Value of formalin fixation for the prolonged preservation of rodent myocardial microanatomical organization: evidence by MR diffusion tensor imaging

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Giannakidis, A ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7403-923X, Gullberg, GT, Pennell, DJ and Firmin, DN, 2016. Value of formalin fixation for the prolonged preservation of rodent myocardial microanatomical organization: evidence by MR diffusion tensor imaging. The Anatomical Record, 299 (7), pp. 878-887. ISSN 1932-8486

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Official URL: http://doi.org/10.1002/ar.23359

Abstract

Previous ex vivo diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) studies on formalin-fixed myocardial tissue assumed that, after some initial changes in the first 48 hr since the start of fixation, DTI parameters remain stable over time. Prolonged preservation of cardiac tissue in formalin prior to imaging has been seen many times in the DTI literature as it is considered orderly. Our objective is to define the effects of the prolonged cardiac tissue exposure to formalin on tissue microanatomical organization, as this is assessed by DTI parameters. DTI experiments were conducted on eight excised rodent hearts that were fixed by immersion in formalin. The samples were randomly divided into two equinumerous groups corresponding to shorter (∼2 weeks) and more prolonged (∼6–8 weeks) durations of tissue exposure to formalin prior to imaging. We found that when the duration of cardiac tissue exposure to formalin before imaging increased, water diffusion became less restricted, helix angle (HA) histograms flattened out and exhibited heavier tails (even though the classic HA transmural variation was preserved), and a significant loss of inter-voxel primary diffusion orientation integrity was introduced. The prolonged preservation of cardiac tissue in formalin profoundly affected its microstructural organization, as this was assessed by DTI parameters. The accurate interpretation of diffusivity profiles necessitates awareness of the pitfalls of prolonged cardiac tissue exposure duration to formalin. The acquired knowledge works to the advantage of a proper experimental design of DTI studies of fixed hearts.

Item Type:	Journal article
Publication Title:	The Anatomical Record
Creators:	Giannakidis, A., Gullberg, G.T., Pennell, D.J. and Firmin, D.N.
Publisher:	John Wiley
Date:	2016
Volume:	299
Number:	7
ISSN:	1932-8486
Identifiers:	Number Type 10.1002/ar.23359 DOI
Divisions:	Schools > School of Science and Technology
Record created by:	Jonathan Gallacher
Date Added:	16 Mar 2018 10:28
Last Modified:	16 Mar 2018 10:28
URI:	https://irep.ntu.ac.uk/id/eprint/33006