Abstract
Eggs containing live Japanese quail embryos were imaged using micro-magnetic resonance imaging (μMRI) at 24-h intervals from Day 0 to 8, the period during which the main body axis is being laid down and organogenesis is taking place. Considerable detail of non-embryonic structures such as the latebra was revealed at early stages but the embryo could only be visualized around Day 3. Three-dimensional (3D) changes in embryo length and volume were quantified and also changes in volume in the extra- and non-embryonic components. The embryo increased in length by 43% and nearly trebled in volume between Day 4 and Day 5. Although the amount of yolk remained fairly constant over the first 5 days, the amount of albumen decreases significantly and was replaced by extra-embryonic fluid (EEF). ¹H longitudinal (T₁) and transverse (T₂) relaxation times of different regions within the eggs were determined over the first 6 days of development. The T₂ measurements mirrored the changes in image intensity observed, which can be related to the aqueous protein concentrations. In addition, a comparison of the development of Day 0 to 3 quail embryos exposed to radiofrequency (rf) pulses, 7 T static magnetic fields and magnetic field gradients for an average of 7 h with the development of control embryos did not reveal any gross changes, thus confirming that μMRI is a suitable tool for following the development of live avian embryos over time from the earliest stages.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 132-139 |
| Number of pages | 8 |
| Journal | Magnetic Resonance Imaging |
| Volume | 29 |
| Issue number | 1 |
| Early online date | 21 Sept 2010 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 1 Jan 2011 |
Keywords
- Animals
- Coturnix
- Embryo, Nonmammalian
- Embryonic Development
- Equipment Design
- Equipment Failure Analysis
- Magnetic Resonance Imaging
- Miniaturization
- Quail
- Reproducibility of Results
- Sensitivity and Specificity