Contrast-Enhanced X-Ray Micro-Computed Tomography as a Versatile Method for Anatomical Studies of Adult Zebrafish

Abstract

One attractive quality of zebrafish as a model organism for biological research is that transparency at early developmental stages allows the optical imaging of cellular and molecular events. However, this advantage cannot be applied to adult zebrafish. In this study, we explored the use of contrast-enhanced X-ray micro-computed tomography (microCT) on adult zebrafish in which the organism was stained with iodine, a simple and economical contrasting agent, after fixation. Tomographic reconstruction of the microCT data allowed the three-dimensional (3D) volumetric analyses of individual organs in adult zebrafish. Adipose tissues showed a higher affinity to iodine and were more strongly contrasted in microCT. As traditional histological techniques often involve dehydration steps that remove tissue lipids, iodine-contrasted microCT offers a convenient method for visualizing fat deposition in fish. Utilizing this advantage, we discovered a transient accumulation of lipids around the heart after ventricular amputation, suggesting a correlation between lipid distribution and heart regeneration. Taken together, microCT is a versatile technique that enables the 3D visualization of zebrafish organs, as well as other fish models, in their anatomical context. This simple method is a valuable new addition to the arsenal of techniques available to this model organism.

Three‐dimensional NMR microscopy of zebrafish specimens

“…Synchrotron x‐ray micro‐computed tomography (SR‐μCT) with submicrometer resolution (0.65 μm × 1.6 μm) outperforms MRM by an order of magnitude in terms of resolution, but has poor contrast, complex specimen preparation, and limited fields of view (FOVs) (1.7 mm × 1.4 mm). Also, contrast‐enhanced x‐ray micro‐computed tomography provides 3D images with superior resolution (8.7 μm/pxl within 25 min), but specimens must be soaked with iodine, providing modest contrast compared with MRM . Optoacoustic tomography provides 3D images with resolution and imaging time comparable to those of MRM (35 μm/pxl × 35 μm/pxl × 150 μm/pxl within 1 h), but contrast is rather poor .…”

Utility of quantitative micro-computed tomographic analysis in zebrafish to define gene function during skeletogenesis

“…High-resolution images of specific regions of interest (ROI) can be obtained with a fraction of the time and memory requirements compared to whole fish scans, allowing for local high precision measurements in the zebrafish of bone size, shape and density. Although microCT methods are gaining popularity in the analysis of adult zebrafish 19 , there is often little quantitative analysis of these data. Rather, microCT is commonly used as an imaging substitute for whole mount Alizarin red staining (e.g.…”

Application of Boron Oxide as a Protective Surface Treatment to Decrease the Air Reactivity of Carbon Anodes

“…X-ray computed tomography has been used for decades in science to reveal the internal structures of objects, from living beings to engineering materials (e.g., [31][32][33][34]) including the carbon materials used in the aluminum production industry [35][36][37][38][39]. Its main advantage is that it is a non-destructive technique.…”

“…The coating comprises "preparing a liquid suspension of a boron compound, aluminum fluoride and a lignosulfonate binder and applying the liquid suspension as a protective coating at least to the portion of the anode which is exposed to the atmosphere during cell operation, followed by drying the coating" [31]. They applied a thick coating layer using a spray gun followed by drying.…”