RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 A novel approach for automated alveolar morphometry using synchrotron X-ray microtomography in intact rat lung
JF European Respiratory Journal
JO Eur Respir J
FD European Respiratory Society
SP 1932
DO 10.1183/13993003.congress-2020.1932
VO 56
IS suppl 64
A1 Bertrand Maury
A1 Hugo Leclerc
A1 Benoit Semin
A1 Sébastien Martin
A1 Lucas Fardin
A1 Sam Bayat
A1 Hervé Guénard
YR 2020
UL http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/56/suppl_64/1932.abstract
AB Background: Morphometric changes in the lung alveolar and acinar structures induced by breathing remain largely unknown. This is due to a lack of non-destructive techniques allowing quantitative morphometry of the peripheral lung. Here, we propose a new method to quantify the morphometry of the distal lung in small animals.Methods: Using synchrotron radiation phase-contrast X-ray tomography, we acquired 3D images of intact adult rat lungs with a spatial resolution of 3 µm, immediately post-mortem at 0 and 6 cmH2O airway pressure (Paw). We used an « r- tubular neighborhood » of the solid phase, that is the part of the empty phase which is located at distance less than r from the solid phase, to assess the underlying geometrical structure.Results: Figure 1 represents a segmented view of the image obtained after preprocessing. We found a mean alveolar diameter of 55 and 78 µm at 0 and 6 cmH2O Paw, respectively, in a representative rat.Conclusions: Our data show that this novel approach is feasible and allows measuring the local size of alveoli in a robust way, and to investigate its dependence on Paw.FootnotesCite this article as: European Respiratory Journal 2020; 56: Suppl. 64, 1932.This abstract was presented at the 2020 ERS International Congress, in session “Respiratory viruses in the "pre COVID-19" era”.This is an ERS International Congress abstract. No full-text version is available. Further material to accompany this abstract may be available at www.ers-education.org (ERS member access only).