A Quantitative Study of Airway Changes on Micro-CT in a Mouse Asthma Model: Comparison With Histopathological Findings.
- Author:
Sang Hyun PAIK
1
;
Won Kyung KIM
;
Jai Soung PARK
;
Choon Sik PARK
;
Gong Yong JIN
Author Information
- Publication Type:Original Article
- Keywords: Bronchial asthma; mice Laboratory; x-ray Micro-CT scans; airway remodeling; quantitative evaluation; histopathology; case comparison studies
- MeSH: Airway Remodeling; Animals; Asthma*; Axis, Cervical Vertebra; Bronchi; Case-Control Studies; Evaluation Studies as Topic; Goblet Cells; Hyperplasia; Hypertrophy; Injections, Intraperitoneal; Mice*; Muscle, Smooth; Ovalbumin; X-Ray Microtomography
- From:Allergy, Asthma & Immunology Research 2014;6(1):75-82
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:English
- Abstract: PURPOSE: To evaluate airway changes in ovalbumin-induced asthmatic mice in terms of postmortem micro-CT images and pathological findings. METHODS: Asthma was induced in mice by intraperitoneal injection and nasal instillation of ovalbumin aluminium hydroxide into mice (experimental group, n=6), and another group of mice received intraperitoneal injection and nasal instillation of distilled phosphate-buffered saline (control group, n=6). Bronchial lumen area was measured in the main bronchial lumen of the distal third bronchial branch level (6 parts per each mouse) on axial scans of Micro-CT, using a Lucion's smart pen (semi-automated) and a curve pen (manual). Bronchial wall thickness was obtained in 4 sections (2 levels on either side) after the third bronchial branch by measuring the diameter which was perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the main bronchus on curved Multi-planar reconstruction (MPR) images. Histologic slides were obtained from the lesion that was matched with its CT images, and bronchial wall thicknesses were determined. RESULTS: The mean bronchial lumen area was 0.196+/-0.072 mm2 in the experimental group and 0.243+/-0.116 mm2 in the control group; the difference was significant. Bronchial wall thickness on micro-CT images (mean, 0.119+/-0.01 vs. 0.108+/-0.013 mm) and in pathological specimens (mean, 0.066+/-0.011 vs. 0.041+/-0.009 mm) were thicker in the experimental group than in the control group; bronchial wall thickness on micro-CT images correlated well with pathological thickness (for the experimental group, r=0.712; for the control group, r=0.46). The thick bronchial wall in the experimental group demonstrated submucosal hypertrophy along with goblet cell hyperplasia and smooth muscle hyperplasia. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study suggest that asthma may induce thickening of bronchial wall and narrowing of the lumen area on micro-CT images and that these results may significantly correlate with pathological findings.
