Establishing selection criteria for male New Zealand white rabbits in interventional radiology research using organ volumes and vessel diameters

Abstract Objective New Zealand White (NZW) rabbits are widely used in interventional radiology research due to their suitability for human-sized treatment and imaging equipment, offering high translational potential. This study aims to define selection criteria for rabbits by correlating body weight (BW) and age with abdominal organ and vessel dimensions measured on cross-sectional imaging. Materials and methods Computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging scans of 80 male NZW rabbits were analyzed using 3D Slicer to measure abdominal organ volumes and vessel diameters. Additionally, an in-house nnU-Net was built for liver volumetry and validated against manual segmentations. Imaging-based measurements were confirmed by gross anatomy in five animals. Statistics included normality testing and Pearson correlation. Results BW ranged from 2.0 to 4.5 kg (median [IQR]: 3.5 [2.9–3.8]) and age from 10.0 to 24.9 weeks (17.7 [15.0–21.4]); age correlated strongly with BW (p < 0.001). Organ volumes (liver, both kidneys) correlated with BW and age (all p < 0.001), respectively. Additionally, several vessel diameters (left common and internal iliac arteries, inferior vena cava, right common carotid artery) significantly correlated with BW and age, while the celiac trunk (p = 0.010), common hepatic (p = 0.011), and right renal artery (p = 0.031) correlated with BW only. The liver segmentation model achieved a Dice Similarity Coefficient of 0.91. Conclusion BW and age in NZW rabbits correlate with both organ volumes and large vessels relevant to interventional procedures, supporting the use of biometric data as selection criteria to improve standardization, reduce complications, and enhance preclinical research quality. Relevance statement Weight- and age-based selection of NZW rabbits improves anatomical suitability for image-guided interventions, enhancing technical success and reproducibility. It may reduce complications and dropouts, avoiding false attribution of adverse events to the technique rather than biometric unsuitability. Key Points Lack of standardized selection criteria in the VX2 rabbit model increases procedural risks and impairs reproducibility in interventional radiology research. Biometric data correlate with organ and vessel dimensions, enabling estimations of anatomical suitability for image-guided procedures in interventional radiological research. This study establishes anatomical reference data providing a quantitative basis to standardize and refine future VX2 rabbit research. Graphical Abstract