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3D analysis of the myenteric plexus of the human bowel by X-ray phase-contrast tomography - a future method?

Peruzzi, Niccolò LU ; Veress, Béla LU ; Dahlin, Lars B LU orcid ; Salditt, Tim ; Andersson, Mariam ; Eckermann, Marina ; Frohn, Jasper ; Robisch, Anna-Lena ; Bech, Martin LU orcid and Ohlsson, Bodil LU (2020) In Scandinavian Journal of Gastroenterology 55(10). p.1261-1267
Abstract

OBJECTIVES: Light microscopical analysis in two dimensions, combined with immunohistochemistry, is presently the gold standard to describe the enteric nervous system (ENS). Our aim was to assess the usefulness of three-dimensional (3D) imaging by X-ray phase-contrast tomography in evaluating the ENS of the human bowel.

MATERIAL AND METHODS: Myenteric ganglia were identified in full-thickness biopsies of the ileum and colon by hematoxylin & eosin staining. A1-mm biopsy punch was taken from the paraffin blocks and placed into a Kapton® tube for subsequent tomographic investigation. The samples were scanned, without further preparation, using phase-contrast tomography at two different scales: overview scans (performed with... (More)

OBJECTIVES: Light microscopical analysis in two dimensions, combined with immunohistochemistry, is presently the gold standard to describe the enteric nervous system (ENS). Our aim was to assess the usefulness of three-dimensional (3D) imaging by X-ray phase-contrast tomography in evaluating the ENS of the human bowel.

MATERIAL AND METHODS: Myenteric ganglia were identified in full-thickness biopsies of the ileum and colon by hematoxylin & eosin staining. A1-mm biopsy punch was taken from the paraffin blocks and placed into a Kapton® tube for subsequent tomographic investigation. The samples were scanned, without further preparation, using phase-contrast tomography at two different scales: overview scans (performed with laboratory setups), which allowed localization of the nervous tissue (∼1µm effective voxel size); and high-resolution scans (performed with a synchrotron endstation), which imaged localized regions of 320x320x320 µm3 (176 nm effective voxel size).

RESULTS: The contrast allowed us to follow the shape and the size changes of the ganglia, as well as to study their cellular components together with the cells and cellular projections of the periganglional space. Furthermore, it was possible to show the 3D network of the myenteric plexus and to quantify its volume within the samples.

CONCLUSIONS: Phase-contrast X-ray tomography can be applied for volume analyses of the human ENS and to study tissue components in unstained paraffin-embedded tissue biopsies. This technique could potentially be used to study disease mechanisms, and to compare healthy and diseased tissues in clinical research.

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author
; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
Scandinavian Journal of Gastroenterology
volume
55
issue
10
pages
7 pages
publisher
Taylor & Francis
external identifiers
  • pmid:32907418
  • scopus:85090477505
ISSN
0036-5521
DOI
10.1080/00365521.2020.1815079
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
5654a125-496e-4ef1-b765-3111cf485179
date added to LUP
2020-09-15 15:46:27
date last changed
2024-02-16 23:22:20
@article{5654a125-496e-4ef1-b765-3111cf485179,
  abstract     = {{<p>OBJECTIVES: Light microscopical analysis in two dimensions, combined with immunohistochemistry, is presently the gold standard to describe the enteric nervous system (ENS). Our aim was to assess the usefulness of three-dimensional (3D) imaging by X-ray phase-contrast tomography in evaluating the ENS of the human bowel.</p><p>MATERIAL AND METHODS: Myenteric ganglia were identified in full-thickness biopsies of the ileum and colon by hematoxylin &amp; eosin staining. A1-mm biopsy punch was taken from the paraffin blocks and placed into a Kapton® tube for subsequent tomographic investigation. The samples were scanned, without further preparation, using phase-contrast tomography at two different scales: overview scans (performed with laboratory setups), which allowed localization of the nervous tissue (∼1µm effective voxel size); and high-resolution scans (performed with a synchrotron endstation), which imaged localized regions of 320x320x320 µm3 (176 nm effective voxel size).</p><p>RESULTS: The contrast allowed us to follow the shape and the size changes of the ganglia, as well as to study their cellular components together with the cells and cellular projections of the periganglional space. Furthermore, it was possible to show the 3D network of the myenteric plexus and to quantify its volume within the samples.</p><p>CONCLUSIONS: Phase-contrast X-ray tomography can be applied for volume analyses of the human ENS and to study tissue components in unstained paraffin-embedded tissue biopsies. This technique could potentially be used to study disease mechanisms, and to compare healthy and diseased tissues in clinical research.</p>}},
  author       = {{Peruzzi, Niccolò and Veress, Béla and Dahlin, Lars B and Salditt, Tim and Andersson, Mariam and Eckermann, Marina and Frohn, Jasper and Robisch, Anna-Lena and Bech, Martin and Ohlsson, Bodil}},
  issn         = {{0036-5521}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{09}},
  number       = {{10}},
  pages        = {{1261--1267}},
  publisher    = {{Taylor & Francis}},
  series       = {{Scandinavian Journal of Gastroenterology}},
  title        = {{3D analysis of the myenteric plexus of the human bowel by X-ray phase-contrast tomography - a future method?}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00365521.2020.1815079}},
  doi          = {{10.1080/00365521.2020.1815079}},
  volume       = {{55}},
  year         = {{2020}},
}