This study was supported by NIH R37 DK54824 and R01 DK57284 grants to LB.

All procedures described here are approved by the IACUC committee at University of Pittsburgh.
1. Solutions
<ol>
	<li>Prepare Krebs solution according to the recipe. Composition in mM: NaCl 118, KCl 4.7, CaCl2 1.9, MgSO4 1.2, NaHCO3 24.9, KH2PO4 1.2, dextrose 11.7.</li>
	<li>Aerate Krebs with 95% O2, 5% CO2 and place it in a 37 &#186;C water bath to be used throughout the experiment. Place aside ~200 ml of aerated K...

In this paper we described a simple in vitro smooth muscle contractility method that can be used to address a number of important scientific questions related to bladder physiology and pathology, as well as aiding the discovery of new drugs to treat bladder dysfunctions. We have illustrated the use of this method for assessing developmental, pathological and pharmacological properties of bladder smooth muscle contractility (Figures 2-4), neurotransmission modulation (Figures 5-7A</strong...

The bladder smooth muscle relaxes to allow urine storage, and contracts to elicit urine elimination. Relaxation is mediated by intrinsic smooth muscle properties and by tonic release of norepinephrine (NE) from the sympathetic nerves, which activates beta adrenergic receptors (&#946;3AR in human) in the detrusor. Voiding is achieved by inhibiting the sympathetic input and activating the parasympathetic nerves that release ACh/ATP to contract the bladder smooth muscle1. Numerous pathological conditions, including brain and/or spinal cord injury, neurodegenerative diseases, diabetes, bladder outlet obstruction or interstitial cystitis, can profoundly alter bladder function, with severe impact on the patient&#8217;s quality of life2. These conditions alter the contractility of the smooth muscle by affecting one or more components of the bladder: the smooth muscle, the afferent or efferent nerves and/or the mucosa.
Several in vivo and in vitro methods to study bladder function have been developed. In vivo, cystometry is the primary measurement of bladder function. Though this is an intact preparation that allows collection of information under close to physiological conditions, there are a number of circumstances in which the use of smooth muscle strips is preferred. These include situations when surgical and/or pharmacological manipulations would affect the survival and stability of the in vivo preparation, or when the studies require the use of the human tissue or expensive chemicals. This method also facilitates an examination of the effects of drugs, age and pathology on each component of the bladder, i.e. smooth muscle, mucosa, afferent and efferent nerves.
Bladder strips have been employed over the years by many groups to answer a number of scientific questions. They were used to evaluate changes in myogenic spontaneous activity induced by pathology. This activity is believed to contribute to the urgency and frequency symptoms of overactive bladder (OAB), and is therefore a target for drugs being developed for OAB3-9. Bladder strips were also used to investigate myogenic and neuronal factors that modulate smooth muscle tone with the aim of discovering ion channels and/or receptors and/or intracellular pathways that could be targeted to induce either relaxation or contraction of the smooth muscle3,10-13. Other studies have focused on the nature of neurotransmission, including transmitters and receptors involved and changes induced by pathology14,15. In addition, the method has been used for comparisons between tissues from different species16-18, between organs19-21, and evaluation of drug structure-activity relationships22-24. An extension of this method has been used to measure the effect of drugs on transmitter release from efferent nerves25. Furthermore, a variety of tissues (bladder, urethra, gastrointestinal tract, GI) harvested from animals or humans (from surgeries or organ donor tissue approved for research) and from a variety of animal models including spinal cord injury (SCI), bladder outlet obstruction (BOO), or interstitial cystitis (IC) can be investigated using this technique.
In this paper we illustrate the use of this method along with necessary experimental protocols, to address several scientific questions mentioned above.

<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="658">
	<tbody>
		<tr height="17">
			<td height="17" style="height:17px;width:237px;">Name of Material/ Equipment</td>
			<td style="width:123px;">Company</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">Catalog Number</td>
			<td style="width:180px;">Comments/Description</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="17">
			<td height="17" style="height:17px;width:237px;">Equipment</td>
			<td style="width:123px;"></td>
			<td style="width:119px;"></td>
			<td style="width:180px;"></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="17">
			<td height="17" style="height:17px;width:237px;">Tissue Bath System with Reservoir</td>
			<td>Radnoti, LLC</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">159920</td>
			<td style="width:180px;">isolated tissue baths</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="34">
			<td height="34" style="height:34px;width:237px;">Warm water recirculator pump</td>
			<td style="width:123px;">Kent Scientific Corporation&#160;</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">TPZ-749</td>
			<td style="width:180px;">to keep tissue baths to 37 C</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="17">
			<td height="17" style="height:17px;width:237px;">Computer</td>
			<td style="width:123px;"></td>
			<td style="width:119px;"></td>
			<td style="width:180px;"></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="34">
			<td height="34" style="height:34px;width:237px;">Data Acquisiton System</td>
			<td style="width:123px;">DataQ Instruments</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">DI-710-UH</td>
			<td style="width:180px;">To view, record and analyze data</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="34">
			<td height="34" style="height:34px;width:237px;">Transbridge Transducer Amplifier</td>
			<td style="width:123px;">World Precision Instruments</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">SYS-TBM4M</td>
			<td style="width:180px;">Transducer amplifier</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="34">
			<td height="34" style="height:34px;width:237px;">Grass stimulator</td>
			<td style="width:123px;">Grass Technologies</td>
			<td>Model S88</td>
			<td style="width:180px;">Stimulator</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="34">
			<td height="34" style="height:34px;width:237px;">Anesthesia System</td>
			<td style="width:123px;">Kent Scientific Corporation&#160;</td>
			<td>ACV-1205S</td>
			<td style="width:180px;">To anesthetesize the animal</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="18">
			<td height="18" style="height:18px;width:237px;"><a name="RANGE!A10">Anesthetizing Box</a></td>
			<td style="width:123px;">Harvard Apparatus</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">500116</td>
			<td style="width:180px;">To anesthetesize the animal</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="34">
			<td height="34" style="height:34px;width:237px;">Anesthesia Masks</td>
			<td style="width:123px;">Kent Scientific Corporation&#160;</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">AC-09508</td>
			<td style="width:180px;">To anesthetesize the animal</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="17">
			<td height="17" style="height:17px;width:237px;">Materials and surgical instruments</td>
			<td style="width:123px;"></td>
			<td style="width:119px;"></td>
			<td style="width:180px;"></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="17">
			<td height="17" style="height:17px;width:237px;">sylgard</td>
			<td>Dow Corning Corp</td>
			<td>184 SIL ELAST KIT</td>
			<td style="width:180px;">To pin, dissect &#38; cut tissue</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="17">
			<td height="17" style="height:17px;width:237px;">Petri Dish</td>
			<td>Corning</td>
			<td>3160-152</td>
			<td style="width:180px;">To dissect/cut tissue</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="51">
			<td height="51" style="height:51px;width:237px;">Insect Pins</td>
			<td style="width:123px;">ENTOMORAVIA Austerlitz Insect Pins</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">Size 5</td>
			<td style="width:180px;">To pin tissue</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="17">
			<td height="17" style="height:17px;width:237px;">Bench Pad</td>
			<td style="width:123px;">VWR International</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">56617-014</td>
			<td style="width:180px;">Absorbent bench underpads</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="34">
			<td height="34" style="height:34px;width:237px;">Rat surgical Kit</td>
			<td style="width:123px;">Kent Scientific Corporation&#160;</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">INSRATKIT</td>
			<td style="width:180px;">To remove and dissect tissue</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="34">
			<td height="34" style="height:34px;width:237px;">2 Dumont #3 Forceps</td>
			<td style="width:123px;">Kent Scientific Corporation&#160;</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">INS500064</td>
			<td style="width:180px;">To remove and dissect tissue</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="34">
			<td height="34" style="height:34px;width:237px;">Tissue Forceps</td>
			<td style="width:123px;">Kent Scientific Corporation&#160;</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">INS500092</td>
			<td style="width:180px;">To remove and dissect tissue</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="34">
			<td height="34" style="height:34px;width:237px;">Scalpel</td>
			<td style="width:123px;">Kent Scientific Corporation&#160;</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">INS500236</td>
			<td style="width:180px;">To remove and dissect tissue</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="34">
			<td height="34" style="height:34px;width:237px;">Scalpel blade</td>
			<td style="width:123px;">Kent Scientific Corporation&#160;</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">INS500239</td>
			<td style="width:180px;">To remove and dissect tissue</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="34">
			<td height="34" style="height:34px;width:237px;">Professional Clipper&#160;</td>
			<td style="width:123px;">Braintree Scientific, Inc.</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">CLP-223&#160;45</td>
			<td style="width:180px;">To remove fur</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="17">
			<td height="17" style="height:17px;width:237px;">Suture Thread</td>
			<td style="width:123px;">Fine Science Tools</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">18020-50</td>
			<td style="width:180px;">Tie tissue</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="34">
			<td height="34" style="height:34px;width:237px;">Tissue Clips</td>
			<td>Radnoti, LLC</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">158802</td>
			<td style="width:180px;">Attach tissue to rod/transducer</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="17">
			<td height="17" style="height:17px;width:237px;">1g weight</td>
			<td style="width:123px;">&#160;Mettler Toledo</td>
			<td>11119525</td>
			<td style="width:180px;">For transducer calibration</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="17">
			<td height="17" style="height:17px;width:237px;">Chemicals</td>
			<td style="width:123px;"></td>
			<td></td>
			<td style="width:180px;"></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="170">
			<td height="170" style="height:170px;width:237px;">Krebs Solution:&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160; Sodium Chloride 
			Potassium Chloride 
			Monobasic Potassium Phosphate 
			Magnesium Sulfate 
			Dextrose 
			Sodium Bicarbonate 
			Calcium Chloride 
			Magnesium Chloride</td>
			<td style="width:123px;">Sigma&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160; 
			Fisher 
			Fisher 
			Fisher 
			Fisher 
			Sigma 
			EMD 
			Baker</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160; S7653 
			P217-500 
			P285-3 
			M65-500 
			D16-500 
			S5761 
			CX0130-2 
			2444</td>
			<td style="width:180px;">To prepare Krebs solution</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="17">
			<td height="17" style="height:17px;width:237px;">Isoflurane</td>
			<td style="width:123px;">Henry Schein</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">029405</td>
			<td style="width:180px;">To anesthetesize the animal</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="34">
			<td height="34" style="height:34px;width:237px;">&#160;Oxygen tank</td>
			<td style="width:123px;">Matheson Tri Gas</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">ox251</td>
			<td style="width:180px;">To use with anesthesia system</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="34">
			<td height="34" style="height:34px;width:237px;">Carbogen Tank (95% Oxygen; 5% Carbon Dioxide)&#160;</td>
			<td style="width:123px;">Matheson Tri Gas</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">Moxn00hn36D</td>
			<td style="width:180px;">To aerate Krebs solutions</td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

bladder smooth muscle strip contractility as a method to evaluate lower urinary tract pharmacology

We describe an in vitro method to measure bladder smooth muscle contractility, and its use for investigating physiological and pharmacological properties of the smooth muscle as well as changes induced by pathology. This method provides critical information for understanding bladder function while overcoming major methodological difficulties encountered in in vivo experiments, such as surgical and pharmacological manipulations that affect stability and survival of the preparations, the use of human tissue, and/or the use of expensive chemicals. It also provides a way to investigate the properties of each bladder component (i.e. smooth muscle, mucosa, nerves) in healthy and pathological conditions.
The urinary bladder is removed from an anesthetized animal, placed in Krebs solution and cut into strips. Strips are placed into a chamber filled with warm Krebs solution. One end is attached to an isometric tension transducer to measure contraction force, the other end is attached to a fixed rod. Tissue is stimulated by directly adding compounds to the bath or by electric field stimulation electrodes that activate nerves, similar to triggering bladder contractions in vivo. We demonstrate the use of this method to evaluate spontaneous smooth muscle contractility during development and after an experimental spinal cord injury, the nature of neurotransmission (transmitters and receptors involved), factors involved in modulation of smooth muscle activity, the role of individual bladder components, and species and organ differences in response to pharmacological agents. Additionally, it could be used for investigating intracellular pathways involved in contraction and/or relaxation of the smooth muscle, drug structure-activity relationships and evaluation of transmitter release.
The in vitro smooth muscle contractility method has been used extensively for over 50 years, and has provided data that significantly contributed to our understanding of bladder function as well as to pharmaceutical development of compounds currently used clinically for bladder management.

Spontaneous Myogenic Activity 
Spontaneous myogenic activity is an important smooth muscle characteristic that undergoes changes with postnatal development6-9 and pathology (e.g., SCI, BOO)3-5. Because this activity is believed to contribute to the symptoms of overactive bladder (OAB)2, an evaluation of receptors, intracellular pathways and pharmacological agents that modulate it, is of high interest for developing effective treatments...

Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Bladder Smooth Muscle Strip Contractility as a Method to Evaluate Lower Urinary Tract Pharmacology at JoVE.com

Bladder Smooth Muscle Strip Contractility as a Method to Evaluate Lower Urinary Tract Pharmacology

This manuscript presents a simple, yet powerful, in vitro method for evaluating smooth muscle contractility in response to pharmacological agents or nerve stimulation. Main applications are drug screening and understanding tissue physiology, pharmacology,&#160;and pathology.

We describe an in vitro method to measure bladder smooth muscle contractility, and its use for investigating physiological and pharmacological properties ...

bladder-smooth-muscle-strip-contractility-as-method-to-evaluate-lower

Research

JoVE Journal

Medicine

26.0K vues.  University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine.  Ce manuscrit présente un simple, mais puissant, méthode in vitro pour l'évaluation de contractilité du muscle lisse en réponse à des agents pharmacologiques ou la stimulation du nerf. Les principales applications sont le dépistage des drogues et de la physiologie des tissus compréhension, la pharmacologie et la pathologie. 

Vidéo: Bladder Smooth Muscle Strip Contractility as a Method to Evaluate Lower Urinary Tract Pharmacology

Mouse Bladder Wall Injection

Mouse bladder wall injection is a useful technique to orthotopically study bladder phenomena, including stem cell, smooth muscle, and cancer biology. Before starting injections, the surgical area must be cleaned with soap and water and antiseptic solution. Surgical equipment must be sterilized before use and between each animal. Each mouse is placed under inhaled isoflurane anesthesia (2-5% for induction, 1-3% for maintenance) and its bladder exposed by making a midline abdominal incision with scissors. If the bladder is full, it is partially decompressed by gentle squeezing between two fingers. The cell suspension of interest is intramurally injected into the wall of the bladder dome using a 29 or 30 gauge needle and 1 cc or smaller syringe. The wound is then closed using wound clips and the mouse allowed to recover on a warming pad. Bladder wall injection is a delicate microsurgical technique that can be mastered with practice.

Mouse bladder wall injection is a useful approach to orthotopically study bladder stem cell and cancer biology. This delicate microsurgical method can be mastered with careful technique and practice.

Mouse bladder wall injection is a useful technique to orthotopically study bladder phenomena, including stem cell, smooth muscle, and cancer biology. ...

Manual Muscle Testing:  A Method of Measuring Extremity Muscle Strength Applied to Critically Ill Patients

Survivors of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and other causes of critical illness often have generalized weakness, reduced exercise tolerance, and persistent nerve and muscle impairments after hospital discharge.1-6 Using an explicit protocol with a structured approach to training and quality assurance of research staff, manual muscle testing (MMT) is a highly reliable method for assessing strength, using a standardized clinical examination, for patients following ARDS, and can be completed with mechanically ventilated patients who can tolerate sitting upright in bed and are able to follow two-step commands. 7, 8 
This video demonstrates a protocol for MMT, which has been taught to &ge;43 research staff who have performed &gt;800 assessments on &gt;280 ARDS survivors. Modifications for the bedridden patient are included. Each muscle is tested with specific techniques for positioning, stabilization, resistance, and palpation for each score of the 6-point ordinal Medical Research Council scale.7,9-11 Three upper and three lower extremity muscles are graded in this protocol: shoulder abduction, elbow flexion, wrist extension, hip flexion, knee extension, and ankle dorsiflexion. These muscles were chosen based on the standard approach for evaluating patients for ICU-acquired weakness used in prior publications. 1,2.

Survivors of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and critical illness frequently develop long-lasting muscle weakness. Manual muscle testing (MMT) is a standardized clinical examination commonly used to measure strength of peripheral skeletal muscle groups. This video demonstrates MMT using the 6-point Medical Research Council scale.

Survivors of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and other causes of critical illness often have generalized weakness, reduced exercise tolerance, ...

Probe-based Confocal Laser Endomicroscopy of the Urinary Tract: The Technique

Probe-based confocal laser endomicroscopy (CLE) is an emerging optical imaging technology that enables real-time in vivo microscopy of mucosal surfaces during standard endoscopy. With applications currently in the respiratory1 and gastrointestinal tracts,2-6 CLE has also been explored in the urinary tract for bladder cancer diagnosis.7-10 Cellular morphology and tissue microarchitecture can be resolved with micron scale resolution in real time, in addition to dynamic imaging of the normal and pathological vasculature.7
The probe-based CLE system (Cellvizio, Mauna Kea Technologies, France) consists of a reusable fiberoptic imaging probe coupled to a 488 nm laser scanning unit. The imaging probe is inserted in the working channels of standard flexible and rigid endoscopes. An endoscope-based CLE system (Optiscan, Australia), in which the confocal endomicroscopy functionality is integrated onto the endoscope, is also used in the gastrointestinal tract. Given the larger scope diameter, however, application in the urinary tract is currently limited to ex vivo use.11 Confocal image acquisition is done through direct contact of the imaging probe with the target tissue and recorded as video sequences. As in the gastrointestinal tract, endomicroscopy of the urinary tract requires an exogenenous contrast agent&mdash;most commonly fluorescein, which can be administered intravenously or intravesically. Intravesical administration is a well-established method to introduce pharmacological agents locally with minimal systemic toxicity that is unique to the urinary tract. Fluorescein rapidly stains the extracellular matrix and has an established safety profile.12 Imaging probes of various diameters enable compatibility with different caliber endoscopes. To date, 1.4 and 2.6 mm probes have been evaluated with flexible and rigid cystoscopy.10 Recent availability of a &lt; 1 mm imaging probe13 opens up the possibility of CLE in the upper urinary tract during ureteroscopy. Fluorescence cystoscopy (i.e. photodynamic diagnosis) and narrow band imaging are additional endoscope-based optical imaging modalities14 that can be combined with CLE to achieve multimodal imaging of the urinary tract. In the future, CLE may be coupled with molecular contrast agents such as fluorescently labeled peptides15 and antibodies for endoscopic imaging of disease processes with molecular specificity.

Probe-based confocal laser endomicroscopy enables real-time microscopy of the human urinary tract during cystoscopy, providing dynamic, intravital imaging of pathological states such as bladder cancer with cellular resolution. Endomicroscopy may augment the diagnostic accuracy of standard white light endoscopy and provide intraoperative image guidance to improve surgical resection.

Probe-based  confocal laser endomicroscopy (CLE) is an emerging optical imaging technology  that enables real-time in vivo microscopy of mucosal surfaces ...

A Modified Precipitation Method to Isolate Urinary Exosomes

Identification of biomarkers that allow early detection of kidney diseases in urine and plasma has been an area of active interest for several years. Urinary exosome vesicles, 40-100 nm in size, are released into the urine under normal conditions by cells from all nephron segments and may contain protein, mRNA and microRNA representative of their cell type of origin. Under conditions of renal dysfunction or injury, exosomes may contain altered proportions of these components, which may serve as biomarkers for disease. There are currently several methods available for isolation of urinary exosomes, and we have previously conducted an experimental comparison of each of these approaches, including three based on ultracentrifugation, one using a nanomembrane ultrafiltration concentrator, one using a commercial precipitation reagent and one using a modification of the precipitation technique using ExoQuick reagent that we developed in our laboratory. We found the modified precipitation method produced the highest yield of exosome particles, miRNA, and mRNA, making this approach suitable for the isolation of exosomes for subsequent RNA profiling. We conclude that the modified exosome precipitation method offers a quick, scalable, and effective alternative for the isolation of exosomes from urine. In this report, we describe our modified precipitation technique using ExoQuick reagent for isolating exosomes from human urine.

This manuscript describes a protocol for isolating exosomes from human urine using a modified precipitation technique.

Identification of biomarkers that allow early detection of kidney diseases in urine and plasma has been an area of active interest for several years. ...

Urinary Bladder Distention Evoked Visceromotor Responses as a Model for Bladder Pain in Mice

Approximately 3-8 million people in the United States suffer from interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome (IC/BPS), a debilitating condition characterized by increased urgency and frequency of urination, as well as nocturia and general pelvic pain, especially upon bladder filling or voiding. Despite years of research, the cause of IC/BPS remains elusive and treatment strategies are unable to provide complete relief to patients. In order to study nervous system contributions to the condition, many animal models have been developed to mimic the pain and symptoms associated with IC/BPS. One such murine model is urinary bladder distension (UBD). In this model, compressed air of a specific pressure is delivered to the bladder of a lightly anesthetized animal over a set period of time. Throughout the procedure, wires in the superior oblique abdominal muscles record electrical activity from the muscle. This activity is known as the visceromotor response (VMR) and is a reliable and reproducible measure of nociception. Here, we describe the steps necessary to perform this technique in mice including surgical manipulations, physiological recording, and data analysis. With the use of this model, the coordination between primary sensory neurons, spinal cord secondary afferents, and higher central nervous system areas involved in bladder pain can be unraveled. This basic science knowledge can then be clinically translated to treat patients suffering from IC/BPS.

Approximately 3-8 million people in the United States suffer from interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome (IC/BPS), a debilitating condition characterized in part by pelvic pain. In order to study nervous system contributions to the condition, a physiological model of urinary bladder pain is used in mice and rats.

Approximately 3-8 million people in the United States suffer from interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome (IC/BPS), a debilitating condition ...

Calcification of Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells and Imaging of Aortic Calcification and Inflammation

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in the world. Atherosclerotic plaques, consisting of lipid-laden macrophages and calcification, develop in the coronary arteries, aortic valve, aorta, and peripheral conduit arteries and are the hallmark of cardiovascular disease. In humans, imaging with computed tomography allows for the quantification of vascular calcification; the presence of vascular calcification is a strong predictor of future cardiovascular events. Development of novel therapies in cardiovascular disease relies critically on improving our understanding of the underlying molecular mechanisms of atherosclerosis. Advancing our knowledge of atherosclerotic mechanisms relies on murine and cell-based models. Here, a method for imaging aortic calcification and macrophage infiltration using two spectrally distinct near-infrared fluorescent imaging probes is detailed. Near-infrared fluorescent imaging allows for the ex vivo quantification of calcification and macrophage accumulation in the entire aorta and can be used to further our understanding of the mechanistic relationship between inflammation and calcification in atherosclerosis. Additionally, a method for isolating and culturing animal aortic vascular smooth muscle cells and a protocol for inducing calcification in cultured smooth muscle cells from either murine aortas or from human coronary arteries is described. This in vitro method of modeling vascular calcification can be used to identify and characterize the signaling pathways likely important for the development of vascular disease, in the hopes of discovering novel targets for therapy.

Vascular calcification is an important predictor of and contributor to human cardiovascular disease. This protocol describes methods for inducing calcification of cultured primary vascular smooth muscle cells and for quantifying calcification and macrophage burden in animal aortas using near-infrared fluorescence imaging.

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in the world.  Atherosclerotic plaques, consisting of lipid-laden macrophages and ...

Contractility Measurements of Human Uterine Smooth Muscle to Aid Drug Development

Discovery and characterization of novel pharmaceutical compounds or biochemical probes rely on robust and physiologically relevant assay systems. We describe methods to measure ex vivo myometrium contractility. This assay can be used to investigate factors and molecules involved in the modulation of myometrial contraction and to determine their excitatory or inhibitory actions, and hence their therapeutic potential in vivo. Biopsies are obtained from women undergoing cesarean section delivery with informed consent. Fine strips of myometrium are dissected, clipped and attached to a force transducer within 1 mL organ baths superfused with physiological saline solution at 37 &#176;C. Strips develop spontaneous contractions within 2&#8211;3 h under set tension and remain stable for many hours (&#62;6 h). Strips can also be stimulated to contract such as by the endogenous hormones, oxytocin and vasopressin, which cause concentration-dependent modulation of contraction frequency, force and duration, to more closely resemble contractions in labor. Hence, the effect of known and novel drug leads can be tested on spontaneous and agonist-induced contractions.
This protocol specifically details how this assay can be used to determine the potency of known and novel agents by measuring their effects on various parameters of human myometrial contraction. We use the oxytocin- and V1a receptor antagonists, atosiban and SR49059 as examples of known compounds which inhibit oxytocin- and vasopressin-induced contractions, and demonstrate how this method can be used to complement and validate pharmacological data obtained from cell-based assays to aid drug development. The effects of novel agonists in comparison to oxytocin and vasopressin can also be characterized. Whilst we use the example of the oxytocin/ vasopressin system, this method can also be used to study other receptors and ion channels that play a role in uterine contraction and relaxation to advance the understanding of human uterine physiology and pathophysiology.

This article describes experimental protocols to study ex vivo contractions of human myometrium and their application in drug discovery. This technique is used to improve the understanding of myometrial physiology and pathophysiology as well as to validate pharmacological data from novel research probes or drug leads.

Discovery and characterization of novel pharmaceutical compounds or biochemical probes rely on robust and physiologically relevant assay systems. We ...

Quantitative Analysis of Cellular Composition in Advanced Atherosclerotic Lesions of Smooth Muscle Cell Lineage-Tracing Mice

Atherosclerosis remains the leading cause of death worldwide and, despite countless preclinical studies describing promising therapeutic targets, novel interventions have remained elusive. This is likely due, in part, to a reliance on preclinical prevention models investigating the effects of genetic manipulations or pharmacological treatments on atherosclerosis development rather than the established disease. Also, results of these studies are often confounding because of the use of superficial lesion analyses and a lack of characterization of lesion cell populations. To help overcome these translational hurdles, we propose an increased reliance on intervention models that employ investigation of changes in cellular composition at a single cell level by immunofluorescent staining and confocal microscopy. To this end, we describe a protocol for testing a putative therapeutic agent in a murine intervention model including a systematic approach for animal dissection, embedding, sectioning, staining, and quantification of brachiocephalic artery lesions. In addition, due to the phenotypic diversity of cells within late-stage atherosclerotic lesions, we describe the importance of using cell-specific, inducible lineage tracing mouse systems and how this can be leveraged for unbiased characterization of atherosclerotic lesion cell populations. Together, these strategies may assist vascular biologists to more accurately model therapeutic interventions and analyze atherosclerotic disease and will hopefully translate into a higher rate of success in clinical trials.

We propose a standardized protocol to characterize the cellular composition of late-stage murine atherosclerotic lesions including systematic methods of animal dissection, tissue embedding, sectioning, staining, and analysis of brachiocephalic arteries from atheroprone smooth muscle cell lineage tracing mice.

Atherosclerosis remains the leading cause of death worldwide and, despite countless preclinical studies describing promising therapeutic targets, novel ...

Ultrasonography of the Adult Male Urinary Tract for Urinary Functional Testing

The incidence of clinical benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) is increasing due to the aging population, resulting in a significant economic and quality of life burden. Transgenic and other mouse models have been developed to recreate various aspects of this multifactorial disease; however, methods to accurately quantitate urinary dysfunction and the effectiveness of new therapeutic options are lacking. Here, we describe a method that can be used to measure bladder volume and detrusor wall thickness, urinary velocity, void volume and void duration, and urethral diameter. This would allow for the evaluation of disease progression and treatment efficacy over time. Mice were anesthetized with isoflurane, and the bladder was visualized by ultrasound. For non-contrast imaging, a 3D image was taken of the bladder to calculate volume and evaluate shape; the bladder wall thickness was measured from this image. For contrast-enhanced imaging, a catheter was placed through the dome of the bladder using a 27-gauge needle connected to a syringe by PE50 tubing. A bolus of 0.5 mL of contrast was infused into the bladder until a urination event occurred. Urethral diameter was determined at the point of the Doppler velocity sample window during the first voiding event. Velocity was measured for each subsequent event yielding a flow rate. In conclusion, high frequency ultrasound proved to be an effective method for assessing bladder and urethral measurements during urinary function in mice. This technique may be useful in the assessment of novel therapies for BPH/LUTS in an experimental setting.

We describe the use of high frequency ultrasound with contrast imaging as a method to measure bladder volume, bladder wall thickness, urine velocity, void volume, void duration, and urethral diameter. This strategy can be used to assess voiding dysfunction and treatment efficacy in various mouse models of lower urinary tract dysfunction (LUTD).

The incidence of clinical benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) is increasing due to the aging population, resulting ...

Palatable Western-style Cafeteria Diet as a Reliable Method for Modeling Diet-induced Obesity in Rodents

Obesity is rapidly increasing in incidence in developed and developing countries and is known to induce or exacerbate many diseases.&#160;The health burden of obesity and its comorbid conditions highlight the need for better understanding of its pathogenesis, yet ethical constraints limit studies in humans. To this end externally valid models of obesity in laboratory animals are essential for the understanding of being overweight and obesity.&#160;While many species have been used to model the range of changes that accompany obesity in humans, rodents are most commonly used. Our laboratory has developed a western-style cafeteria diet that consistently leads to considerable weight gain and markers of metabolic disease in rodents. The diet exposes rodents to a variety of highly palatable foods to induce hyperphagia, modeling the modern western food environment. This diet rapidly induces weight gain and body fat accumulation in rats allowing for the study of effects of overeating and obesity. While the cafeteria diet may not provide the same control over macronutrient and micronutrient profile as purified high-fat or high-fat, high-sugar diets, the cafeteria diet typically induces a more severe metabolic phenotype than that observed with purified diets and is more in line with metabolic disturbances observed in the overweight and obese human population.

This protocol describes the use of a highly palatable, western-style cafeteria diet to model overeating and obesity in rodents. Here, we provide a detailed outline of food selection, preparation and measurement, and explain methodological factors that assist in generating a robust and reproducible phenotype.

Obesity is rapidly increasing in incidence in developed and developing countries and is known to induce or exacerbate many diseases.&#160;The health ...