Tracking X-ray microscopy for alveolar dynamics in live intact mice

Here we report a tracking X-ray microscopy (TrXM) as a novel methodology by using upper right lung apices alveoli in live intact mice. By enabling tracking of individual alveolar movements during respiration, TrXM identifies alveolar dynamics: individual alveoli in the upper lung apices show a small size increment as 4.9 +/- 0.4% (mean +/- s.e.m.) during respiration while their shapes look almost invariant. TrXM analysis in alveolar dynamics would be significant for better understanding of alveolar-based diseases, for instance, ventilator induced lung injury (VILI) in acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS).