MR microscopy of chick embryo vasculature

J Magn Reson Imaging. 1992 Mar-Apr;2(2):237-40. doi: 10.1002/jmri.1880020220.

Abstract

Six-day-old chick embryos were examined with magnetic resonance microscopy after vascular perfusion fixation and perfusion with gadolinium-doped gelatin to high-light the developing vascular anatomy. Gadolinium gelatin, with its short T1, provided a source of signal contrast within the vessels. The entire embryo was embedded in gelatin to minimize susceptibility artifacts that are prevalent at the high field strength (7.0 T) used. A series of single-section spin-echo images were acquired with various TRs to determine the optimal imaging sequence for a three-dimensional (3D) acquisition. The combination of gadolinium gelatin in the vascular spaces, gelatin embedding of the specimen, and optimal acquisition parameters yielded a 3D stack of high-resolution images that was readily reconstructed and rendered to effectively demonstrate the developing thoracic vessels in the embryo.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Blood Vessels / embryology*
  • Chick Embryo
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging / methods*