Quantitative 3D reconstructions as identification tool in heart development

english

2001

volume 20, issue 3

Heart    Embryology    Growth and development   Anatomy and histology   Myocardium    Rats    Microscopy, confocal    Mitotic index    Image processing, computer-assisted

Društvo za stereologijo in kvantitativno analizo slike
(Obvezni izvod spletne publikacije)

A method for displaying quantitative information in 3D reconstructions of the embryonic heart was developed to investigate spatial distributions of cell division and cell density. The method utilizes serial sections to extract morphological as well as quantitative data. The morphological data are used toreconstruct the embryonic heart and the quantitative data are classified andsuperimposed on the resulting reconstruction. The bias, which would result from size differences between cell populaions, was investigated. If present, it would influence the absolute number of particles (nuclei) per volume, although the classification applied on the reconstruction displaying the mitotic fraction remains unchanged. Although the reconstruction displaying thelocal densities is influenced by the bias, less than 2.5% of the regions ismissclassified.

16.09.2009