Ethanol fixation method for heart and lung imaging in micro-CT.

Purpose: The soft tissue imaging in micro-CT remains challenging due to its low intrinsic contrast. The aim of this study was to create a simple staining method omitting the usage of contrast agents for ex vivo soft tissue imaging in micro-CT.

Materials And Methods: Hearts and lungs from 30 mice were used.

Different expression pattern of hepcidin genes in the liver and pancreas of C57BL/6N and DBA/2N mice.

Background/aims: Male C57BL/6 and DBA/2 mice differ in their liver iron content. The aim of this study was to examine possible differences in the expression of hepcidin genes (Hamp and Hamp2) between the two strains.

Methods: Hepatic mRNAs were quantified by real-time PCR.

Response of hematopoiesis to cyclophosphamide follows highly specific patterns in bone marrow and spleen.

Sublethal cyclophosphamide treatment induces unique regeneration patterns in bone marrow and the spleen of a mouse. Colony-forming units spleen (CFU-S)(day 8), CFU-granulocyte-macrophage (GM), nucleated cell counts, and their differentials in bone marrow, spleen, and peripheral blood were determined in mice treated with a single dose of cyclophosphamide. To study further the mechanisms underlying the unique patterns of hematopoietic regeneration after cyclophosphamide, mRNA levels for stem cell factor (SCF), Flt-3 ligand, and macrophage inflammatory factor (MIP)-1 alpha cytokines were determined in bone marrow and spleen.