Fig. 2: Contrast agent characteristics and signal attenuation profile in different solutions.
A Annotated views of microCT image of TaOx-infused mammary glands (36 mg Ta/ml stock, also shown at lower magnification in C); pink line outlines abdominal mammary glands and blue arrows pinpoint filled branches of the ductal tree. B, C Tissue phantoms and mice were scanned with the same microCT imaging parameters. Top panels (tissue phantoms), each contrast agent was diluted from stock reagent (maximal concentration) in PBS or 70% ethanol (EtOH) at indicated concentrations (mg of metal/ml). Linear fitting of signal attenuation as function of the concentration of the metal in each solution. Bottom panels, representative single-slice microCT images of the lower body of animals captured immediately after last ID injection of each indicated solution: Omnipaque (300 mg I/ml stock, 90 mg I/ml in EtOH), MVivo Au (200 mg Au/ml stock, 60 mg Au/ml in EtOH), TaOx (36 mg Ta/ml stock, 10.8 mg Ta/ml in EtOH), Fenestra VC (50 mg I/ml stock, 15 mg I/ml in EtOH), MVivo BIS (150 mg Bis/ml stock, 45 mg Bis/ml in EtOH). Arrows indicate areas in which leaked contrast agent accumulates on the fascia boundary. Scale bar is 10 mm in images at different magnification.
