mu m-diameter imaging of their blood vessels. The exposure time for a 2D projection image is a few seconds and a full tomographic 3D map takes some minutes. The method relies on the strength of the vasculature to withstand the gas pressure. Given that tumor vessels are known to be more fragile than normal vessels, we investigate the tolerance of the vasculature of 12 tumors to gas injection and find that a majority withstand 200 mbar pressures, enough to fill 12-mu m-diameter vessels with gas. A comparison of the elasticity of tumorous and non-tumorous vessels supports the assumption of tumor vessels being more fragile. Finally, we conclude that the method has the potential to be extended to the imaging of 15 mu m vessels in thick tissue, including mouse imaging, making it of interest for, e.g., angiogenesis research.

Westermark, Ulrica K.Karolinska Institutet (author)
Larsson, Daniel H.KTH,Biomedicinsk fysik och röntgenfysik(Swepub:kth)u1xpctxe (author)
Burvall, AnnaKTH,Biomedicinsk fysik och röntgenfysik(Swepub:kth)u1kpjixr (author)
Arsenian Henriksson, MarieKarolinska Institutet (author)
Hertz, Hans M.KTH,Biomedicinsk fysik och röntgenfysik(Swepub:kth)u10uiefj (author)
KTHBiomedicinsk fysik och röntgenfysik (creator_code:org_t)

In:Physics in Medicine and Biology: IOP Publishing59:11, s. 2801-28110031-91551361-6560

By the author/editor: Lundström, Ulf; Westermark, Ulri ...; Larsson, Daniel ...; Burvall, Anna; Arsenian Henriks ...; Hertz, Hans M.

About the subject

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES: MEDICAL AND HEAL ...; and Clinical Medicin ...; and Radiology Nuclea ...

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