Spherical alveolar shapes in live mouse lungs
Abstract Understanding how the alveolar mechanics work in live lungs is essential for comprehending how the lung behaves during breathing. Due to the lack of appropriate imaging tools, previous research has suggested that alveolar morphologies are polyhedral rather than spherical based on a 2D exami...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Nature Portfolio
2023-03-01
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| Series: | Scientific Reports |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-32254-8 |
| _version_ | 1827974579684900864 |
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| author | Min Woo Kim Byung Mook Weon Jung Ho Je |
| author_facet | Min Woo Kim Byung Mook Weon Jung Ho Je |
| author_sort | Min Woo Kim |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Understanding how the alveolar mechanics work in live lungs is essential for comprehending how the lung behaves during breathing. Due to the lack of appropriate imaging tools, previous research has suggested that alveolar morphologies are polyhedral rather than spherical based on a 2D examination of alveoli in fixed lungs. Here, we directly observe high-resolution 3D alveoli in live mice lungs utilizing synchrotron x-ray microtomography to show spherical alveolar morphologies from the live lungs. Our measurements from x-ray microtomography show high sphericity, low packing density, big alveolar size, and low osmotic pressure, indicating that spherical alveolar morphologies are natural in living lungs. The alveolar packing fraction is quite low in live lungs, where the spherical alveoli would behave like free bubbles, while the confinement of alveolar clusters in fixed lungs would lead to significant morphological deformations of the alveoli appearing polyhedral. Direct observations of the spherical alveolar shapes will help understand and treat lung disease and ventilation. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-09T19:56:40Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-9e3f194e9f494c64ac8d7eabde719881 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2045-2322 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-09T19:56:40Z |
| publishDate | 2023-03-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Scientific Reports |
| spelling | doaj.art-9e3f194e9f494c64ac8d7eabde7198812023-04-03T05:25:51ZengNature PortfolioScientific Reports2045-23222023-03-011311610.1038/s41598-023-32254-8Spherical alveolar shapes in live mouse lungsMin Woo Kim0Byung Mook Weon1Jung Ho Je2School of Interdisciplinary Bioscience and Bioengineering, Pohang University of Science and TechnologySoft Matter Physics Laboratory, School of Advanced Materials Science and Engineering, SKKU Advanced Institute of Nanotechnology (SAINT), Sungkyunkwan UniversityDepartment of Materials Science and Engineering, Pohang University of Science and TechnologyAbstract Understanding how the alveolar mechanics work in live lungs is essential for comprehending how the lung behaves during breathing. Due to the lack of appropriate imaging tools, previous research has suggested that alveolar morphologies are polyhedral rather than spherical based on a 2D examination of alveoli in fixed lungs. Here, we directly observe high-resolution 3D alveoli in live mice lungs utilizing synchrotron x-ray microtomography to show spherical alveolar morphologies from the live lungs. Our measurements from x-ray microtomography show high sphericity, low packing density, big alveolar size, and low osmotic pressure, indicating that spherical alveolar morphologies are natural in living lungs. The alveolar packing fraction is quite low in live lungs, where the spherical alveoli would behave like free bubbles, while the confinement of alveolar clusters in fixed lungs would lead to significant morphological deformations of the alveoli appearing polyhedral. Direct observations of the spherical alveolar shapes will help understand and treat lung disease and ventilation.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-32254-8 |
| spellingShingle | Min Woo Kim Byung Mook Weon Jung Ho Je Spherical alveolar shapes in live mouse lungs Scientific Reports |
| title | Spherical alveolar shapes in live mouse lungs |
| title_full | Spherical alveolar shapes in live mouse lungs |
| title_fullStr | Spherical alveolar shapes in live mouse lungs |
| title_full_unstemmed | Spherical alveolar shapes in live mouse lungs |
| title_short | Spherical alveolar shapes in live mouse lungs |
| title_sort | spherical alveolar shapes in live mouse lungs |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-32254-8 |
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