A novel imaging tool for hepatic portal system using phase contrast technique with hydrogen peroxide-generated O2gas

Abstract

The objective of this study was to investigate the potential of hydrogen peroxide-generated oxygen gas-based phase contrast imaging (PCI) for visualizing mouse hepatic portal veins. The O2gas was made from the reaction between H2O2and catalase. The gas production was imaged by PCI in real time. The H2O2was injected into the enteric cavity of the lower sigmoid colon to produce O2in the submucosal venous plexus. The generated O2gas could be finally drained into hepatic portal veins. Absorption contrast imaging (ACI) and PCI of O2-filled portal veins were performed and compared. PCI offers high resolution and real-time visualization of the O2gas production. Compared with O2-based ACI, O2-based PCI significantly enhanced the revealing of the portal veinin vivo. It is concluded that O2-based PCI is a novel and promising imaging modality for future studies of portal venous disorders in mice models.