Phase Contrast Microradiography of Mouse Lung Using Synchrotron X-ray: Correlation with Optical Microscopy

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the feasibility of phase contrast X-ray microtomography and microradiography, using a polychromatic synchrotron X-ray, for analysis of the mouse lung microstructure. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Normal mice were used for experiments. Some of the mouse lungs were prepared by the lung fixation-inflation method. The resulting sponge-like inflated lung samples were used for microtomography. The remaining mouse lungs were cut into 10 um sections and were used for microradiography and optical microscopic correlation. The experiments on mouse lung samples were performed at the 7B2 beamline of the Pohang Light Source in Korea. RESULTS: Phase contrast X-ray microtomography of inflated lung samples showed individual alveolar structure on 3-D reconstruction. Phase contrast microradiographs of thin lung samples showed microstructure of lung, such as alveoli and bronchioles, and were well correlated with optical microscopic images. CONCLUSIONS: The results indicate that the phase contrast X-ray microtomography and microradiography using polychromatic synchrotron X-ray is feasible for evaluation of microstructure of the lung.