In utero ultrasound backscatter microscopy of early stage mouse embryos

A high resolution ultrasound imaging technique, ultrasound backscatter micr oscopy (UBM), has previously been shown to be useful for in utero imaging o f mouse embryos, and for direct manipulation of mouse embryos through UBM-g uided injections. UBM images from mouse embryos staged between 8.5 and 10.5 days of gestation are presented to demonstrate the range of anatomical str uctures which can be studied with this approach. Ultrasound contrast agents have been injected into the forebrain ventricle of 10.5 day embryos to cha racterize the resulting three-dimensional distribution of the injected agen ts. These studies provide important background data relevant to future use of this technique for in utero analysis of early brain and heart developmen t, and for in utero manipulation of mouse embryos through UBM-guided inject ions. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.