Small Animal Imaging

The Small Animal Imaging Core offers in vivo and ex vivo imaging services utilizing MRI, micro CT and ultrasound.

Equipment & Technology:

• BRUKER PharmaScan 7T, 300 MHz imager (resolution: 90 µm in vivo, 27 µm ex vivo)
• Scanco vivaCT 40 (10.5 µm resolution)
• VisualSonics Vevo 2100

Services Available:

MRI

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a non-invasive method that is utilized to look at anatomy and physiology in mice. Our animal facility provides non-barrier housing for external investigators with some exceptions concerning the health status of mice.

• Any anatomical/morphological images of all organs.
• Magnetic resonance angiography, non-contrast enhanced and contrast enhanced.
• Proton spectroscopy, global and localized (for example: assessment of water: fat ratios in bone marrow).
• Cardiac imaging, diastolic and systolic dimensions of the ventricle, cardiac movies, cardiac movies, late gadolinium, enhancement of cardiac infarcts, cardiac scar evaluation, and size determination.
• In-utero assessment of embryo development/embryonic defects or determination of the time point for the loss/resorption of transgenic embryos, and high resolution embryo imaging (~27 µm).
• Targeted contrast enhanced imaging using your specific antibody that is conjugated to gadolinium.

Micro CT

The micro-computed tomography (micro CT) core provides in vivo and ex vivo high-resolution assessments of density, geometry and microarchitecture of mineralized tissues, such as bones and teeth, calcification as result of pathology, or soft tissues and biomaterials stained with radiographic contrast media.

• Bone imaging and analysis (femur, tibia, L5 vertebra)
• Fat imaging and analysis
• Longitudinal studies of bone development

Ultrasound

Ultrasound imaging is currently only available in house and for mice from approved vendors.

• Echocardiography
• Anatomical/morphological imaging
• Tumor volume determination
• Targeted and non-targeted microbubble imaging
• Blood flow quantification

References

1. Devlin MJ, Cloutier AM, Thomas NA, Panus DA, Lotinun S, Pinz I, Baron R, RosenCJ, Bouxsein ML. Caloric restriction leads to high marrow adiposity and low bone mass in growing mice. J Bone Miner Res. 2010;25(9):2078-88. PMCID: PMC3127399
2. Yang X, Kilgallen S, Andreeva V, Spicer DB, Pinz I, Friesel R. Conditional expression of Spry1 in neural crest causes craniofacial and cardiac defects. BMC Dev Biol. 2010 May 11;10(1):48. PMCID: PMC2874773
3. Young K, Conley B A, Romero D, Tweedie E, O’Neill C F, Pinz I, Brogan L, Lindner V, Liaw L, and Vary C P H: BMP9 Regulates Endoglin-dependent Chemokine Responses in Endothelial Cells. Blood. 2012 Nov 15;120(20):4263-73. PMCID: PMC3501721.
4. Marks P, Preda M, Henderson T, Lindner V, Liaw L, Friesel RE, Pinz IM: Interactive 3D Analysis of Blood Vessel Trees and Collateral Vessel Volumes in Magnetic Resonance Angiograms in the Mouse Ischemic Hindlimb Model. The Open Medical Imaging Journal, 2013, 7, 19-27. PMCID: PMC3929959.
5. Malaeb S, Davis J, Pinz I, Newman J, Dammann O, Rios M: Effect of sustained postnatal systemic inflammation on hippocampal volume and function in juvenile mice. Pediatr Res. 2014 Oct;76(4):363-9. PMCID: PMC4167932.