429. Radiother Oncol. 1985 Nov;4(3):253-63.
The assessment of early and late radiation injury to the mouse lung using X-ray
computerised tomography.
Nicholas D, Down JD.
X-ray computerised tomography (CT) was performed on the lungs of CBA and C57Bl
mice at varying time intervals after 13 and 16 Gy irradiation to the whole
thorax. With careful consideration of artefacts associated with lung
cross-sectional area and breathing rate, the mean density of the lung was
evaluated in Hounsfield units (CT number). In CBA mice, this parameter showed a
biphasic increase in lung density with time from irradiation, corresponding to an
early phase of radiation pneumonitis and a late phase dominated by pleural
effusions. Reduced lung volumes were also seen during the late response and lung
compression due to accumulations of pleural fluid is considered a major factor in
these observations. C57Bl mice did not develop radiation pneumonitis but appeared
to be equally responsive to later radiation-induced increases in lung density.
The results obtained from CT-derived densitometry compared well with measurements
gained from functional and survival endpoints. X-ray CT provides a sensitive and
informative technique for assessing the extent of radiation injury to the mouse
lung and is potentially useful for quantifying the counterpart in patients.
PMID: 4081113 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]