Quantitative 3D analysis and visualization of cardiac fibrosis by microcomputed tomography

Vaibhao Janbandhu; Ella M M A Martin; Gavin Chapman; Sally L Dunwoodie; Richard P Harvey

doi:10.1016/j.xpro.2021.101055

Quantitative 3D analysis and visualization of cardiac fibrosis by microcomputed tomography

STAR Protoc. 2021 Dec 22;3(1):101055. doi: 10.1016/j.xpro.2021.101055. eCollection 2022 Mar 18.

Authors

Vaibhao Janbandhu^{1

2}, Ella M M A Martin¹, Gavin Chapman^{1

2}, Sally L Dunwoodie^{1

2

3}, Richard P Harvey^{1

2

3}

Affiliations

¹ Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute, Darlinghurst, NSW, Australia.
² St. Vincent's Clinical School, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
³ School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Science, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.

Abstract

Following myocardial infarction, damaged myocardium is replaced with a fibrotic scar that preserves cardiac structural integrity. Scar area measured from sample 2D images of serial heart sections does not faithfully measure the extent of fibrosis due to structural heterogeneity caused by tissue dynamics. Here, we present an X-ray microcomputed tomography (micro-CT) workflow that generates accurate volumetric quantification of scar and surviving myocardium in infarcted mouse hearts. This workflow could be applied to other fibrotic organs or hearts from other species. For complete details on the use and execution of this protocol, please refer to Janbandhu et al. (2021).

Keywords: Health Sciences; Microscopy; Model Organisms.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Animals
Cicatrix* / pathology
Fibrosis
Mice
Myocardial Infarction* / diagnostic imaging
Myocardium / pathology
X-Ray Microtomography / methods