Quantification of Liver Microcirculation Using X-Ray Microtomography of Vascular Corrosion Casts

Abstract

We used corrosion casts and micro-CT for quantitative description of microvascular network in porcine liver. Using stereological methods, manual tracing of microvessels and analysis of orientation in 3D, we quantified the volume fraction, the surface density, the numerical density, the length density and the tortuosity of microvessels in series of images with 1.875 μm pixel resolution. Biodur E 20 resin was more suitable for preparing and quantifying microvascular tree corrosion casts when compared to Mercox II resin. Quantified data could be applicable for correlating 3D models with 2D liver histopathology, for enhancing the interpretation of routine medical CT and for providing data for computer models of tissue perfusion and angiogenesis.