Name: optical clearing and imaging of immunolabeled kidney tissue
Uploaded: 2019-07-22T14:00:00
Description: Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Optical Clearing and Imaging of Immunolabeled Kidney Tissue at JoVE.com

T. S. is supported by grants from the DFG German Research Foundation (332853055), Else Kr&#246;ner-Fresenius-Stiftung (2015_A197), and the Medical Faculty of the RWTH Aachen (RWTH Returner Program). V. G. P. is supported by research fellowships from Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Nephrologie, the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, and the National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia. D. H. E is supported by Fondation LeDucq. R. K. is supported by grants from the DFG (KR-4073/3-1, SCHN1188/5-1, SFB/TRR57, SFB/TRR219), the State of Northrhinewestfalia (MIWF-NRW) and the Interdisciplinary Centre for Clinical Research at RWTH Aachen University (O3-11).

NOTE: All experimental procedures described here were approved by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) of Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, Oregon, USA, and relevant local authorities in Aachen, Germany.
1. Retrograde Abdominal Aortic Perfusion and Fixation of Mouse Kidneys
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	<li>Prepare solutions the same day or evening before and store in a fridge overnight. Warm solutions to room temperature (RT) before using.</li>
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Optical clearing techniques have received wide attention for 3-D visualization and quantification of microanatomy in various organs. Here, solvent-based clearing method (ECi) was combined with immunolabeling for 3-D imaging of whole tubules in kidney slices. This method is simple, inexpensive, and quick. However, other research questions may be best answered with other clearing protocols5. It is also important to keep in mind that solvent-based methods cause tissue-shrinkage at variable degrees, m...

The growing interest in studying entire organs or large multicellular structures have led to the development of optical clearing methods that involve imaging of transparent tissue in three dimensions. Until recently, the best methods to estimate cell number, length, or volume of whole structures have been stereology or exhaustive serial sectioning, which is based on the systemic sampling of tissue for subsequent analysis in two dimensions1,2,3. However, these methods are time-consuming and need a high level of training and expertise4. Optical clearing methods overcome these problems by equilibrating the refractive index throughout a sample to make tissue translucent for 3-D imaging5,6,7.
Several optical clearing methods have been developed which fall into two main categories: solvent-based and aqueous-based methods. Aqueous-based methods can be further divided into simple immersion8,9, hyperhydration10,11, and hydrogel embedding12,13. Solvent-based methods dehydrate the tissue, remove lipids and normalize the refractive index to a value around 1.55. Limitations of most solvent-based methods are quenching of endogenous fluorescence of commonly used reporter proteins such as GFP, solvent toxicity, capacity to dissolve glues used in some imaging chambers or objective lenses, and shrinkage of tissue during dehydration14,15,16,17,18,19,20,21. However, solvent-based methods are simple, time-efficient, and can work in a number of different tissue types.
Aqueous-based methods rely on the immersion of the tissue in aqueous solutions that have refractive indices in the range of 1.38-1.528,11,12,22,23,24. These methods were developed to preserve endogenous fluorescent reporter protein emission and prevent dehydration-induced shrinkage, but limitations of most aqueous-based clearing methods include a longer duration of the protocol, tissue expansion, and protein modification (i.e. partial denaturation of proteins by urea in hyperhydrating protocols such as ScaleA2)7,11,23,25. ScaleS addressed tissue expansion by combining urea with sorbitol, which counterbalances by dehydration the urea-induced tissue expansion, and preserved the tissue ultrastructure as evaluated by electron microscopy10. Tissue shrinkage or expansion affects the absolute sizes of structures, distances between objects, or cell density per volume; thus, the measurement of size changes upon clearing of the tissue may help interpret the obtained results7,26.
In general, a protocol for optical clearing consists of multiple steps, including pretreatment, permeabilization, immunolabeling (if required), refractive index matching, and imaging with advanced light microscopy (e.g., two-photon, confocal, or light-sheet fluorescence microscopy). Most of the clearing approaches have been developed to visualize neuronal tissue, and emerging studies have validated their application in other organs5. This comprehensive tool has been previously demonstrated to allow reliable and efficient analysis of kidney structures, including glomeruli27,28, immune infiltrates28, vasculature28, and tubule segments29, and it is an ideal approach to better the understanding of glomerular function and tubule remodeling in health and disease.
Summarized here is a solvent-based method that combines immunostaining of kidney tubules; optical clearing with cheap, non-toxic, and ready-to-use chemical ethyl cinnamate (ECi); and confocal microscopy imaging that allows complete tubule visualization and quantification. This method is simple, combines antigen-retrieval of kidney slices with staining of commercial antibodies, and does not require specialized equipment, which makes it accessible to most laboratories.

<table>
	<tbody>
		<tr>
			<td>0.22 &#181;m filter</td>
			<td>Fisher Scientific</td>
			<td>09-761-112</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>15 mL conical tube</td>
			<td>Fisher Scientific</td>
			<td>339650</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>21 gauge butterfly needle</td>
			<td>Braun</td>
			<td>Venofix</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>3-way stopcock</td>
			<td>Fisher Scientific</td>
			<td>K420163-4503</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>3D analyis software</td>
			<td>Bitplane AG</td>
			<td>IMARIS</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>3D analyis software</td>
			<td>Cellprofiler</td>
			<td></td>
			<td>free open-source software</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>5-0 silk suture</td>
			<td>Fine Science Tools</td>
			<td>18020-50</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>50 ml plastic syringes</td>
			<td>Fisher Scientific</td>
			<td>14-817-57</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Anti-BrdU monoclonal antibody</td>
			<td>Roche</td>
			<td>11296736001</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Antibody diluent</td>
			<td>Dako</td>
			<td>S0809</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>CD31-647</td>
			<td>BioLegend</td>
			<td>102516</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Citrate-based antigen retrieval solution</td>
			<td>Vector Laboratories</td>
			<td>H-3300</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>curved hemostat</td>
			<td>Fisher Scientific</td>
			<td>13-812-14</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Dako Wash Buffer</td>
			<td>Agilent</td>
			<td>S3006</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>dissecting microscope</td>
			<td>Motic</td>
			<td>DSK-500</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Embedding cassettes</td>
			<td>Carl Roth</td>
			<td>E478.1</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Ethanol</td>
			<td>Merck</td>
			<td>100983</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Ethyl cinnamate</td>
			<td>Sigma-Aldrich</td>
			<td>112372</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Flexible film/Parafilm M</td>
			<td>Sigma-Aldrich</td>
			<td>P7793</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Goat anti-AQP2</td>
			<td>Santa Cruz Biotechnology</td>
			<td>sc-9882</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Guinea pig anti-NKCC2</td>
			<td>N/A</td>
			<td>N/A</td>
			<td>DOI: 10.1681/ASN.2012040404</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>HCl</td>
			<td>Carl Roth</td>
			<td>P074.1</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Heparin</td>
			<td>Sagent Pharmaceuticals</td>
			<td>401-02</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>hemostat</td>
			<td>Agnthos</td>
			<td>312-471-140</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>horizontal rocker</td>
			<td>Labnet</td>
			<td>S2035-E</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Imaging dish</td>
			<td>Ibidi</td>
			<td>81218</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Ketamine</td>
			<td>MWI Animal Health</td>
			<td>501090</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Micro serrefine</td>
			<td>Fine Science Tools</td>
			<td>18052-03</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>NaOH</td>
			<td>Fisher Scientific</td>
			<td>S318-500</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Operating scissors</td>
			<td>Merit</td>
			<td>97-272</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Paraformaldehyde</td>
			<td>Thermo Fischer Scientific</td>
			<td>O4042-500</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Rabbit anti-phoshoThr53-NCC</td>
			<td>PhosphoSolutions</td>
			<td>p1311-53</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Silicone elastomer</td>
			<td>World Precision Instruments Kwik-Sil</td>
			<td>KWIK-SIL</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Sodium azide</td>
			<td>Sigma-Aldrich</td>
			<td>S2002</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Tissue slicer</td>
			<td>Zivic Instruments</td>
			<td>HSRA001-1</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Triton X-100</td>
			<td>Acros Organics</td>
			<td>AC215682500</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Vannas scissors</td>
			<td>Fine Science Tools</td>
			<td>15000-00</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Vibratome</td>
			<td>Lancer</td>
			<td>Series 1000</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Xylazine</td>
			<td>MWI Animal Health</td>
			<td>AnaSed Inj SA (Xylazine)</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

optical clearing and imaging of immunolabeled kidney tissue

Optical clearing techniques render tissue transparent by equilibrating the refractive index throughout a sample for subsequent three-dimensional (3-D) imaging. They have received great attention in all research areas for the potential to analyze microscopic multicellular structures that extend over macroscopic distances. Given that kidney tubules, vasculature, nerves, and glomeruli extend in many directions, which have been only partially captured by traditional two-dimensional techniques so far, tissue clearing also opened up many new areas of kidney research. The list of optical clearing methods is rapidly growing, but it remains difficult for beginners in this field to choose the best method for a given research question. Provided here is a simple method that combines antibody labeling of thick mouse kidney slices; optical clearing with cheap, non-toxic and ready-to-use chemical ethyl cinnamate; and confocal imaging. This protocol describes how to perfuse kidneys and use an antigen-retrieval step to increase antibody- binding without requiring specialized equipment. Its application is presented in imaging different multicellular structures within the kidney, and how to troubleshoot poor antibody penetration into tissue is addressed. We also discuss the potential difficulties of imaging endogenous fluorophores and acquiring very large samples and how to overcome them. This simple protocol provides an easy-to-setup and comprehensive tool to study tissue in three dimensions.

Kidneys are complex organs comprised of 43 different cell types31. Most of these cells form large multicellular structures such as glomeruli and tubules, and their function is highly dependent on interactions with each other. Classical 2-D histological techniques partially capture these large structures and may miss focal changes within intact structures31. Thus, 3-D analysis using optical clearing techniques helps to understand how they function in health and disease.
...

Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Optical Clearing and Imaging of Immunolabeled Kidney Tissue at JoVE.com

Optical Clearing and Imaging of Immunolabeled Kidney Tissue

The combination of antibody labeling, optical clearing, and advanced light microscopy allows three-dimensional analysis of complete structures or organs. Described here is a simple method to combine immunolabeling of thick kidney slices, optical clearing with ethyl cinnamate, and confocal imaging that enables visualization and quantification of three-dimensional kidney structures.

Optical clearing techniques render tissue transparent by equilibrating the refractive index throughout a sample for subsequent three-dimensional (3-D) ...

Growing interest in studying large, multi-cellular structures led to the development of this optic clearing technique which allows for a three-dimensional visualization and quantification of large structures within transparent organs. This protocol provides a simple, cheap, easy to set up and comprehensive tool to investigate tissue in three dimensions. Multi-layered nature of a disease cannot always be simulated by traditional two-dimensional techniques.Three-dimensional analysis of tissue can help to better diagnose and monitor disease. This method is not restricted to kidney tissue and can be applied to any normal and diseased tissue. This simple protocol is easy to follow for any scientist with some experience in animal handling.It is important to test different antibodies in case of poor antibody labeling, and conduct secondary antibody only controls. Start by preparing heparin containing PBS and 3.0%paraformaldehyde in 1X PBS according to the manuscript directions and transferring the solutions into separate 50 mL plastic syringes. Paraformaldehyde is toxic and should be prepared in the fume hood.Collect and profuse the kidney according to the manuscript directions. Then, remove the capsule and cut the kidney into one mm thick coronal slices. Immerse the kidney slices with the prepared paraformaldehyde solution in a 15 mL conical tube.After fixation, wash the kidney slice twice with 1X wash buffer for one hour on a horizontal rocker and then proceed with antigen retrieval. Heat up 300 mL of 1X antigen unmasking solution in a 500 mL beaker. Then, enclose a kidney slice in an embedding cassette permeable to the heated buffer and stir it for one hour at 92 to 98 degrees Celsius.It is important to keep the temperature stable between 92 and 98 degrees Celsius for this antigen retrieval step. Then transfer the slice into 10 mL of 1X wash buffer with 0.1%Triton X-100 and rock it overnight. The next day, wash the slice twice with 10 mL of fresh 1X wash buffer for one hour.Dilute the primary antibody in 500 microliters of normal antibody diluent. Gently rock the kidney slice in diluted primary antibody for four days at 37 degrees Celsius. After the incubation, wash the kidney slice in 10 mL of 1X wash buffer overnight at room temperature, changing the buffer once after eight hours.Dilute the secondary antibodies in 500 microliters of normal antibody diluent and incubate with the kidney slice for four days at 37 degrees Celsius. Please note that from this step forward, the kidney slice should be protected from light. After incubation with secondary antibodies, wash the kidney slice in 10 mL of 1X wash buffer overnight at room temperature.To dehydrate the kidney slice, transfer it to five mL of high grade 100%ethanol and rock it for two hours at room temperature, refreshing the ethanol after one hour. Immerse the kidney slice in two mL of ethyl cinnamate and rock gently overnight. When ready to image the tissue, add 600 to 1000 microliters of ethyl cinnamate into a glass-bottom dish and transfer the kidney slice into the dish.Place a round cover slip on the kidney slice and seal the dish with paraffin film. Place the dish onto the microscope imaging platform and image the tissue according to the manuscript directions. This protocol has been used to successfully perform 3D analysis on kidney tissue and evaluate cell functions and interactions.The method may cause fluorescent reporter quenching but other strong fluorescent proteins may resist signal quenching. Abdominal aortic profusion can improve antibody diffusion. In some instances, poor antibody penetration results in a superficial signal.This can be corrected with higher concentrations or replenishment of antibody. Intravascular delivery should be considered if the antigen of interest is expressed in kidney vasculature. However, antibodies targeting proteins in the apical membrane of tubule epithelial cells do not cross the glomerular filtration barrier and cause unspecific signals.The tissue can be labeled with the antibodies to detect a specific cell population or to visualize whole tubule segments. Furthermore, colocalization of proteins in 3D can be achieved by combining multiple antibodies. It is important to remember that the antibody labeling can be improved with good kidney profusion, the use of antigen retrieval step, and high antibody concentration.Some strong reporter proteins may resist quenching of fluorescent signal following this protocol. To test this, skip the antigen retrieval and antibody labeling steps. This technique respects the three-dimensional nature of structures and opens up many new areas for research.It eliminates a required assumptions and interferences associated with traditional two-dimensional analysis.

optical-clearing-and-imaging-of-immunolabeled-kidney-tissue

Research

JoVE Journal

Medicine

Dual-mode Imaging of Cutaneous Tissue Oxygenation and Vascular Function

Accurate assessment of cutaneous tissue oxygenation and vascular function is important for appropriate detection, staging, and treatment of many health disorders such as chronic wounds. We report the development of a dual-mode imaging system for non-invasive and non-contact imaging of cutaneous tissue oxygenation and vascular function. The imaging system integrated an infrared camera, a CCD camera, a liquid crystal tunable filter and a high intensity fiber light source. A Labview interface was programmed for equipment control, synchronization, image acquisition, processing, and visualization. Multispectral images captured by the CCD camera were used to reconstruct the tissue oxygenation map. Dynamic thermographic images captured by the infrared camera were used to reconstruct the vascular function map. Cutaneous tissue oxygenation and vascular function images were co-registered through fiduciary markers. The performance characteristics of the dual-mode image system were tested in humans.

A dual-mode imaging system was developed for non-contact assessment of cutaneous tissue oxygenation and vascular function.

Accurate assessment of cutaneous tissue oxygenation and vascular function is important for appropriate detection, staging, and treatment of many health ...

Non-invasive Optical Measurement of Cerebral Metabolism and Hemodynamics in Infants

Perinatal brain injury remains a significant cause of infant mortality and morbidity, but there is not yet an effective bedside tool that can accurately screen for brain injury, monitor injury evolution, or assess response to therapy. The energy used by neurons is derived largely from tissue oxidative metabolism, and neural hyperactivity and cell death are reflected by corresponding changes in cerebral oxygen metabolism (CMRO2). Thus, measures of CMRO2 are reflective of neuronal viability and provide critical diagnostic information, making CMRO2 an ideal target for bedside measurement of brain health.
Brain-imaging techniques such as positron emission tomography (PET) and single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) yield measures of cerebral glucose and oxygen metabolism, but these techniques require the administration of radionucleotides, so they are used in only the most acute cases.
Continuous-wave near-infrared spectroscopy (CWNIRS) provides non-invasive and non-ionizing radiation measures of hemoglobin oxygen saturation (SO2) as a surrogate for cerebral oxygen consumption. However, SO2 is less than ideal as a surrogate for cerebral oxygen metabolism as it is influenced by both oxygen delivery and consumption. Furthermore, measurements of SO2 are not sensitive enough to detect brain injury hours after the insult 1,2, because oxygen consumption and delivery reach equilibrium after acute transients 3. We investigated the possibility of using more sophisticated NIRS optical methods to quantify cerebral oxygen metabolism at the bedside in healthy and brain-injured newborns. More specifically, we combined the frequency-domain NIRS (FDNIRS) measure of SO2 with the diffuse correlation spectroscopy (DCS) measure of blood flow index (CBFi) to yield an index of CMRO2 (CMRO2i) 4,5.
With the combined FDNIRS/DCS system we are able to quantify cerebral metabolism and hemodynamics. This represents an improvement over CWNIRS for detecting brain health, brain development, and response to therapy in neonates. Moreover, this method adheres to all neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) policies on infection control and institutional policies on laser safety. Future work will seek to integrate the two instruments to reduce acquisition time at the bedside and to implement real-time feedback on data quality to reduce the rate of data rejection.

We combined frequency-domain near-infrared spectroscopy measures of cerebral hemoglobin oxygenation with diffuse correlation spectroscopy measures of cerebral blood flow index to estimate an index of oxygen metabolism. We tested the utility of this measure as a bedside screening tool to evaluate the health and development of the newborn brain.

Perinatal brain injury remains a significant cause of infant mortality  and morbidity, but there is not yet an effective bedside tool that can  accurately ...

In Vivo Optical Imaging of Brain Tumors and Arthritis Using Fluorescent SapC-DOPS Nanovesicles

We describe a multi-angle rotational optical imaging (MAROI) system for in vivo monitoring of physiopathological processes labeled with a fluorescent marker. Mouse models (brain tumor and arthritis) were used to evaluate the usefulness of this method. Saposin C (SapC)-dioleoylphosphatidylserine (DOPS) nanovesicles tagged with CellVue Maroon (CVM) fluorophore were administered intravenously. Animals were then placed in the rotational holder (MARS) of the in vivo imaging system. Images were acquired in 10&#176; steps over 380&#176;. A rectangular&#160;region of interest (ROI) was placed across the full image width at the model disease site. Within the ROI, and for every image, mean fluorescence intensity was computed after background subtraction. In the mouse models studied, the labeled nanovesicles were taken up in both the orthotopic and transgenic brain tumors, and in the arthritic sites (toes and ankles). Curve analysis of the multi angle image ROIs determined the angle with the highest signal. Thus, the optimal angle for imaging each disease site was characterized. The MAROI method applied to imaging of fluorescent compounds is a noninvasive, economical, and precise tool for in vivo quantitative analysis of the disease states in the described mouse models.

In Vivo Optical Imaging of Brain Tumors and Arthritis Using Fluorescent SapC-DOPS Nanovesicles

We describe a multi-angle rotational optical imaging (MAROI) system for in vivo quantitation of a fluorescent marker delivered by saposin C (SapC)-dioleoylphosphatidylserine (DOPS) nanovesicles. Employing mouse models of cancer and arthritis, we demonstrate how the MAROI signal curve analysis can be used for the precise mapping and biological characterization of disease processes.

We describe a multi-angle rotational optical imaging (MAROI) system for in vivo monitoring of physiopathological processes labeled with a fluorescent ...

Cerenkov Luminescence Imaging of Interscapular Brown Adipose Tissue

Brown adipose tissue (BAT), widely known as a &#8220;good fat&#8221; plays pivotal roles for thermogenesis in mammals. This special tissue is closely related to metabolism and energy expenditure, and its dysfunction is one important contributor for obesity and diabetes. Contrary to previous belief, recent PET/CT imaging studies indicated the BAT depots are still present in human adults. PET imaging clearly shows that BAT has considerably high uptake of 18F-FDG under certain conditions. In this video report, we demonstrate that Cerenkov luminescence imaging (CLI) with 18F-FDG can be used to optically image BAT in small animals. BAT activation is observed after intraperitoneal injection of norepinephrine (NE) and cold treatment, and depression of BAT is induced by long anesthesia. Using multiple-filter Cerenkov luminescence imaging, spectral unmixing and 3D imaging reconstruction are demonstrated. Our results suggest that CLI with 18F-FDG is a practical technique for imaging BAT in small animals, and this technique can be used as a cheap, fast, and alternative imaging tool for BAT research.

In this video report, we show the application of Cerenkov Luminescence Imaging (CLI) for interscapular brown adipose tissue in mice under activated and depressed conditions.

Brown adipose tissue (BAT), widely known as a &#8220;good fat&#8221; plays pivotal roles for thermogenesis in mammals. This special tissue is closely ...

Rose Bengal Photothrombosis by Confocal Optical Imaging In Vivo: A Model of Single Vessel Stroke

In vivo imaging techniques have increased in utilization due to recent advances in imaging dyes and optical technologies, allowing for the ability to image cellular events in an intact animal. Additionally, the ability to induce physiological disease states such as stroke in vivo increases its utility. The technique described herein allows for physiological assessment of cellular responses within the CNS following a stroke and can be adapted for other pathological conditions being studied. The technique presented uses laser excitation of the photosensitive dye Rose Bengal in vivo to induce a focal ischemic event in a single blood vessel. 
The video protocol demonstrates the preparation of a thin-skulled cranial window over the somatosensory cortex in a mouse for the induction of a Rose Bengal photothrombotic event keeping injury to the underlying dura matter and brain at a minimum. Surgical preparation is initially performed under a dissecting microscope with a custom-made surgical/imaging platform, which is then transferred to a confocal microscope equipped with an inverted objective adaptor. Representative images acquired utilizing this protocol are presented as well as time-lapse sequences of stroke induction. This technique is powerful in that the same area can be imaged repeatedly on subsequent days facilitating longitudinal in vivo studies of pathological processes following stroke.

Rose Bengal Photothrombosis by Confocal Optical Imaging In Vivo:  A Model of Single Vessel Stroke

Here, we describe a semi-invasive optical microscopy approach for the induction of a Rose Bengal photothrombotic clot in the somatosensory cortex of a mouse in vivo. The technical aspects of the imaging procedure are described from induction of a photothrombotic event to application and data collection.

In vivo imaging techniques have increased in utilization due to recent advances in imaging dyes and optical technologies, allowing for the ability to ...

Murine Kidney Transplant Technique

The first mouse kidney transplant technique was published in 19731 by the Russell laboratory. Although it took some years for other labs to become proficient in and utilize this technique, it is now widely used by many laboratories around the world. A significant refinement to the original technique using the donor aorta to form the arterial anastomosis instead of the renal artery was developed and reported in 1993 by Kalina and Mottram 2 with a further advancement coming from the same laboratory in 1999 3. While one can become proficient in this model, a search of the literature reveals that many labs still experience a high proportion of graft loss due to arterial thrombosis. We describe here a technique that was devised in our laboratory that vastly reduces the arterial thrombus reported by others 4,5. This is achieved by forming a heel-and-toe cuff of the donor infra-renal aorta that facilitates a larger anastomosis and straighter blood flow into the kidney.

The goal of this manuscript is to describe the steps required to perform a kidney transplant in a mouse, paying particular attention to the details of the arterial anastomosis.

The first mouse kidney transplant technique was published in 19731 by the Russell laboratory. Although it took some years for other labs to become ...

3D Ultrasound Imaging: Fast and Cost-effective Morphometry of Musculoskeletal Tissue

The developmental goal of 3D ultrasound imaging (3DUS) is to engineer a modality to perform 3D morphological ultrasound analysis of human muscles. 3DUS images are constructed from calibrated freehand 2D B-mode ultrasound images, which are positioned into a voxel array. Ultrasound (US) imaging allows quantification of muscle size, fascicle length, and angle of pennation. These morphological variables are important determinants of muscle force and length range of force exertion. The presented protocol describes an approach to determine volume and fascicle length of m.&#160;vastus lateralis and m.&#160;gastrocnemius medialis. 3DUS facilitates standardization using 3D anatomical references. This approach provides a fast and cost-effective approach for quantifying 3D morphology in skeletal muscles. In healthcare and sports, information on the morphometry of muscles is very valuable in diagnostics and/or follow-up evaluations after treatment or training.

3D ultrasound imaging (3DUS) allows fast and cost-effective morphometry of musculoskeletal tissues. We present a protocol to measure muscle volume and fascicle length using 3DUS.

The developmental goal of 3D ultrasound imaging (3DUS) is to engineer a modality to perform 3D morphological ultrasound analysis of human muscles. 3DUS ...

Whole Body and Regional Quantification of Active Human Brown Adipose Tissue Using 18F-FDG PET/CT

In endothermic animals, brown adipose tissue (BAT) is activated to produce heat for defending body temperature in response to cold. BAT&#39;s ability to expend energy has made it a potential target for novel therapies to ameliorate obesity and associated metabolic disorders in humans. Though this tissue has been well studied in small animals, BAT&#39;s thermogenic capacity in humans remains largely unknown due to the difficulties of measuring its volume, activity, and distribution. Identifying and quantifying active human BAT is commonly performed using 18F-Fluorodeoxyglucose (18F-FDG) positron emission tomography and computed tomography (PET/CT) scans following cold-exposure or pharmacological activation. Here we describe a detailed image-analysis approach to quantify total-body human BAT from 18F-FDG PET/CT scans using an open-source software. We demonstrate the drawing of user-specified regions of interest to identify metabolically active adipose tissue while avoiding common non-BAT tissues, to measure BAT volume and activity, and to further characterize its anatomical distribution. Although this rigorous approach is time-consuming, we believe it will ultimately provide a foundation to develop future automated BAT quantification algorithms.

Whole Body and Regional Quantification of Active Human Brown Adipose Tissue Using 18F-FDG PET/CT

Using free, open-source software, we have developed an analytical approach to quantify total and regional brown adipose tissue (BAT) volume and metabolic activity of BAT using 18F-FDG PET/CT.

In endothermic animals, brown adipose tissue (BAT) is activated to produce heat for defending body temperature in response to cold. BAT&#39;s ability to ...

Platelet-based Detection of Nitric Oxide in Blood by Measuring VASP Phosphorylation

Platelets are the blood components responsible for proper blood clotting. Their function is highly regulated by various pathways. One of the most potent vasoactive agents, nitric oxide (NO), can also act as a powerful inhibitor of platelet aggregation. Direct NO detection in blood is very challenging due to its high reactivity with cell-free hemoglobin that limits NO half-life to the millisecond range. Currently, NO changes after interventions are only estimated based on measured changes of nitrite and nitrate (members of the nitrate-nitrite-NO metabolic pathway). However precise, these measurements are rather difficult to interpret vis a vis actual NO changes, due to the naturally high baseline nitrite and nitrate levels that are several orders of magnitude higher than expected changes of NO itself. Therefore, the development of direct and simple methods that would allow one to detect NO directly is long overdue. This protocol addresses a potential use of platelets as a highly sensitive NO sensor in blood. It describes initial platelet rich plasma (PRP) and washed platelet preparations and the use of nitrite and deoxygenated red blood cells as NO generators. Phosphorylation of VASP at serine 239 (P-VASPSer239) is used to detect the presence of NO. The fact that VASP protein is highly expressed in platelets and that it is rapidly phosphorylated when NO is present leads to a unique opportunity to use this pathway to directly detect NO presence in blood.

Here, we present a protocol to address the potential use of platelets as a highly sensitive nitric oxide sensor in blood. It describes initial platelet preparation and the use of nitrite and deoxygenated red blood cells as nitric oxide generators.

Platelets are the blood components responsible for proper blood clotting. Their function is highly regulated by various pathways. One of the most potent ...

Nanoscopic Imaging of Human Tissue Sections via Physical and Isotropic Expansion

In modern pathology, optical microscopy plays an important role in disease diagnosis by revealing microscopic structures of clinical specimens. However, the fundamental physical diffraction limit prevents interrogation of nanoscale anatomy and subtle pathological changes when using conventional optical imaging approaches. Here, we describe a simple and inexpensive protocol, called expansion pathology (ExPath), for nanoscale optical imaging of common types of clinical primary tissue specimens, including both fixed-frozen or formalin-fixed paraffin embedded (FFPE) tissue sections. This method circumvents the optical diffraction limit by chemically transforming the tissue samples into tissue-hydrogel hybrid and physically expanding them isotropically across multiple scales in pure water. Due to expansion, previously unresolvable molecules are separated and thus can be observed using a conventional optical microscope.

Nanoscale imaging of clinical tissue samples can improve understanding of disease pathogenesis. Expansion pathology (ExPath) is a version of expansion microscopy (ExM), modified for compatibility with standard clinical tissue samples, to explore the nanoscale configuration of biomolecules using conventional diffraction limited microscopes.

In modern pathology, optical microscopy plays an important role in disease diagnosis by revealing microscopic structures of clinical specimens. However, ...