Faculty Collaboration Database

Microfocal X-ray CT imaging and pulmonary arterial distensibility in excised rat lungs. Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol 2001 Sep;281(3):H1447-57

Date

08/22/2001

Pubmed ID

11514318

DOI

10.1152/ajpheart.2001.281.3.H1447

Scopus ID

2-s2.0-0034829987 (requires institutional sign-in at Scopus site)   49 Citations

Abstract

The objective of this study was to develop an X-ray computed tomographic method for measuring pulmonary arterial dimensions and locations within the intact rat lung. Lungs were removed from rats and their pulmonary arterial trees were filled with perfluorooctyl bromide to enhance X-ray absorbance. The lungs were rotated within the cone of the X-ray beam projected from a microfocal X-ray source onto an image intensifier, and 360 images were obtained at 1 degrees increments. The three-dimensional image volumes were reconstructed with isotropic resolution using a cone beam reconstruction algorithm. The vessel diameters were obtained by fitting a functional form to the image of the vessel circular cross section. The functional form was chosen to take into account the point spread function of the image acquisition and reconstruction system. The diameter measurements obtained over a range of vascular pressures were used to characterize the distensibility of the rat pulmonary arteries. The distensibility coefficient alpha [defined by D(P) = D(0)(1 + alphaP), where D(P) is the diameter at intravascular pressure (P)] was approximately 2.8% mmHg and independent of vessel diameter in the diameter range (about 100 to 2,000 mm) studied.

Author List

Karau KL, Johnson RH, Molthen RC, Dhyani AH, Haworth ST, Hanger CC, Roerig DL, Dawson CA

Author

Roger H. Johnson PhD Associate Professor in the Biophysics department at Medical College of Wisconsin

MESH terms used to index this publication - Major topics in bold

Anatomy, Cross-Sectional
Animals
Blood Pressure
Fluorocarbons
Hydrocarbons, Brominated
Imaging, Three-Dimensional
In Vitro Techniques
Lung
Perfusion
Phantoms, Imaging
Pulmonary Artery
Rats
Rats, Sprague-Dawley
Reproducibility of Results
Tomography, X-Ray Computed
Vascular Patency
Vasodilation