Comprehensive analysis of 3D angioarchitecture within the intact rat spinal cord remains technically challenging due to its sophisticated anatomical properties. In this study, we aim to present a framework for ultrahigh-resolution digitalized mapping of the normal rat spinal cord angioarchitecture and to determine the physiological parameters using synchrotron radiation micro-CT (SRμCT). Male SD rats were used in this ex vivo study. After a proportional mixture of contrast agents perfusion, the intact spinal cord covered the cervical spinal from the upper of the 1st cervical vertebra to the 5th lumbar vertebra was harvested and cut into proper lengths within three distinct regions: Cervical 3-5 levels, Thoracic 10-12 levels, Lumbar 3-5 levels spinal cord and examined using SRμCT. This method enabled the replication of the complicated microvasculature network of the normal rat spinal cord at the ultrahigh-resolution level, allowing for the precise quantitative analysis of the vascular morphological difference among cervical, thoracic and lumbar spinal cord in a 3D manner. Apart from a series of delicate 3D digital anatomical maps of the rat spinal cord angioarchitecture ranging from the cervical and thoracic to the lumbar spinal cord were presented, the 3D reconstruction data of SRμCT made the 3D printing of the spinal cord targeted selected microvasculature reality, that possibly provided deep insight into the nature and role of spinal cord intricate angioarchitecture. Our data proposed a new approach to outline systematic visual and quantitative evaluations on the 3D arrangement of the entire hierarchical microvasculature of the normal rat spinal cord at ultrahigh resolution. The technique may have great potential and become useful for future research on the poorly understood nature and function of the neurovascular interaction, particularly to investigate their pathology changes in various models of neurovascular disease.

中文翻译：

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大鼠脊髓的3D数字解剖血管结构：同步辐射微CT研究。

由于其复杂的解剖学特性，对完整大鼠脊髓内的3D血管结构进行全面分析在技术上仍然具有挑战性。在这项研究中，我们旨在为正常大鼠脊髓血管结构的超高分辨率数字化绘制提供一个框架，并使用同步辐射微CT（SRμCT）确定生理参数。雄性SD大鼠用于该离体研究。在按比例混合造影剂后，从第一颈椎的上部到第五腰椎的完整的脊髓覆盖了颈椎，并在三个不同区域切成适当的长度：颈椎3-5级，胸廓10 -12级，腰椎3-5级脊髓，并用SRμCT检查。这种方法能够以超高分辨率水平复制正常大鼠脊髓的复杂微血管网络，从而能够以3D方式精确定量分析颈，胸和腰脊髓之间的血管形态差异。除了提供一系列从颈椎，胸腔到腰部脊髓的大鼠脊髓血管结构的精美3D数字解剖图之外，SRμCT的3D重建数据还使针对特定微血管的脊髓3D打印成为现实，可能提供深入了解复杂的血管结构的脊髓的性质和作用。我们的数据提出了一种新方法，概述了在超高分辨率下正常大鼠脊髓整个分层微脉管系统的3D排列的系统视觉和定量评估。该技术可能具有巨大的潜力，并可能用于对神经血管相互作用的本质和功能了解甚少的未来研究，尤其是研究其在各种神经血管疾病模型中的病理变化。