Magnetic resonance microscopy of mouse embryos.

The increased use of the mouse as a model for various aspects of mammalian biology has caused a renewed interest in developing strategies for examining and comparing normal and abnormal mouse embryonic development and anatomy. In this study, we have explored the use of magnetic resonance microscopy as a tool for these purposes. Techniques for the fixation, embedding, perfusion, and image acquisition of mouse embryos are described. The perfusion of bovine serum albumin-diethylenetriamine pentaacetic anhydride-gadolinium as a contrast agent enhances images of the developing embryonic vasculature during critical stages of organogenesis and allows for comparisons when embryos have been treated with teratogens such as retinoic acid. The acquired three-dimensional data sets are available for archiving, distributing, and postacquisition manipulations such as computer segmentation of anatomical structures.