A novel imaging tool for hepatic portal system using phase contrast technique with hydrogen peroxide‐generated O 2 gas

The objective of this study was to investigate the potential of hydrogen peroxide‐generated oxygen gas‐based phase contrast imaging (PCI) for visualizing mouse hepatic portal veins. The O 2 gas was made from the reaction between H 2 O 2 and catalase. The gas production was imaged by PCI in real time. The H 2 O 2 was injected into the enteric cavity of the lower sigmoid colon to produce O 2 in the submucosal venous plexus. The generated O 2 gas could be finally drained into hepatic portal veins. Absorption contrast imaging (ACI) and PCI of O 2 ‐filled portal veins were performed and compared. PCI offers high resolution and real‐time visualization of the O 2 gas production. Compared with O 2 ‐based ACI, O 2 ‐based PCI significantly enhanced the revealing of the portal vein in vivo . It is concluded that O 2 ‐based PCI is a novel and promising imaging modality for future studies of portal venous disorders in mice models.