A feasibility study of OCT for anatomical and vascular phenotyping of mouse embryo

• Published in: Journal of biophotonics Vol. 13; no. 5; pp. e201960225 - n/a
• Main Authors: Choi, Woo J., Maga, A. M., Kim, Eun S., Wang, Ruikang K.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Weinheim WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA 01.05.2020; Wiley Subscription Services, Inc
• Subjects: Angiography; Animal models; Birth defects; Blood vessels; Congenital defects; Dynamic focusing; Embryogenesis; Embryonic growth stage; Embryos; Feasibility studies; Genetic engineering; Imaging; late stages; live imaging; Medical imaging; Microvasculature; mouse embryo imaging; Optical Coherence Tomography; optical coherence tomography angiography; Phenotypes; Phenotyping; Ultrasound; live imaging; late stages; optical coherence tomography; optical coherence tomography angiography; mouse embryo imaging
• ISSN: 1864-063X; 1864-0648
• DOI: 10.1002/jbio.201960225

The embryo phenotyping of genetic murine model is invaluable when investigating functions of genes underlying embryonic development and birth defect. Although traditional imaging technologies such as ultrasound are very useful for evaluating phenotype of murine embryos, the use of advanced techniques for phenotyping is desirable to obtain more information from genetic research. This letter tests the feasibility of optical coherence tomography (OCT) as a high‐throughput phenotyping tool for murine embryos. Three‐dimensional OCT imaging is performed for live and cleared mouse embryos in the late developmental stage (embryonic day 17.5). By using a dynamic focusing method and OCT angiography (OCTA) approach, our OCT imaging of the embryo exhibits rapid and clean visualization of organ structures deeper than 5 mm and complex microvasculature of perfused blood vessels in the murine embryonic body. This demonstration suggests that OCT imaging can be useful for comprehensively assessing embryo anatomy and angiography of genetically engineered mice. Visualization of live E17.5 mouse embryonic head using optical coherence tomography (OCT). Top: the OCT three‐dimensional (3D) reconstruction, showing external structures such as eye. Bottom: the corresponding OCT angiography 3D reconstruction, showing blood vascular networks (green). Scale bars: 1 mm.