Journal
JOURNAL OF APPLIED PHYSIOLOGY
Volume 121, Issue 1, Pages 115-122Publisher
AMER PHYSIOLOGICAL SOC
DOI: 10.1152/japplphysiol.00317.2016
Keywords
systematic uniform random sampling; quantitative CT; pulmonary imaging; lung parenchyma; central line-based morphometry; acinar structure
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Funding
- National Institutes of Health [R01-HL-080285, 1-S10-RR019242-01, 1-S10-OD018503-01]
- National Science Foundation/Major Research Instrumentation Grant [0923297]
- Directorate For Engineering
- Div Of Civil, Mechanical, & Manufact Inn [0923297] Funding Source: National Science Foundation
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Through interior tomography, high-resolution microcomputed tomography (mu CT) systems provide the ability to nondestructively assess the pulmonary acinus at micron and submicron resolutions. With the application of systematic uniform random sampling (SURS) principles applied to in situ fixed, intact, ex vivo lungs, we have sought to characterize morphometric differences in central vs. surface acini to better understand how well surface acini reflect global acinar geometry. Lungs from six mice (A/J strain, 15-20 wk of age) were perfusion fixed in situ and imaged using a multiresolution mu CT system (Micro XCT 400, Zeiss). With the use of lower-resolution whole lung images, SURS methods were used for identification of central and surface foci for high-resolution imaging. Acinar morphometric metrics included diameters, lengths, and branching angles for each alveolar duct and total path lengths from entrance of the acinus to the terminal alveolar sacs. In addition, acinar volume, alveolar surface area, and surface area/volume ratios were assessed. A generation-based analysis demonstrated that central acini have significantly smaller branch diameters at each generation with no significant increase in branch lengths. In addition to larger-diameter alveolar ducts, surface acini had significantly increased numbers of branches and terminal alveolar sacs. The total path lengths from the acinar entrance to the terminal nodes were found to be higher in the case of surface acini. Volumes and surface areas of surface acini are greater than central acini, but there were no differences in surface/volume ratios. In conclusion, there are significant structural differences between surface and central acini in the A/J mouse.
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