A Micro-Computed Tomography-Based Simplified Approach to Measure Body Composition, Osteoporosis, and Lung Fibrosis in Mice.

Micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) is a powerful, non-destructive imaging technique that creates high-resolution 3D images of the internal structures of small animal models such as mice and rats. Familiarizing oneself with micro-CT imaging and data analysis can be overwhelming without easy-to-follow, clear instructions. Training on new instruments is often a task exclusive to a select subset of researchers, leaving the majority of potential trainees without a technical grasp of how to navigate the instructions. This protocol on the use of micro-CT aims to bridge that gap by providing a clear, step-by-step guide to acquire and analyze micro-CT images from mice for quantitative data. By exclusively detailing the necessary procedural steps from start to finish and overcoming complex user interfaces during imaging operations and analysis, this protocol will equip new micro-CT users with the ability to measure mouse body composition (bone, body fat, and lean muscle mass) and identify and quantify lung fibrosis. This approach applies to researchers with a basic understanding of medical imaging, animal care, and software analysis. Key features • Analysis of tissue-specific body composition using mice as model organisms. • An easy-to-follow guide for novice users of high-resolution micro-computed tomography imaging systems. • Enhances accessibility, workflow, standardization, training, and breadth of application in the research community. • Effectively employing non-invasive live imaging allows for a longitudinal study of tissue architecture for examining age-related changes in vivo. Graphical overview.