Small Animal Imaging

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

Equipment & Technology:

• Scanco vivaCT 40 (10.5 µm resolution)
• VisualSonics Vevo 2100

Services Available:

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, humerus)
• Fat imaging and analysis
• Longitudinal studies of bone development
• Soft tissue imaging
• Customized project 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.