Synchrotron-based X-ray tomographic microscopy for visualization of three-dimensional collagen matrices.

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: Three-dimensional collagen matrices (3D-CMs) may be visualized by cumbersome reconstructions of serial sections. We report here on the method of synchrotron-based X-ray tomographic microscopy (SRXTM) to image 3D-CMs in native tissue probes. MATERIAL AND METHODS: SRXTM of 3D-CMs (mucoderm®, mucograft®) was performed at the TOMCAT beamline of the Swiss Light Source (SLS) at the Paul Scherrer Institute (Villigen, Switzerland). RESULTS: SRXTM combines the advantages of high-resolution scanning electron microscopy (SEM) imaging with the low-resolution reconstructions of micro-CT (µCT) imaging. It may be used to non-destructively visualize and analyze structures within the 3D-CMs without the need of serial sectioning and reconstruction. CONCLUSION: High-resolution SRXTM is a useful tool in analyzing the topology and morphometry of structures in 3D-CMs. The outcome justifies the efforts in sophisticated data processing. CLINICAL RELEVANCE SRXTM may help to understand the clinical characteristics of 3D-CMs in more detail.