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Automated Measurement of Microcirculatory Blood Flow Velocity in Pulmonary Metastases of Rats

Because the lung is a major target organ of metastatic disease, animal models to study the physiology of pulmonary metastases are of great importance. ...

Duke University Medical Center

BACKGROUND: Vesicoureteral reflux (VUR) is a serious health problem leading to renal scarring in children. Current VUR detection involves traumatic x-ray imaging of kidneys following injection of contrast agent into bladder via invasive Foley catheter. We present an alternative non-invasive approach for detecting VUR by radiometric monitoring of kidney temperature while gently warming the bladder. METHODS: We report the design and testing of: i) 915MHz square slot antenna array for heating bladder, ii) EMI-shielded log spiral microstrip receive antenna, iii) high-sensitivity 1.375GHz total power radiometer, iv) power modulation approach to increase urine temperature relative to overlying perfused tissues, and v) invivo porcine experiments characterizing bladder heating and radiometric temperature of aaline filled 30mL balloon "kidney" implanted 3-4cm deep in thorax and varied 2-6°C from core temperature. RESULTS: SAR distributions are presented for two novel antennas designed to heat bladder and monitor deep kidney temperatures radiometrically. We demonstrate the ability to heat 180mL saline in in vivo porcine bladder to 40-44°C while maintaining overlying tissues <38°C using time-modulated square slot antennas coupled to the abdomen with room temperature water pad. Pathologic evaluations confirmed lack of acute thermal damage in pelvic tissues for up to three 20min bladder heat exposures. The radiometer clearly recorded 2-6°C changes of 30mL "kidney" targets at depth in 34°C invivo pig thorax. CONCLUSION: A 915MHz antenna array can gently warm in vivo pig bladder without toxicity while a 1.375GHz radiometer with log spiral receive antenna detects ≥2°C rise in 30mL "urine" located 3-4cm deep in thorax, demonstrating more than sufficient sensitivity to detect Grade 4-5 reflux of warmed urine for non-invasive detection of VUR.

Microwave Radiometry for Non-Invasive Detection of Vesicoureteral Reflux (VUR) Following Bladder Warming.

Decreased physical performance is a well-known consequence of rapid ascent to high altitude. Hypoxic pulmonary vasoconstriction (HPV) potentially limits cardiac output and systemic blood flow, thus preventing successful adaptation to rapid ascent. We hypothesized that pharmacological enhancement of the heart rate with theophylline, combined with reversal of HPV via endothelin blockade, could increase exercise performance at high altitude. Female Sprague-Dawley rats were treated with combinations of 1) theophylline, 2) the endothelin receptor antagonists sitaxsentan/ambrisentan, and/or 3) phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitor sildenafil and exposed to either a simulated high altitude (4,267 m) or 12% oxygen. Exercise capacity, peripheral blood flow, hemodynamics, and pulmonary leak were examined. Combination treatment with theophylline and endothelin blockade, but not with the respective single compounds, significantly prolonged run-to-fatigue time under simulated high altitude. No such efficacy was found when theophylline was combined with sildenafil. Neither theophylline nor sitaxsentan or their combination influenced breathing rates and hemoglobin oxygen saturation. Whereas under hypoxia, theophylline significantly increased muscular blood flow, and sitaxsentan increased tissue oxygenation, the combination improved both parameters but in a reduced manner. Under hypoxia, the combination treatment but not the single compounds significantly enhanced pulmonary arterial pressure compared with controls (13.1 ± 6.3 vs. 11.9 ± 5.2 mmHg), whereas mean arterial pressure remained unaffected. Pulmonary wet-to-dry weight ratios were unaffected by combination treatment. We conclude that concomitant dosing with a cardiac stimulant and endothelin antagonist can partially reverse loss of physical performance capacity under hypobaric hypoxia, independent from improving blood oxygen saturation.

The combination of theophylline and endothelin receptor antagonism improves exercise performance of rats under simulated high altitude.

Intravital microscopy of the pulmonary microcirculation in research animals is of great scientific interest for its utility in identifying regional changes in pulmonary microcirculatory blood flow. Although feasibility studies have been reported, the pulmonary window can be further refined into a practical tool for pharmaceutical research and drug development. We have established a method to visualize and quantify dynamic changes in three key features of lung function: microvascular red blood cell velocity, flow direction, and hemoglobin saturation. These physiological parameters were measured in an acute closed-chest pulmonary window, which allows real-time images to be captured by fluorescence and multispectral absorption microscopy; images were subsequently quantified using computerized analysis. We validated the model by quantifying changes in microcirculatory blood flow and hemoglobin saturation in two ways: 1) after changes in inspired oxygen content and 2) after pharmacological reduction of pulmonary blood flow via treatment with the β1 adrenergic receptor blocker metoprolol. This robust and relatively simple system facilitates pulmonary intravital microscopy in laboratory rats for pharmacological and physiological research.

Automated measurement of blood flow velocity and direction and hemoglobin oxygen saturation in the rat lung using intravital microscopy.

Rapid ascent to high altitude causes illness and fatigue, and there is a demand for effective acute treatments to alleviate such effects. We hypothesized that increased oxygen delivery to the tissue using a combination of a hypertensive agent and an endothelin receptor A antagonist drugs would limit exercise-induced fatigue at simulated high altitude. Our data showed that the combination of 0.1 mg/kg ambrisentan with either 20 mg/kg ephedrine or 10 mg/kg methylphenidate significantly improved exercise duration in rats at simulated altitude of 4,267 m, whereas the individual compounds did not. In normoxic, anesthetized rats, ephedrine alone and in combination with ambrisentan increased heart rate, peripheral blood flow, carotid and pulmonary arterial pressures, breathing rate, and vastus lateralis muscle oxygenation, but under inspired hypoxia, only the combination treatment significantly enhanced muscle oxygenation. Our results suggest that sympathomimetic agents combined with endothelin-A receptor blockers offset altitude-induced fatigue in rats by synergistically increasing the delivery rate of oxygen to hypoxic muscle by concomitantly augmenting perfusion pressure and improving capillary conductance in the skeletal muscle. Our findings might therefore serve as a basis to develop an effective treatment to prevent high-altitude illness and fatigue in humans.

Anti-hypotensive treatment and endothelin blockade synergistically antagonize exercise fatigue in rats under simulated high altitude.

Unresectable chest wall recurrences of breast cancer (CWR) in heavily pretreated patients are especially difficult to treat. We hypothesised that thermally enhanced drug delivery using low temperature liposomal doxorubicin (LTLD), given with mild local hyperthermia (MLHT), will be safe and effective in this population.

Two phase I dose-escalation/pharmacokinetics studies of low temperature liposomal doxorubicin (LTLD) and mild local hyperthermia in heavily pretreated patients with local regionally recurrent breast cancer.

Alina Boico

Department of Radiation Oncology

Duke University Medical Center

Automated Measurement of Microcirculatory Blood Flow Velocity in Pulmonary Metastases of Rats

Alina Boico

.css-o250i3{font-size:18px;font-family:Open Sans,sans-serif;line-height:21.6px;}Department of Radiation Oncology

Duke University Medical Center

Automated Measurement of Microcirculatory Blood Flow Velocity in Pulmonary Metastases of Rats

Department of Radiation Oncology