Multiscale cardiac imaging spanning the whole heart and its internal cellular architecture in a small animal model

Graham Rykiel, Claudia S. López, Jessica L. Riesterer, Ian Fries, Sanika Deosthali, Katherine Courchaine, Alina Maloyan, Kent Thornburg, Sandra Rugonyi

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

7 Scopus citations

Abstract

Cardiac pumping depends on the morphological structure of the heart, but also on its subcellular (ultrastructural) architecture, which enables cardiac contraction. In cases of congenital heart defects, localized ultrastructural disruptions that increase the risk of heart failure are only starting to be discovered. This is in part due to a lack of technologies that can image the three-dimensional (3D) heart structure, to assess malformations; and its ultrastructure, to assess organelle disruptions. We present here a multiscale, correlative imaging procedure that achieves high-resolution images of the whole heart, using 3D micro-computed tomography (micro-CT); and its ultrastructure, using 3D scanning electron microscopy (SEM). In a small animal model (chicken embryo), we achieved uniform fixation and staining of the whole heart, without losing ultrastructural preservation on the same sample, enabling correlative multiscale imaging. Our approach enables multiscale studies in models of congenital heart disease and beyond.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Article numbere58138
Pages (from-to)1-26
Number of pages26
JournaleLife
Volume9
DOIs
StatePublished - Oct 2020

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • General Neuroscience
  • General Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology
  • General Immunology and Microbiology

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Multiscale cardiac imaging spanning the whole heart and its internal cellular architecture in a small animal model'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this