Nous tenons à remercier Monte Westerfield, Makoto Kobayashi et Jacek Topczewski pour les dons de plasmides pour l&#39;hybridation in situ et micro-injections d&#39;ARNm. Nous sommes reconnaissants à Steph pour Erhard apparaissant dans la vidéo. Nous tenons également à souligner l&#39;aide de William Goossens avec la microscopie confocale montré dans la vidéo. Tyler Schwend fourni des images utilisées dans la vidéo, et Rodney Dale a aidé à la préparation pour la vidéo. Nous reconnaissons également le personnel de soins des animaux CMRC pour leur travail d&#39;élevage avec le poisson zèbre. Ce travail a été financé par le NIH subvention R21 AA13596 SCA.

<ol>
	<li>Streissguth, A. P. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Fetal+alcohol+syndrome+in+adolescents+and+adults.">Fetal alcohol syndrome in adolescents and adults.</a> Jama. 265 (15), 1961-1967 (1991).</li><li>Floyd, R. L. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Observations+from+the+CDC.+Preventing+alcohol-exposed+pregnancies+among+women+of+childbearing+age:+the+necessity+of+a+preconceptional+approach.">Observations from the CDC. Preventing alcohol-exposed pregnancies among women of childbearing age: the necessity of a preconceptional approach.</a> J. Womens Health Gend. Based Med. 8 (6), 733-736 (1999).</li><li>Ali, S. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Large-scale+analysis+of+acute+ethanol+exposure+in+zebrafish+development:+a+critical+time+window+and+resilience.">Large-scale analysis of acute ethanol exposure in zebrafish development: a critical time window and resilience.</a> PLoS One. 6 (5), e20037-e20037 (2011).</li><li>Dlugos, C. A., Rabin, R. A. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Structural+and+functional+effects+of+developmental+exposure+to+ethanol+on+the+zebrafish+heart.">Structural and functional effects of developmental exposure to ethanol on the zebrafish heart.</a> Alcohol Clin. Exp. Res. 34 (6), 1013-1021 (2010).</li><li>Fernandes, Y., Gerlai, R. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Long-term+behavioral+changes+in+response+to+early+developmental+exposure+to+ethanol+in+zebrafish.">Long-term behavioral changes in response to early developmental exposure to ethanol in zebrafish.</a> Alcohol Clin. Exp. Res. 33 (4), 601-609 (2009).</li><li>Bilotta, J. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Effects+of+embryonic+exposure+to+ethanol+on+zebrafish+visual+function.">Effects of embryonic exposure to ethanol on zebrafish visual function.</a> Neurotoxicol. Teratol. 24 (6), 759-766 (2002).</li><li>Tanguay, R. L., Reimers, M. J. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Analysis+of+ethanol+developmental+toxicity+in+zebrafish.">Analysis of ethanol developmental toxicity in zebrafish.</a> Methods Mol. Biol. 447, 63-74 (2008).</li><li>Blader, P., Strahle, U. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Ethanol+impairs+migration+of+the+prechordal+plate+in+the+zebrafish+embryo.">Ethanol impairs migration of the prechordal plate in the zebrafish embryo.</a> Dev. Biol. 201 (2), 185-201 (1998).</li><li>Loucks, E., Carvan, M. J. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=3rd,+Strain-dependent+effects+of+developmental+ethanol+exposure+in+zebrafish.">3rd, Strain-dependent effects of developmental ethanol exposure in zebrafish.</a> Neurotoxicol. Teratol. 26 (6), 745-755 (2004).</li><li>Ahlgren, S. C., Preedy, V. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Molecular+Mechanisms+of+Fetal+Alcohol+Syndrome:+Shh-signaling.">Molecular Mechanisms of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome: Shh-signaling.</a> Comprehensive Handbook of Alcohol Related Pathology. , (2004).</li><li>Reimers, M. J., Flockton, A. R., Tanguay, R. L. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Ethanol-+and+acetaldehyde-mediated+developmental+toxicity+in+zebrafish.">Ethanol- and acetaldehyde-mediated developmental toxicity in zebrafish.</a> Neurotoxicol. Teratol. 26 (6), 769-781 (2004).</li><li>Pfaffl, M. W. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=A+new+mathematical+model+for+relative+quantification+in+real-time+RT-PCR.">A new mathematical model for relative quantification in real-time RT-PCR.</a> Nucleic Acids Res. 29 (9), 45-45 (2001).</li><li>Jowett, T. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=.">.</a> Tissue in situ hybridization: methods in animal development. , 128-128 (1997).</li><li>Loucks, E. J., Ahlgren, S. C. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Deciphering+the+role+of+Shh+signaling+in+axial+defects+produced+by+ethanol+exposure.">Deciphering the role of Shh signaling in axial defects produced by ethanol exposure.</a> Birth Defects Res. A. Clin. Mol. Teratol. 86, 556-567 (2009).</li><li>Schwend, T. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Requirement+of+Npc1+and+availability+of+cholesterol+for+early+embryonic+cell+movements+in+zebrafish.">Requirement of Npc1 and availability of cholesterol for early embryonic cell movements in zebrafish.</a> J. Lipid Res. 52 (7), 1328-1344 (2011).</li><li>Spohr, H. L., Willms, J., Steinhausen, H. C. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Fetal+alcohol+spectrum+disorders+in+young+adulthood.">Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders in young adulthood.</a> J. Pediatr. 150 (2), 175-179 (2007).</li><li>Strauss, R. S. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Effects+of+the+intrauterine+environment+on+childhood+growth.">Effects of the intrauterine environment on childhood growth.</a> Br. Med. Bull. 53 (1), 81-95 (1997).</li><li>Loucks, E. J., Schwend, T., Ahlgren, S. C. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Molecular+changes+associated+with+teratogen-induced+cyclopia.">Molecular changes associated with teratogen-induced cyclopia.</a> Birth Defects Res. A. Clin. Mol. Teratol. 79 (9), 642-651 (2007).</li><li>Schwend, T., Loucks, E. J., Ahlgren, S. C. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Visualization+of+Gli+activity+in+craniofacial+tissues+of+hedgehog-pathway+reporter+transgenic+zebrafish.">Visualization of Gli activity in craniofacial tissues of hedgehog-pathway reporter transgenic zebrafish.</a> PLoS One. 5 (9), 14396-14396 (2011).</li><li>Chrisman, K. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Gestational+ethanol+exposure+disrupts+the+expression+of+FGF8+and+Sonic+hedgehog+during+limb+patterning.">Gestational ethanol exposure disrupts the expression of FGF8 and Sonic hedgehog during limb patterning.</a> Birth Defects Res. A. Clin. Mol. Teratol. 70 (4), 163-171 (2004).</li></ol>

Nous n&#39;avons rien à communiquer.

Les méthodes décrites ici et les résultats présentés démontrent que la pointe de la façon dont le poisson-zèbre peut être utilisé pour interroger des anomalies du développement. En raison de l&#39;accessibilité de l&#39;embryon, le nombre élevé d&#39;œufs pondus pour chaque embrayage, et une reproductibilité élevée des résultats, ces vertébrés sont idéales pour des études tératogènes. Les poissons peuvent aussi être manipulés pour contenir des molécules fluorescentes pour l&#39;utiliser comme un journaliste visuel pour un gène particulier ou d&#39;une filière d&#39;intérêts 19. Dans les études d&#39;éthanol, les doses utilisées semblent assez élevé par rapport à un taux d&#39;alcoolémie de mammifères. Toutefois, ces niveaux reflètent ce qui est présent dans l&#39;eau, et non l&#39;ensemble de l&#39;éthanol est livré à l&#39;embryon. Pris dans leur ensemble, les méthodes décrites et détaillées ci-dessus suggèrent que les embryons de poisson zèbre sont très utiles dans la modélisation des anomalies congénitales de l&#39;homme liés à l&#39;exposition d&#39;éthanol. En outre, les changements d&#39;expression des gènes trouvés chez le poisson zèbre ont été confirmés par d&#39;autresdans les systèmes modèles mammifères 20, suggérant que les effets sur le développement de l&#39;éthanol sont conservées à travers les vertébrés. Bon nombre des techniques démontrées ci-dessus peut être utilisé avec d&#39;autres agressions de l&#39;environnement ou de la pharmacie à rapidement et facilement détecter des agents tératogènes potentiels et de déterminer les mécanismes sous-jacents qui contribuent à la tératogenèse d&#39;une substance particulière.

<table border="1"><tbody><tr><td> Nom du réactif </td><td> Entreprise </td><td> Numéro de catalogue </td></tr><tr><td> Tissue kit ARN: 5-Premier PerfectPure </td><td> Fisher Scientific </td><td> FP2302410 </td></tr><tr><td> Platinum qPCR SYBR green SuperMix-UDG </td><td> Invitrogen </td><td> 11733038 </td></tr><tr><td> mMessage mMachine haut rendement plafonné kit de transcription ARN </td><td> Applied Biosystems </td><td> Dépend de l&#39;ARN polymérase dans votre plasmide </td></tr></tbody></table>

assessing teratogenic changes in a zebrafish model of fetal alcohol exposure

Le syndrome d&#39;alcoolisme fœtal (SAF) est une manifestation grave de l&#39;exposition embryonnaire à l&#39;éthanol. Il présente des défauts caractéristiques sur le visage et les organes, y compris un retard mental dû à des troubles du développement du cerveau et abîmés. Spectre de l&#39;alcoolisation fœtale (ETCAF) est un terme utilisé pour couvrir un continuum d&#39;anomalies congénitales qui se produisent en raison de la consommation maternelle d&#39;alcool, et se produit dans environ 4% des enfants nés aux États-Unis. Avec 50% des femmes en âge de procréer état ​​d&#39;une consommation d&#39;alcool, et la moitié de toutes les grossesses non planifiées étant, l&#39;exposition involontaire est un problème constant 2. Afin de mieux comprendre les dommages produits par l&#39;éthanol, ainsi que de produire un modèle permettant de tester les interventions possibles, nous avons développé un modèle de développement exposition à l&#39;éthanol en utilisant l&#39;embryon du poisson zèbre. Le poisson zèbre sont idéales pour ce genre d&#39;étude tératogène 3-8. Chaque paire pond des centaines d&#39;oeufs, qui peuvent ensuite être collectées sans nuire à l&#39;adultepoissons. L&#39;embryon du poisson zèbre est transparent et peut être facilement visualisés avec n&#39;importe quel nombre de taches. L&#39;analyse de ces embryons après une exposition à l&#39;éthanol à des doses et des temps différents de durée et de spectacles d&#39;application que les défauts de développement bruts produits par de l&#39;éthanol sont compatibles avec le défaut de naissance de l&#39;homme. Décrites ici sont les techniques de base utilisées pour étudier et manipuler le modèle FAS poisson-zèbre.

Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Assessing Teratogenic Changes in a Zebrafish Model of Fetal Alcohol Exposure at JoVE.com

Assessing Teratogenic Changes in a Zebrafish Model of Fetal Alcohol Exposure

Afin de comprendre les mécanismes moléculaires des dommages induite par l&#39;éthanol de développement, nous avons développé un modèle de poisson zèbre de l&#39;exposition et l&#39;éthanol sont à explorer les caractéristiques physiques, des altérations cellulaires et génétiques qui se produisent après exposition à l&#39;éthanol<sup&gt; 1</sup&gt;. Nous cherchons alors à trouver des interventions possibles et rapidement les tester dans ce modèle animal.

Évaluer les changements tératogènes dans un modèle de poisson zèbre de l&#39;exposition d&#39;alcoolisation fœtale

Fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) is a severe manifestation of embryonic exposure to ethanol. It presents with characteristic defects to the face and organs, ...

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JoVE Journal

Medicine

26.1K vues.  Children's Memorial Research Center. Afin de comprendre les mécanismes moléculaires des dommages induite par l'éthanol de développement, nous avons développé un modèle de poisson zèbre de l'exposition et l'éthanol sont à explorer les caractéristiques physiques, des altérations cellulaires et génétiques qui se produisent après exposition à l'éthanol 1. Nous cherchons alors à trouver des interventions possibles et rapidement les tester dans ce modèle animal.

Vidéo: Assessing Teratogenic Changes in a Zebrafish Model of Fetal Alcohol Exposure

The Polyvinyl Alcohol Sponge Model Implantation

Wound healing is a complicated, multistep process involving many cell types, growth factors and compounds1-3. Because of this complexity, wound healing studies are most comprehensive when carried out in vivo. There are many in vivo models available to study acute wound healing, including incisional, excisional, dead space, and burns. Dead space models are artificial, porous implants which are used to study tissue formation and the effects of substances on the wound. Some of the commonly used dead space models include polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) sponges, steel wire mesh cylinders, expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE) material, and the Cellstick1,2.
Each dead space model has its own limitations based on its material's composition and implantation methods. The steel wire mesh cylinder model has a lag phase of infiltration after implantation and requires a long amount of time before granulation tissue formation begins1. Later stages of wound healing are best analyzed using the ePTFE model1,4. The Cellstick is a cellulose sponge inside a silicon tube model which is typically used for studying human surgery wounds and wound fluid2. The PVA sponge is limited to acute studies because with time it begins to provoke a foreign body response which causes a giant cell reaction in the animal5. Unlike other materials, PVA sponges are easy to insert and remove, made of inert and non-biodegradable materials and yet are soft enough to be sectioned for histological analysis2,5.
In wound healing the PVA sponge is very useful for analyzing granulation tissue formation, collagen deposition, wound fluid composition, and the effects of substances on the healing process1,2,5. In addition to its use in studying a wide array of attributes of wound healing, the PVA sponge has also been used in many other types of studies. It has been utilized to investigate tumor angiogenesis, drug delivery and stem cell survival and engraftment1,2,6,7. With its great alterability, prior extensive use, and reproducible results, the PVA sponge is an ideal model for many studies1,2.
Here, we will describe the preparation, implantation and retrieval of PVA sponge disks (Figure 1) in a mouse model of wound healing.

A useful tool to analyze the effects of drugs, growth factors, and/or manipulated cells in an animal model of wound repair is described. This technique utilizes the properties of a polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) sponge to deliver and contain the desired treatment and also provide a platform to be excised and analyzed.

L&#39;alcool polyvinylique Modèle éponge Implantation

Wound healing is a complicated, multistep process involving many cell types, growth factors and compounds1-3. Because of this complexity, wound healing ...

Recherche

Médecine

A Novel Surgical Approach for Intratracheal Administration of Bioactive Agents in a Fetal Mouse Model

Prenatal pulmonary delivery of cells, genes or pharmacologic agents could provide the basis for new therapeutic strategies for a variety of genetic and acquired diseases. Apart from congenital or inherited abnormalities with the requirement for long-term expression of the delivered gene, several non-inherited perinatal conditions, where short-term gene expression or pharmacological intervention is sufficient to achieve therapeutic effects, are considered as potential future indications for this kind of approach. Candidate diseases for the application of short-term prenatal therapy could be the transient neonatal deficiency of surfactant protein B causing neonatal respiratory distress syndrome1,2 or hyperoxic injuries of the neonatal lung3. Candidate diseases for permanent therapeutic correction are Cystic Fibrosis (CF)4, genetic variants of surfactant deficiencies5 and &alpha;1-antitrypsin deficiency6.
Generally, an important advantage of prenatal gene therapy is the ability to start therapeutic intervention early in development, at or even prior to clinical manifestations in the patient, thus preventing irreparable damage to the individual. In addition, fetal organs have an increased cell proliferation rate as compared to adult organs, which could allow a more efficient gene or stem cell transfer into the fetus. Furthermore, in utero gene delivery is performed when the individual's immune system is not completely mature. Therefore, transplantation of heterologous cells or supplementation of a non-functional or absent protein with a correct version should not cause immune sensitization to the cell, vector or transgene product, which has recently been proven to be the case with both cellular and genetic therapies7.
In the present study, we investigated the potential to directly target the fetal trachea in a mouse model. This procedure is in use in larger animal models such as rabbits and sheep8, and even in a clinical setting9, but has to date not been performed before in a mouse model. When studying the potential of fetal gene therapy for genetic diseases such as CF, the mouse model is very useful as a first proof-of-concept because of the wide availability of different transgenic mouse strains, the well documented embryogenesis and fetal development, less stringent ethical regulations, short gestation and the large litter size.
Different access routes have been described to target the fetal rodent lung, including intra-amniotic injection10-12, (ultrasound-guided) intrapulmonary injection13,14 and intravenous administration into the yolk sac vessels15,16 or umbilical vein17. Our novel surgical procedure enables researchers to inject the agent of choice directly into the fetal mouse trachea which allows for a more efficient delivery to the airways than existing techniques18.

We developed a novel surgical approach for intratracheal administration of bioactive agents into the mouse fetus. The delivery route is more efficient in targeting the fetal mouse lungs than the commonly used intra-amniotic injection. This procedure has to date not been described in a mouse model.

Une nouvelle approche chirurgicale pour l&#39;administration intratrachéale d&#39;agents bioactifs dans un modèle de souris fœtale

Prenatal pulmonary delivery of cells, genes or pharmacologic agents could provide the basis for new therapeutic strategies for a variety of genetic and ...

Screening for Melanoma Modifiers using a Zebrafish Autochthonous Tumor Model

Genomic studies of human cancers have yielded a wealth of information about genes that are altered in tumors1,2,3. A challenge arising from these studies is that many genes are altered, and it can be difficult to distinguish genetic alterations that drove tumorigenesis from that those arose incidentally during transformation. To draw this distinction it is beneficial to have an assay that can quantitatively measure the effect of an altered gene on tumor initiation and other processes that enable tumors to persist and disseminate. Here we present a rapid means to screen large numbers of candidate melanoma modifiers in zebrafish using an autochthonous tumor model4 that encompasses steps required for melanoma initiation and maintenance. A key reagent in this assay is the miniCoopR vector, which couples a wild-type copy of the mitfa melanocyte specification factor to a Gateway recombination cassette into which candidate melanoma genes can be recombined5. The miniCoopR vector has a mitfa rescuing minigene which contains the promoter, open reading frame and 3'-untranslated region of the wild-type mitfa gene. It allows us to make constructs using full-length open reading frames of candidate melanoma modifiers. These individual clones can then be injected into single cell Tg(mitfa:BRAFV600E);p53(lf);mitfa(lf)zebrafish embryos. The miniCoopR vector gets integrated by Tol2-mediated transgenesis6 and rescues melanocytes. Because they are physically coupled to the mitfa rescuing minigene, candidate genes are expressed in rescued melanocytes, some of which will transform and develop into tumors. The effect of a candidate gene on melanoma initiation and melanoma cell properties can be measured using melanoma-free survival curves, invasion assays, antibody staining and transplantation assays.

A rapid way to screen for melanoma modifiers using a zebrafish autochthonous tumor model is presented. It takes advantage of the miniCoopR vector which allows for expression of candidate melanoma genes in melanocytes. A method to obtain melanoma-free survival curves, an invasion assay, a protocol for antibody staining of scale melanocytes and a melanoma transplantation assay are described.

Dépistage du mélanome Modificateurs l&#39;aide d&#39;un modèle de tumeur Zebrafish Autochtone

Genomic studies of  human cancers have yielded a wealth of information about genes that are altered  in tumors1,2,3. A challenge arising from these ...

Fetal Echocardiography and Pulsed-wave Doppler Ultrasound in a Rabbit Model of Intrauterine Growth Restriction

Fetal intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) results in abnormal cardiac function that is apparent antenatally due to advances in fetoplacental Doppler ultrasound and fetal echocardiography. Increasingly, these imaging modalities are being employed clinically to examine cardiac function and assess wellbeing in utero, thereby guiding timing of birth decisions. Here, we used a rabbit model of IUGR that allows analysis of cardiac function in a clinically relevant way. Using isoflurane induced anesthesia, IUGR is surgically created at gestational age day 25 by performing a laparotomy, exposing the bicornuate uterus and then ligating 40-50% of uteroplacental vessels supplying each gestational sac in a single uterine horn. The other horn in the rabbit bicornuate uterus serves as internal control fetuses. Then, after recovery at gestational age day 30 (full term), the same rabbit undergoes examination of fetal cardiac function. Anesthesia is induced with ketamine and xylazine intramuscularly, then maintained by a continuous intravenous infusion of ketamine and xylazine to minimize iatrogenic effects on fetal cardiac function. A repeat laparotomy is performed to expose each gestational sac and a microultrasound examination (VisualSonics VEVO 2100) of fetal cardiac function is performed. Placental insufficiency is evident by a raised pulsatility index or an absent or reversed end diastolic flow of the umbilical artery Doppler waveform. The ductus venosus and middle cerebral artery Doppler is then examined. Fetal echocardiography is performed by recording B mode, M mode and flow velocity waveforms in lateral and apical views. Offline calculations determine standard M-mode cardiac variables, tricuspid and mitral annular plane systolic excursion, speckle tracking and strain analysis, modified myocardial performance index and vascular flow velocity waveforms of interest. This small animal model of IUGR therefore affords examination of in utero cardiac function that is consistent with current clinical practice and is therefore useful in a translational research setting.

We describe examination of fetal cardiac function with contemporary functional fetal echocardiography and fetoplacental Doppler ultrasound using the VisualSonics VEVO 2100 microultrasound in a surgically induced model of intrauterine fetal growth restriction in a rabbit.

L&#39;échocardiographie fœtale et Pulsed-ondes ultrasons Doppler dans un modèle de lapin de la restriction de croissance intra-utérine

Fetal intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) results in abnormal cardiac function that is apparent antenatally due to advances in fetoplacental Doppler ...

Assessing Changes in Volatile General Anesthetic Sensitivity of Mice after Local or Systemic Pharmacological Intervention

One desirable endpoint of general anesthesia is the state of unconsciousness, also known as hypnosis. Defining the hypnotic state in animals is less straightforward than it is in human patients. A widely used behavioral surrogate for hypnosis in rodents is the loss of righting reflex (LORR), or the point at which the animal no longer responds to their innate instinct to avoid the vulnerability of dorsal recumbency. We have developed a system to assess LORR in 24 mice simultaneously while carefully controlling for potential confounds, including temperature fluctuations and varying gas flows. These chambers permit reliable assessment of anesthetic sensitivity as measured by latency to return of the righting reflex (RORR) following a fixed anesthetic exposure. Alternatively, using stepwise increases (or decreases) in anesthetic concentration, the chambers also enable determination of a population's sensitivity to induction (or emergence) as measured by EC50 and Hill slope. Finally, the controlled environmental chambers described here can be adapted for a variety of alternative uses, including inhaled delivery of other drugs, toxicology studies, and simultaneous real-time monitoring of vital signs.

Loss of the righting reflex has long served as a standard behavioral surrogate for unconsciousness, also called hypnosis, in laboratory animals. Alterations in volatile anesthetic sensitivity caused by pharmacological interventions can be detected with a carefully controlled high-throughput assessment system, which may be adapted for delivery of any inhaled therapeutic.

Évaluer les changements dans volatils anesthésie générale sensibilité des souris après l&#39;intervention pharmacologique local ou systémique

One desirable endpoint of general anesthesia is  the state of unconsciousness, also known as hypnosis. Defining the hypnotic state in animals is  less ...

A Possible Zebrafish Model of Polycystic Kidney Disease: Knockdown of wnt5a Causes Cysts in Zebrafish Kidneys

Polycystic kidney disease (PKD) is one of the most common causes of end-stage kidney disease, a devastating disease for which there is no cure. The molecular mechanisms leading to cyst formation in PKD remain somewhat unclear, but many genes are thought to be involved. Wnt5a is a non-canonical glycoprotein that regulates a wide range of developmental processes. Wnt5a works through the planar cell polarity (PCP) pathway that regulates oriented cell division during renal tubular cell elongation. Defects of the PCP pathway have been found to cause kidney cyst formation. Our paper describes a method for developing a zebrafish cystic kidney disease model by knockdown of the wnt5a gene with wnt5a antisense morpholino (MO) oligonucleotides. Tg(wt1b:GFP) transgenic zebrafish were used to visualize kidney structure and kidney cysts following wnt5a knockdown. Two distinct antisense MOs (AUG - and splice-site) were used and both resulted in curly tail down phenotype and cyst formation after wnt5a knockdown. Injection of mouse Wnt5a mRNA, resistant to the MOs due to a difference in primary base pair structure, rescued the abnormal phenotype, demonstrating that the phenotype was not due to &#8220;off-target&#8221; effects of the morpholino. This work supports the validity of using a zebrafish model to study wnt5a function in the kidney.

A Possible Zebrafish Model of Polycystic Kidney Disease: Knockdown of wnt5a Causes Cysts in Zebrafish Kidneys

We describe a method of generating a possible zebrafish model of polycystic kidney disease. We used Tg(wt1b:GFP) fish to visualize kidney structure. Knockdown of wnt5a was by morpholino injection. Pronephric cyst formation after wnt5a knockdown was observed in this GFP transgenic zebrafish.

Un modèle de poisson zèbre possible de la maladie polykystique des reins: Knockdown de<em&gt; Wnt5a</em&gt; Causes kystes chez le poisson zèbre reins

Polycystic kidney disease (PKD) is one of the most common causes of end-stage kidney disease, a devastating disease for which there is no cure. The ...

A Mouse Fetal Skin Model of Scarless Wound Repair

Early in utero, but not in postnatal life, cutaneous wounds undergo regeneration and heal without formation of a scar. Scarless fetal wound healing occurs across species but is age dependent. The transition from a scarless to scarring phenotype occurs in the third trimester of pregnancy in humans and around embryonic day 18 (E18) in mice. However, this varies with the size of the wound with larger defects generating a scar at an earlier gestational age. The emergence of lineage tracing and other genetic tools in the mouse has opened promising new avenues for investigation of fetal scarless wound healing. However, given the inherently high rates of morbidity and premature uterine contraction associated with fetal surgery, investigations of fetal scarless wound healing in vivo require a precise and reproducible surgical model. Here we detail a reliable model of fetal scarless wound healing in the dorsum of E16.5 (scarless) and E18.5 (scarring) mouse embryos.

During mammalian development, early gestational skin wounds heal without a scar. Here we detail a reliable and reproducible model of fetal scarless wound healing in the cutaneous dorsum of E16.5 (scarless) and E18.5 (scarring) mouse embryos.

Un modèle de la peau de souris fœtale de Scarless Wound Repair

Early in utero, but not in postnatal life, cutaneous wounds undergo regeneration and heal without formation of a scar. Scarless fetal wound healing occurs ...

Generation of a Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Model in Mice by Repeated Ozone Exposure

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is characterized by persistent airflow limitation and lung parenchymal destruction. It has a very high incidence in aging populations. The current conventional therapies for COPD focus mainly on symptom-modifying drugs; thus, the development of new therapies is urgently needed. Qualified animal models of COPD could help to characterize the underlying mechanisms and can be used for new drug screening. Current COPD models, such as lipopolysaccharide (LPS) or the porcine pancreatic elastase (PPE)-induced emphysema model, generate COPD-like lesions in the lungs and airways but do not otherwise resemble the pathogenesis of human COPD. A cigarette smoke (CS)-induced model remains one of the most popular because it not only simulates COPD-like lesions in the respiratory system, but it is also based on one of the main hazardous materials that causes COPD in humans. However, the time-consuming and labor-intensive aspects of the CS-induced model dramatically limit its application in new drug screening. In this study, we successfully generated a new COPD model by exposing mice to high levels of ozone. This model demonstrated the following: 1) decreased forced expiratory volume 25, 50, and 75/forced vital capacity (FEV25/FVC, FEV50/FVC, and FEV75/FVC), indicating the deterioration of lung function; 2) enlarged lung alveoli, with lung parenchymal destruction; 3) reduced fatigue time and distance; and 4) increased inflammation. Taken together, these data demonstrate that the ozone exposure (OE) model is a reliable animal model that is similar to humans because ozone overexposure is one of the etiological factors of COPD. Additionally, it only took 6 - 8 weeks, based on our previous work, to create an OE model, whereas it requires 3 - 12 months to induce the cigarette smoke model, indicating that the OE model might be a good choice for COPD research.

This study describes the successful generation of a new chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) animal model by repeatedly exposing mice to high concentrations of ozone.

Génération d’un modèle de maladie pulmonaire Obstructive chronique chez les souris par exposition à l’Ozone répétées

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is characterized by persistent airflow limitation and lung parenchymal destruction. It has a very high ...

Model Surgical Training: Skills Acquisition in Fetoscopic Laser Photocoagulation of Monochorionic Diamniotic Twin Placenta Using Realistic Simulators

Fetoscopic laser coagulation of arterio-venous anastomoses (AVA) in a monochorionic placenta is the standard of care for twin-twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS), but is technically challenging and can lead to significant complications. Acquiring and maintaining the necessary surgical skills require consistent practice, a critical caseload, and time. Training on realistic surgical simulators can potentially shorten this steep learning curve and enables several proceduralists to acquire procedure-specific skills simultaneously. Here we describe realistic simulators designed to allow the user familiarity with the equipment and specific steps required in the surgical treatment of TTTS, including fetoscopic handling, approaches to anterior and posterior placenta, recognition of anastomoses, and efficient coagulation of vessels. We describe the skills that are especially important in conducting placental laser coagulation that the surgeon can practice on the model and apply in a clinical case. These models can be adapted easily depending on the availability of materials and require standard fetoscopy equipment. Such training systems are complementary to traditional surgical apprenticeships and can be useful aids for fetal medicine units that provide this clinical service.

Practicing the specific skills required for fetoscopic laser coagulation of monochorionic placental anastomoses on realistic models can aid less experienced surgeons in overcoming the steep learning curve associated with this procedure that is now regarded as the standard of care for twin-twin transfusion syndrome.

Modèle de formation chirurgicale : Acquisition de compétences en Photocoagulation Laser Fetoscopic du Placenta de jumeaux monochorioniques Diamniotic à l’aide de simulateurs réalistes

Fetoscopic laser coagulation of arterio-venous anastomoses (AVA) in a monochorionic placenta is the standard of care for twin-twin transfusion syndrome ...

A Doxorubicin-induced Cardiomyopathy Model in Adult Zebrafish

The genetically accessible adult zebrafish (Danio rerio) has been increasingly used as a vertebrate model for understanding human diseases such as cardiomyopathy. Because of its convenience and amenability to high throughput genetic manipulations, the generation of acquired cardiomyopathy models, such as the doxorubicin-induced cardiomyopathy (DIC) model in adult zebrafish, is opening the doors to new research avenues, including discovering cardiomyopathy modifiers via forward genetic screening. Different from the embryonic zebrafish DIC model, both initial acute and later chronic phases of cardiomyopathy can be determined in the adult zebrafish DIC model, enabling the study of stage-dependent signaling mechanisms and therapeutic strategies. However, variable results can be obtained with the current model, even in the hands of experienced investigators. To facilitate future implementation of the DIC model, we present a detailed protocol on how to generate this DIC model in adult zebrafish and describe two alternative ways of intraperitoneal (IP) injection. We further discuss options on how to reduce variations to obtain reliable results and provide suggestions on how to appropriately interpret the results.

A method to generate a doxorubicin-induced cardiomyopathy model in adult zebrafish (Danio rerio) is described here. Two alternative ways of intraperitoneal injection are presented and conditions to reduce variations among different experimental groups are discussed.