Three-dimensional virtual histology of the rat uterus musculature using micro-computed tomography.

Autor: Roesler MW; Auckland Bioengineering Institute, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand., Garrett AS; Auckland Bioengineering Institute, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand., Trew ML; Auckland Bioengineering Institute, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand., Gerneke D; Auckland Bioengineering Institute, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand., Amirapu S; Department of Pathology, Dunedin School of Medicine, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand., Cheng LK; Auckland Bioengineering Institute, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand., Clark AR; Auckland Bioengineering Institute, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.
Jazyk: angličtina
Zdroj: Journal of anatomy [J Anat] 2024 Sep 10. Date of Electronic Publication: 2024 Sep 10.
DOI: 10.1111/joa.14131
Abstrakt: Contractions of the uterus play an important role in menstruation and fertility, and contractile dysfunction can lead to chronic diseases such as endometriosis. However, the structure and function of the uterus are difficult to interrogate in humans, and thus animal studies are often employed to understand its function. In rats, anatomical studies of the uterus have typically been based on histological assessment, have been limited to small segments of the uterine structure, and have been time-consuming to reconstruct at the organ scale. This study used micro-computed tomography imaging to visualise the muscle structures in the entire non-pregnant rat uterus and assess its use for 3D virtual histology. An assessment of the rodent uterus is presented to (i) quantify muscle thickness variations along the horns, (ii) identify predominant fibre orientations of the muscles and (iii) demonstrate how the anatomy of the uterus can be mapped to 3D volumetric meshes via virtual histology. Micro-computed tomography measurements were validated against measurements from histological sections. The average thickness of the myometrium was found to be 0.33 ± 0.11 mm and 0.31 ± 0.09 mm in the left and right horns, respectively. The micro-computed tomography and histology thickness calculations were found to correlate strongly at different locations in the uterus: at the cervix, r = 0.87, and along the horn from the cervical end to the ovarian end, respectively, r = 0.77, r = 0.89 and r = 0.54, with p < 0.001 in every location. This study shows that micro-computed tomography can be used to quantify the musculature in the whole non-pregnant uterus and can be used for 3D virtual histology.
(© 2024 The Author(s). Journal of Anatomy published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Anatomical Society.)
Databáze: MEDLINE
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