Name: development and characterization of in vitro microvessel network and quantitative measurements of endothelial [ca2+]i and nitric oxide production
Uploaded: 2016-05-19T15:00:00
Description: Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Development and Characterization of In Vitro Microvessel Network and Quantitative Measurements of Endothelial [Ca2+]i and Nitric Oxide Production at JoVE.com

This work was supported by National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute grants HL56237, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases Institute DK97391-03, National Science Foundation (NSF-1227359 and EPS-1003907).

1. Microfluidic Device Fabrication
<ol>
	<li>Standard Photolithography Fabrication of a SU-8 50 Master Mold
	<ol>
		<li>Clean the silicon wafer before spin-coating. Rinse a bare 2 inch silicon wafer with acetone for 15 min followed by isopropyl alcohol (IPA) for 15 min. Dehydrate the wafer by placing it on a hotplate at 150 &#176;C for 1 hr. After dehydration, cool the wafer at room temperature.</li>
		<li>Spin-coat the silicon wafer with SU-8 photoresist. Add 2 ml SU-8 photoresist onto the wafer. Ramp the wafer to 500...

<ol>
	<li>Curry, F. R. E., Adamson, R. H. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Vascular+permeability+modulation+at+the+cell,+microvessel,+or+whole+organ+level:+towards+closing+gaps+in+our+knowledge.">Vascular permeability modulation at the cell, microvessel, or whole organ level: towards closing gaps in our knowledge.</a> Cardiovasc Res. 87, 218-229 (2010).</li><li>Michel, C. C., Curry, F. E. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Microvascular+permeability.">Microvascular permeability.</a> Physiol Rev. 79, 703-761 (1999).</li><li>Rogers, J. A., Nuzzo, R. 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E. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Ca2++entry+through+conductive+pathway+modulates+receptor-mediated+increase+in+microvessel+permeability.">Ca2+ entry through conductive pathway modulates receptor-mediated increase in microvessel permeability.</a> Am J Physiol. 271, 2377-2387 (1996).</li><li>Zhou, X., He, P. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Endothelial+[Ca2+]i+and+caveolin-1+antagonistically+regulate+eNOS+activity+and+microvessel+permeability+in+rat+venules.">Endothelial [Ca2+]i and caveolin-1 antagonistically regulate eNOS activity and microvessel permeability in rat venules.</a> Cardiovasc Res. 87, 340-347 (2010).</li><li>Zhu, L., He, P. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Platelet-activating+factor+increases+endothelial+[Ca2+]+i+and+NO+production+in+individually+perfused+intact+microvessels.">Platelet-activating factor increases endothelial [Ca2+] i and NO production in individually perfused intact microvessels.</a> Am J Physiol-Heart C. 288, 2869-2877 (2005).</li><li>He, P., Curry, F. 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In this article, we present detailed protocols for the development of cultured microvessel network, the characterization of EC junctions and cytoskeleton F-actin distribution, and the quantitative measurements of EC [Ca2+]i and NO production using a microfluidic device. The perfused microfluidic device provides an in vitro model that allows a close simulation of the in vivo microvascular geometries and shear flow conditions. Since the cultured microvessel network can be formed by p...

Endothelial cells (ECs) lining the blood vessel walls in vivo are constantly exposed to flow, but cultured ECs are often grown under static conditions and exhibit a pro-inflammatory phenotype1,2. The microfluidics technology enables a precisely controlled fluid through a geometrically constrained microscale (sub-millimeter) channels3, which provides the opportunity for cultured cells, especially for vascular ECs, to grow under desired flow conditions. These features make the cell culture conditions closer to in vivo than the conventional, static 2D cell cultures. They are extremely important when the microfluidic devices are used to model different types of vasculatures and to study EC responses to mechanical and/or chemical stimulations.
Despite the advantages demonstrated by the microchannel network over a static cell culture, the adaptation and application of microfluidics in the biomedical field remain limited. Reported by a recent review, the majority of the publications of this field (85%) are still in engineering journals4. The performance of microfluidic devices has not been convincing enough for most biologists to switch from current techniques such as the Transwell assay and the macro-scale culture dish/glass slide to this miniaturized device. Microfluidics is a multidisciplinary field, which requires interdisciplinary collaborations to move this field forward. The objective of this technical article is to reduce the knowledge gaps between disciplines and make the fabrication procedures understandable by biologists, while providing biological application and functional validation of the microfluidic microvessels. The visualized experimental protocols include fabrication of both microfluidic devices and their biological utilities, which represents a close collaboration between engineers and biologists.
We recently reported some biological applications using the in vitro microvessel network with microfluidic device5. In order to appropriately design the dimensions of the microchannel network and apply the desired shear stress, a numerical model was built with computational fluid dynamic software to closely estimate the flow profile. Primary human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) that were seeded into the microchannels reached confluence, i.e. covered the entire inner surfaces of the microchannel, in 3-4 days with continuous perfusion. The proper barrier formation was demonstrated by VE-cadherin staining and compared with those formed under static cell culture conditions and in intact microvessels. By applying the experimental protocols developed in individually perfused intact microvessels6-8, we quantitatively measured the changes in EC [Ca2+]i and nitric oxide (NO) production in response to adenosine triphosphate (ATP) with fluorescent indicators and confocal and conventional fluorescence microscopy. The agonist-induced increases in EC [Ca2+]i and NO production have been reported as necessary intracellular signals for inflammatory mediator-induced increases in microvessel permeability6-15. Although some previous studies showed images of DAF-2 DA loaded microfluidic devices16,17, appropriate resolution and data analysis had not yet achieved18. To our knowledge, this study demonstrates the first quantitative measurements of agonist-induced dynamic change in endothelial [Ca2+]i and NO production utilizing microfluidic based system.
Microfabrication techniques have the flexibility to fabricate microchannels down to a few microns and enable the development of complex patterns to mimic the geometries of in vivo microvasculature. Here we presented a typical microchannel network with three levels of branching. This network is fabricated by the combination of photolithography which is performed in a microfabrication cleanroom and soft lithography.

<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="1058">
	<tbody>
		<tr height="20">
			<td height="20" style="height:20px;width:303px;">ATP</td>
			<td style="width:247px;">Sigma-Aldrich</td>
			<td style="width:327px;">A2383</td>
			<td style="width:183px;"></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="20">
			<td height="20" style="height:20px;">Acetone</td>
			<td>Fisher Scientific</td>
			<td>A929</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="20">
			<td height="20" style="height:20px;">Biopsy punch</td>
			<td>Miltex</td>
			<td>33-31 AA</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="20">
			<td height="20" style="height:20px;">Bovine Albumin</td>
			<td>MP Biomedicals</td>
			<td>810014</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="20">
			<td height="20" style="height:20px;">Bovine Brain Extract (BBE)</td>
			<td>Lonza</td>
			<td>CC-4098</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="20">
			<td height="20" style="height:20px;">Cover-slip</td>
			<td>Fisher Scientific</td>
			<td>12-542C</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="20">
			<td height="20" style="height:20px;">DAF-2 DA</td>
			<td>Calbiochem</td>
			<td>251505</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="20">
			<td height="20" style="height:20px;">Dextran</td>
			<td>Sigma-Aldrich</td>
			<td>31390</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="20">
			<td height="20" style="height:20px;">Donkey anti-Goat IgG (H+L) Secondary Antibody</td>
			<td>Life technologies</td>
			<td>A-11055</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="20">
			<td height="20" style="height:20px;">DPBS, no calcium, no magnesium</td>
			<td>Gibco</td>
			<td>14190-250</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="20">
			<td height="20" style="height:20px;">DRAQ5 (nuclei staining)&#160;</td>
			<td>Cell Signaling Technology</td>
			<td>4084</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="20">
			<td height="20" style="height:20px;">Endothelial Cell Growth Supplement (ECGS)</td>
			<td>Sigma-Aldrich</td>
			<td>E2759-15MG</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="20">
			<td height="20" style="height:20px;">Fetal Bovine Serum</td>
			<td>Gibco</td>
			<td>16000-044</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="20">
			<td height="20" style="height:20px;">Fibronectin</td>
			<td>Gibco</td>
			<td>PHE0023</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="20">
			<td height="20" style="height:20px;">Fluo-4 AM</td>
			<td>Life technologies</td>
			<td>F-14201</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="20">
			<td height="20" style="height:20px;">Gelatin from porcine skin</td>
			<td>Sigma-Aldrich</td>
			<td>G1890-100G</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="20">
			<td height="20" style="height:20px;">Gentamicin (50 mg/mL)</td>
			<td>Gibco</td>
			<td>15750-078</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="20">
			<td height="20" style="height:20px;">Glass coverslip</td>
			<td>Fisher Scientific</td>
			<td>12-548B</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="20">
			<td height="20" style="height:20px;">Glass Pasteur pippette</td>
			<td>VWR</td>
			<td>14672</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="20">
			<td height="20" style="height:20px;">Heparin sodium salt from porcine intestinal mucosa</td>
			<td>Sigma-Aldrich</td>
			<td>H3393-10KU</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="20">
			<td height="20" style="height:20px;">HEPES Buffered Saline Solution</td>
			<td>Lonza</td>
			<td>CC-5024</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="20">
			<td height="20" style="height:20px;">Human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs)</td>
			<td>Lonza</td>
			<td>CC-2517</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="20">
			<td height="20" style="height:20px;">Isopropyl alcohol (IPA)</td>
			<td>VWR</td>
			<td>89125</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="20">
			<td height="20" style="height:20px;">L-Glutamine (200 mM)</td>
			<td>Gibco</td>
			<td>25030-081</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="20">
			<td height="20" style="height:20px;">Mammalian Ringer Solution Ingredient</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="20">
			<td height="20" style="height:20px;">NaCl (132 mM)</td>
			<td>Fisher Scientific</td>
			<td>S671-3</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="20">
			<td height="20" style="height:20px;">KCL (4.6 mM)</td>
			<td>Fisher Scientific</td>
			<td>P217-500</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="24">
			<td height="24" style="height:24px;">CaCl2 &#183; 2H2O (2.0 mM)</td>
			<td>Fisher Scientific</td>
			<td>C79-500</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="24">
			<td height="24" style="height:24px;">MgSO4 &#183;7H2O (1.2 mM)</td>
			<td>Fisher Scientific</td>
			<td>M63-500</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="20">
			<td height="20" style="height:20px;">Glucose(5.5 mM)</td>
			<td>Fisher Scientific</td>
			<td>BP350-1</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="24">
			<td height="24" style="height:24px;">NaHCO3 (5.0 mM)</td>
			<td>Fisher Scientific</td>
			<td>S233-500</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="20">
			<td height="20" style="height:20px;">Hepes Salt (9.1 mM)</td>
			<td>Research Organics</td>
			<td>6007H</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="20">
			<td height="20" style="height:20px;">Hepes Acid (10.9 mM)</td>
			<td>Research Organics</td>
			<td>6003H</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="20">
			<td height="20" style="height:20px;">MCDB 131 Culture Medium</td>
			<td>Life technologies</td>
			<td>10372-019</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="20">
			<td height="20" style="height:20px;">Paraformaldehyde</td>
			<td>Electron Microscopy Sciences</td>
			<td>15710</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="20">
			<td height="20" style="height:20px;">Phalloidin (F-actin staining)</td>
			<td>Sigma-Aldrich</td>
			<td>P1951</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="20">
			<td height="20" style="height:20px;">Phosphate Buffered Saline&#160;</td>
			<td>Life technologies</td>
			<td>14040-133</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="20">
			<td height="20" style="height:20px;">Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS)</td>
			<td>Dow Corning Corporation</td>
			<td>Sylgard 184</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="20">
			<td height="20" style="height:20px;">Scalpel</td>
			<td>Exel Int</td>
			<td>29552</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="20">
			<td height="20" style="height:20px;">Scotch tape</td>
			<td>3M</td>
			<td>34-8711-3070-3</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="20">
			<td height="20" style="height:20px;">Silicon wafer</td>
			<td>VWR</td>
			<td>14672</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="20">
			<td height="20" style="height:20px;">SU-8 photoresist</td>
			<td>MicroChem</td>
			<td>SU-8 2050 Y111072</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="20">
			<td height="20" style="height:20px;">SU-8 developer</td>
			<td>MicroChem</td>
			<td>Y020100</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="20">
			<td height="20" style="height:20px;">tissue culture flasks</td>
			<td>Sigma-Aldrich</td>
			<td>Z707503-100EA</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="20">
			<td height="20" style="height:20px;">Triton X-100</td>
			<td>Chemical Book</td>
			<td>T6878</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="20">
			<td height="20" style="height:20px;">Trypsin Neutralizer solution</td>
			<td>Gibco</td>
			<td>R-002-100</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="20">
			<td height="20" style="height:20px;">Trypsin/EDTA Solution (TE)</td>
			<td>Gibco</td>
			<td>R-001-100</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="20">
			<td height="20" style="height:20px;">Tubing</td>
			<td>Cole-Parmer</td>
			<td>PTFE microbore tubing, 0.012&#34; ID x 0.030&#34; OD</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="20">
			<td height="20" style="height:20px;">VE-cadherin</td>
			<td>Santa Cruz Biotechnology</td>
			<td>SC-6458</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:303px;">Name of Equipment</td>
			<td style="width:247px;">Company</td>
			<td style="width:327px;">Catalog Number</td>
			<td style="width:183px;">Comments/Description</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="20">
			<td height="20" style="height:20px;">Biosafety Laminar hood</td>
			<td>NuAire</td>
			<td>NU-425 Class II, Type A2</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="20">
			<td height="20" style="height:20px;">CCD camera</td>
			<td>Hamamatsu</td>
			<td>ORCA</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="20">
			<td height="20" style="height:20px;">Confocal microscope</td>
			<td>Leica</td>
			<td>TCS SL</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="20">
			<td height="20" style="height:20px;">Desiccator</td>
			<td>Bel-Art</td>
			<td>F42022</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="20">
			<td height="20" style="height:20px;">Hotplate</td>
			<td>Wenesco</td>
			<td>HP-1212</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="20">
			<td height="20" style="height:20px;">Incubator</td>
			<td>Forma Scientific</td>
			<td>3110</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="20">
			<td height="20" style="height:20px;">Isotemp oven</td>
			<td>Barnstead</td>
			<td>3608-5</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="20">
			<td height="20" style="height:20px;">Lithography bench</td>
			<td>Karl Suss</td>
			<td>MA6 Contact Lithography</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="20">
			<td height="20" style="height:20px;">Optical microscope</td>
			<td>Nikon</td>
			<td>L200 ND &#38; Diaphod 300</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="20">
			<td height="20" style="height:20px;">Shutter for the CCD camera</td>
			<td>Sutter Instrument</td>
			<td>Lambda 10-2</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="20">
			<td height="20" style="height:20px;">Plasma cleaner</td>
			<td>PVA TePla/Harrick plasma</td>
			<td>M4L/PDC-32G</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="20">
			<td height="20" style="height:20px;">Spin coater</td>
			<td>Brewer Science</td>
			<td>Cee 200X</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="20">
			<td height="20" style="height:20px;">Syringe pump system</td>
			<td>Harvard Apparatus</td>
			<td>703005</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="20">
			<td height="20" style="height:20px;"></td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;">Name of Software</td>
			<td style="width:247px;">Company</td>
			<td style="width:327px;">Catalog Number</td>
			<td style="width:183px;">Comments/Description</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="20">
			<td height="20" style="height:20px;">CAD software</td>
			<td>Autodesk</td>
			<td>AutoCAD 2015</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="20">
			<td height="20" style="height:20px;">CFD simulation software</td>
			<td>COMSOL</td>
			<td>COMSOL Multiphysics 4.0.0.982</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="20">
			<td height="20" style="height:20px;">Images acquire and analyse for NO production&#160;</td>
			<td>Universal Imaging</td>
			<td>Metafluor</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

development and characterization of in vitro microvessel network and quantitative measurements of endothelial [ca2+]i and nitric oxide production

Endothelial cells (ECs) lining the blood vessel walls in vivo are constantly exposed to flow, but cultured ECs are often grown under static conditions and exhibit a pro-inflammatory phenotype. Although the development of microfluidic devices has been embraced by engineers over two decades, their biological applications remain limited. A more physiologically relevant in vitro microvessel model validated by biological applications is important to advance the field and bridge the gaps between in vivo and in vitro studies. Here, we present detailed procedures for the development of cultured microvessel network using a microfluidic device with a long-term perfusion capability. We also demonstrate its applications for quantitative measurements of agonist-induced changes in EC [Ca2+]i and nitric oxide (NO) production in real time using confocal and conventional fluorescence microscopy. The formed microvessel network with continuous perfusion showed well-developed junctions between ECs. VE-cadherin distribution was closer to that observed in intact microvessels than statically cultured EC monolayers. ATP-induced transient increases in EC [Ca2+]i and NO production were quantitatively measured at individual cell levels, which validated the functionality of the cultured microvessels. This microfluidic device allows ECs to grow under a well-controlled, physiologically relevant flow, which makes the cell culture environment closer to in vivo than that in the conventional, static 2D cultures. The microchannel network design is highly versatile, and the fabrication process is simple and repeatable. The device can be easily integrated to the confocal or conventional microscopic system enabling high resolution imaging. Most importantly, because the cultured microvessel network can be formed by primary human ECs, this approach will serve as a useful tool to investigate how pathologically altered blood components from patient samples affect human ECs and provide insight into clinical issues. It also can be developed as a platform for drug screening.

This section shows some of the results obtained with the cultured microvessel network developed with this protocol. The microchannel pattern is a three level branching network (Figure 1A). In this design, a 159 &#181;m wide mother channel branches into two 126 &#181;m wide channels, and branches again into four 100 &#181;m wide daughter channels. A 3D numerical simulation was performed to estimate the shear stress distributions under the flow rate of 0.35 &#181;l/min (<st...

Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Development and Characterization of In Vitro Microvessel Network and Quantitative Measurements of Endothelial [Ca2+]i and Nitric Oxide Production at JoVE.com

Development and Characterization of In Vitro Microvessel Network and Quantitative Measurements of Endothelial [Ca2+]i and Nitric Oxide Production

Primary human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) were grown to confluence within a microfluidic network device. The endothelial cell junction and F-actin distributions were illustrated and the changes in intracellular calcium concentration and nitric oxide production in response to adenosine triphosphate (ATP) were quantified in real-time at individual cell levels.

Development and Characterization of In Vitro Microvessel Network and Quantitative Measurements of Endothelial [Ca2+]i and Nitric Oxide Production

Endothelial cells (ECs) lining the blood vessel walls in vivo are constantly exposed to flow, but cultured ECs are often grown under static conditions and ...

The overall goal of this procedure is to develop a microfluidic device that allows endothelial cells to grow under physiologically relevant shear flow and to measure the agonist induced changes in their calcium and and nitric oxide production. This message can help advance the future of microvessel research, by validating the in vitro microvessel model and bridging the gaps between in vivo and the in vitro studies. The main advantages of this technique are the versatile design of the microchannels to mimic various vasculature and they improve cell culture environment that is closer to in vivo than the conditional static to that original cultures.Demonstrating the procedures will be Sulei and Xiang, the two from my laboratory. Before beginning, use standard photolithography to create a master mold and soft lithography to fabricate the PDMS microchannel devices as described in the text protocol. To prepare the microchannel devices, first cover the inlet and outlet with a thin piece of PDMS and place the device inside a Petri dish with a wet tissue.Then, wrap the dish with Parafilm and sterilize the device under a UV light for at least three hours. The next step is to apply the fibronectin. First, place a drop of 30 to 50 microliters of PBS at the inlet.Create a vacuum at the outlet to rinse the device. Next, place a drop of 100 micrograms per milliliter fibronectin at the inlet. Create a vacuum at the outlet to load the fibronectin solution.Next, cover the inlet and outlet. Wrap the dish with Parafilm again and incubate the device overnight at four degrees Celsius. The next day, manually rinse the device with PBS three times.Then, load it with 30 to 50 microliters of cell culture media and warm up the device in an incubator at 37 degrees Celsius for at least 15 minutes. Begin by mixing HUVECs into HUVEC culture media with eight percent Dextran at two to four million cells per milliliter. The Dextran is needed to increase the viscosity and thus improve the cell seeding.Next, put 10 to 20 microliters of cells over the inlet and introduce them using gravity or by using capillary action from a glass pasteur pipette at the outlet. Next, incubate the device for 15 to 20 minutes. Then, check the seeding status under a microscope.If necessary, load more cells to achieve a desired cell density. Once enough cells are loaded, gently rinse the device with normal, warm cell culture medium to remove the Dextran. Then, culture the device without any media perfusion for six hours.Next, set up the tubing connections for the long term perfusion. Tape the device to a Petri dish and then connect the inlet tubing to a syringe with a needle. Insert tubing into both the inlet and the outlet of the device.Connect the outlet tubing to a waste collector. Now, place the dish and waste container in an incubator. Connect the syringe with a long inlet tube to an external perfusion pump that passes through the incubator door.Then, set the perfusion rate according to the experimental design. With a well controlled perfusion, the culture in the microvessel network can be maintained up to two weeks. Therefore, it can be extended to longer term studies mimicking the cellular and the hemodynamic environment on the different physiological and the pathological condition.To begin the immuno-staining, such as VE-cadherin labeling, first fix the cells by perfusing with two percent paraformaldehyde for 30 minutes at four degrees Celsius. After a series of perfusions to block, permeabilize, and stain with antibodies, keep the device at four degrees Celsius until the cells are imaged. To image the calcium concentration in the cells, perfuse the device with 10 milligrams per milliliter of albumin in Ringer solution for 15 minutes at 37 degrees Celsius.Next, perfuse the device with five micromolar Fluo-4 AM for 40 minutes at 37 degrees Celsius. Then, wash out the lumen bound Fluo-4 AM with albumin Ringers for 15 minutes at 37 degrees Celsius. Next, start up the confocal system for intercellular calcium level imaging with Fluo-4 AM.Acquire images of the Fluo-4 loaded microvessels.Collect the baseline images for 10 minutes. Then, perfuse the device continuously with 10 micromolar ATP and record the changes of fluorescence intensity for 20 minutes. To image nitric oxide production in the cells, perfuse the device with albumin Ringers for 15 minutes at 37 degrees Celsius.Then, perfuse the cells with 5 micromolar DAF-2 DA for about 35 to 40 minutes at 37 degrees Celsius. Next, set up the fluorescence imaging system to measure ATP induced nitric oxide production. Record the baseline for 5 minutes, then perfuse the device with 10 micromolar ATP and collect the images for 30 minutes at one minute intervals.For the cell nitric oxide measurement, it is important to understand that the detach adapter for intensity profile represents a cumulative nitric oxide production with time and not a nitric oxide concentration. Manually select the region of interests from the collected images at the individual cell level. Each ROI covers the area of one individual's cell which can be indicated by the floresense outline.Quantify the ATP induced changes in endothelial calcium and nitric oxide. By calculating the changes in the floresense intensity of Fluo-4, less the tissue background. Quantify the nitrous oxide production rate by conducting the first differential conversion of the floresense intensity of DAF-2 over time.The microchannel pattern in the device has a three level branching network. A 3D numerical simulation was performed to estimate the shear stress distributions under the flow rate of 0.35 microliters per minute. Endothelial cells were seeding into the network as described.Then, F-actin and nuclei were labeled. Similarly, VE-cadherin was also stained. The results were similar to the VE-cadherin expression in an intact venule.Next, ATP induced increases in intracellular calcium and nitric oxide production were examined. Calcium levels were examined using Fluo-4 AM as described in the protocol section. Nitric oxide production was monitored using DAF-2 DA as described in the protocol section.The results were comparable to those derived with individually perfused intact venules. The advanced was easy and tightly controlled in biological conditions and the dynamic fluid environments, which would not have been possible with conventional microskill techniques. After watching this video, you should have a good understanding of how to fabricate the device, and perform calcium and nitric oxide measurements.After this technique paved the way for researchers, not only to investigate underlying agonist induced but also to open broader applications for bio medical research.

development-characterization-vitro-microvessel-network-quantitative

Research

JoVE Journal

Biology

Detection of Nitric Oxide and Superoxide Radical Anion by Electron Paramagnetic Resonance Spectroscopy from Cells using Spin Traps

Reactive nitrogen/oxygen species (ROS/RNS) at low concentrations play an important role in regulating cell function, signaling, and immune response but in unregulated concentrations are detrimental to cell viability1, 2. While living systems have evolved with endogenous and dietary antioxidant defense mechanisms to regulate ROS generation, ROS are produced continuously as natural by-products of normal metabolism of oxygen and can cause oxidative damage to biomolecules resulting in loss of protein function, DNA cleavage, or lipid peroxidation3, and ultimately to oxidative stress leading to cell injury or death4. 
Superoxide radical anion (O2&bull;-) is the major precursor of some of the most highly oxidizing species known to exist in biological systems such as peroxynitrite and hydroxyl radical. The generation of O2&bull;- signals the first sign of oxidative burst, and therefore, its detection and/or sequestration in biological systems is important. In this demonstration, O2&bull;- was generated from polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMNs). Through chemotactic stimulation with phorbol-12-myristate-13-acetate (PMA), PMN generates O2&bull;- via activation of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) oxidase5. 
Nitric oxide (NO) synthase which comes in three isoforms, as inducible-, neuronal- and endothelial-NOS, or iNOS, nNOS or eNOS, respectively, catalyzes the conversion of L- arginine to L-citrulline, using NADPH to produce NO6. Here, we generated NO from endothelial cells. Under oxidative stress conditions, eNOS for example can switch from producing NO to O2&bull;- in a process called uncoupling, which is believed to be caused by oxidation of heme7 or the co-factor, tetrahydrobiopterin (BH4)8.
There are only few reliable methods for the detection of free radicals in biological systems but are limited by specificity and sensitivity. Spin trapping is commonly used for the identification of free radicals and involves the addition reaction of a radical to a spin trap forming a persistent spin adduct which can be detected by electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy. The various radical adducts exhibit distinctive spectrum which can be used to identify the radicals being generated and can provide a wealth of information about the nature and kinetics of radical production9.
The cyclic nitrones, 5,5-dimethyl-pyrroline-N-oxide, DMPO10, the phosphoryl-substituted DEPMPO11, and the ester-substituted, EMPO12 and BMPO13, have been widely employed as spin traps--the latter spin traps exhibiting longer half-lives for O2&bull;- adduct. Iron (II)-N-methyl-D-glucamine dithiocarbamate, Fe(MGD)2 is commonly used to trap NO due to high rate of adduct formation and the high stability of the spin adduct14.

Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy was employed to detect nitric oxide from bovine aortic endothelial cells and superoxide radical anion from human neutrophils using iron (II)-N-methyl-D-glucamine dithiocarbamate, Fe(MGD)2 and 5,5-dimethyl-1-pyroroline-N-oxide, DMPO, respectively.

Reactive nitrogen/oxygen species (ROS/RNS) at low concentrations play an important role in regulating cell function, signaling, and immune response but in ...

Application of MassSQUIRM for Quantitative Measurements of Lysine Demethylase Activity

Recently, epigenetic regulators have been discovered as key players in many different diseases 1-3. As a result, these enzymes are prime targets for small molecule studies and drug development 4. Many epigenetic regulators have only recently been discovered and are still in the process of being classified. Among these enzymes are lysine demethylases which remove methyl groups from lysines on histones and other proteins. Due to the novel nature of this class of enzymes, few assays have been developed to study their activity. This has been a road block to both the classification and high throughput study of histone demethylases. Currently, very few demethylase assays exist. Those that do exist tend to be qualitative in nature and cannot simultaneously discern between the different lysine methylation states (un-, mono-, di- and tri-). Mass spectrometry is commonly used to determine demethylase activity but current mass spectrometric assays do not address whether differentially methylated peptides ionize differently. Differential ionization of methylated peptides makes comparing methylation states difficult and certainly not quantitative (Figure 1A). Thus available assays are not optimized for the comprehensive analysis of demethylase activity.
Here we describe a method called MassSQUIRM (mass spectrometric quantitation using isotopic reductive methylation) that is based on reductive methylation of amine groups with deuterated formaldehyde to force all lysines to be di-methylated, thus making them essentially the same chemical species and therefore ionize the same (Figure 1B). The only chemical difference following the reductive methylation is hydrogen and deuterium, which does not affect MALDI ionization efficiencies. The MassSQUIRM assay is specific for demethylase reaction products with un-, mono- or di-methylated lysines. The assay is also applicable to lysine methyltransferases giving the same reaction products. Here, we use a combination of reductive methylation chemistry and MALDI mass spectrometry to measure the activity of LSD1, a lysine demethylase capable of removing di- and mono-methyl groups, on a synthetic peptide substrate 5. This assay is simple and easily amenable to any lab with access to a MALDI mass spectrometer in lab or through a proteomics facility. The assay has ~8-fold dynamic range and is readily scalable to plate format 5.

We present a method for using MALDI mass spectrometry and reductive methylation chemistry to quantify changes in lysine methylation.

Recently, epigenetic regulators have been discovered as key players in many different diseases 1-3. As a result, these enzymes are prime targets for small ...

Analysis of Oxidative Stress in Zebrafish Embryos

High levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) may cause a change of cellular redox state towards oxidative stress condition. This situation causes oxidation of molecules (lipid, DNA, protein) and leads to cell death. Oxidative stress also impacts the progression of several pathological conditions such as diabetes, retinopathies, neurodegeneration, and cancer. Thus, it is important to define tools to investigate oxidative stress conditions not only at the level of single cells but also in the context of whole organisms. Here, we consider the zebrafish embryo as a useful in vivo system to perform such studies and present a protocol to measure in vivo oxidative stress. Taking advantage of fluorescent ROS probes and zebrafish transgenic fluorescent lines, we develop two different methods to measure oxidative stress in vivo: i) a &#8220;whole embryo ROS-detection method&#8221; for qualitative measurement of oxidative stress and ii) a &#8220;single-cell&#160;ROS detection method&#8221; for quantitative measurements of oxidative stress. Herein, we demonstrate the efficacy of these procedures by increasing oxidative stress in tissues by oxidant agents and physiological or genetic methods. This protocol is amenable for forward genetic screens and it will help address cause-effect relationships of ROS in animal models of oxidative stress-related pathologies such as neurological disorders and cancer.

Here we report a protocol to measure oxidative stress in living zebrafish embryos. This procedure allows reactive oxygen species (ROS) detection in both whole embryo tissues and single-cell populations. This protocol will accomplish both qualitative and quantitative analyses.

High levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) may cause a change of cellular redox state towards oxidative stress condition. This situation causes ...

Functional Reconstitution and Channel Activity Measurements of Purified Wildtype and Mutant CFTR Protein

The Cystic Fibrosis Transmembrane Conductance Regulator (CFTR) is a unique channel-forming member of the ATP Binding Cassette (ABC) superfamily of transporters. The phosphorylation and nucleotide dependent chloride channel activity of CFTR has been frequently studied in whole cell systems and as single channels in excised membrane patches. Many Cystic Fibrosis-causing mutations have been shown to alter this activity. While a small number of purification protocols have been published, a fast reconstitution method that retains channel activity and a suitable method for studying population channel activity in a purified system have been lacking. Here rapid methods are described for purification and functional reconstitution of the full-length CFTR protein into proteoliposomes of defined lipid composition that retains activity as a regulated halide channel. This reconstitution method together with a novel flux-based assay of channel activity is a suitable system for studying the population channel properties of wild type CFTR and the disease-causing mutants F508del- and G551D-CFTR. Specifically, the method has utility in studying the direct effects of phosphorylation, nucleotides and small molecules such as potentiators and inhibitors on CFTR channel activity. The methods are also amenable to the study of other membrane channels/transporters for anionic substrates.

Described here is a rapid and effective procedure for functional reconstitution of purified wild-type and mutant CFTR protein that preserves activity for this chloride channel, which is defective in Cystic Fibrosis. Iodide efflux from reconstituted proteoliposomes mediated by CFTR allows studies of channel activity and the effects of small molecules.

The Cystic Fibrosis Transmembrane Conductance Regulator (CFTR) is a unique channel-forming member of the ATP Binding Cassette (ABC) superfamily of ...

Two-photon Imaging of Intracellular Ca2+ Handling and Nitric Oxide Production in Endothelial and Smooth Muscle Cells of an Isolated Rat Aorta

Calcium is a very important regulator of many physiological processes in vascular tissues. Most endothelial and smooth muscle functions highly depend on changes in intracellular calcium ([Ca2+]i) and nitric oxide (NO). In order to understand how [Ca2+]i, NO and downstream molecules are handled by a blood vessel in response to vasoconstrictors and vasodilators, we developed a novel technique that applies calcium-labeling (or NO-labeling) dyes with two photon microscopy to measure calcium handling (or NO production) in isolated blood vessels. Described here is a detailed step-by-step procedure that demonstrates how to isolate an aorta from a rat, label calcium or NO within the endothelial or smooth muscle cells, and image calcium transients (or NO production) using a two photon microscope following physiological or pharmacological stimuli. The benefits of using the method are multi-fold: 1) it is possible to simultaneously measure calcium transients in both endothelial cells and smooth muscle cells in response to different stimuli; 2) it allows one to image endothelial cells and smooth muscle cells in their native setting; 3) this method is very sensitive to intracellular calcium or NO changes and generates high resolution images for precise measurements; and 4) described approach can be applied to the measurement of other molecules, such as reactive oxygen species. In summary, application of two photon laser emission microscopy to monitor calcium transients and NO production in the endothelial and smooth muscle cells of an isolated blood vessel has provided high quality quantitative data and promoted our understanding of the mechanisms regulating vascular function.

Two-photon Imaging of Intracellular Ca2+ Handling and Nitric Oxide Production in Endothelial and Smooth Muscle Cells of an Isolated Rat Aorta

Vascular cell functiondepends on activity of intracellular messengers. Described here is an ex vivo two photon imaging method that allows the measurement of intracellular calcium and nitric oxide levels in response to physiological and pharmacological stimuli in individual endothelial and smooth muscle cells of an isolated aorta.

Calcium is a very important regulator of many physiological processes in vascular tissues. Most endothelial and smooth muscle functions highly depend on ...

Quantitation of Endothelial Cell Adhesiveness In Vitro

One of the cardinal processes of inflammation is the infiltration of immune cells from the lumen of the blood vessel to the surrounding tissue. This occurs when endothelial cells, which line blood vessels, become adhesive to circulating immune cells such as monocytes. In vitro measurement of this adhesiveness has until now been done by quantifying the total number of monocytes that adhere to an endothelial layer either as a direct count or by indirect measurement of the fluorescence of adherent monocytes. While such measurements do indicate the average adhesiveness of the endothelial cell population, they are confounded by a number of factors, such as cell number, and do not reveal the proportion of endothelial cells that are actually adhesive. Here we describe and demonstrate a method which allows the enumeration of adhesive cells within a tested population of endothelial monolayer. Endothelial cells are grown on glass coverslips and following desired treatment are challenged with monocytes (that may be fluorescently labeled). After incubation, a rinsing procedure, involving multiple rounds of immersion and draining, the cells are fixed. Adhesive endothelial cells, which are surrounded by monocytes are readily identified and enumerated, giving an adhesion index that reveals the actual proportion of endothelial cells within the population that are adhesive.

Quantitation of Endothelial Cell Adhesiveness In Vitro

We report an in vitro method that allows the quantitation of the actual number of adhesive cells within an endothelial cell monolayer.

One of the cardinal processes of inflammation is the infiltration of immune cells from the lumen of the blood vessel to the surrounding tissue. This ...

En Face Detection of Nitric Oxide and Superoxide in Endothelial Layer of Intact Arteries

Endothelium-derived nitric oxide (NO) produced from endothelial NO-synthase (eNOS) is one of the most important vasoprotective molecules in cardiovascular physiology. Dysfunctional eNOS such as uncoupling of eNOS leads to decrease in NO bioavailability and increase in superoxide anion (O2.&#8722;) production, and in turn promotes cardiovascular diseases. Therefore, appropriate measurement of NO and O2.&#8722; levels in the endothelial cells are pivotal for research on cardiovascular diseases and complications. Because of the extremely labile nature of NO and O2.&#8722;, it is difficult to measure NO and O2.&#8722; directly in a blood vessel. Numerous methods have been developed to measure NO and O2.&#8722; production. It is, however, either insensitive, or non-specific, or technically demanding and requires special equipment. Here we describe an adaption of the fluorescence dye method for en face simultaneous detection and visualization of intracellular NO and O2.&#8722; using the cell permeable diaminofluorescein-2 diacetate (DAF-2DA) and dihydroethidium (DHE), respectively, in intact aortas of an obesity mouse model induced by high-fat-diet feeding. We could demonstrate decreased intracellular NO and enhanced O2.&#8722; levels in the freshly isolated intact aortas of obesity mouse as compared to the control lean mouse. We demonstrate that this method is an easy technique for direct detection and visualization of NO and O2.&#8722; in the intact blood vessels and can be widely applied for investigation of endothelial (dys)function under (physio)pathological conditions.

En Face Detection of Nitric Oxide and Superoxide in Endothelial Layer of Intact Arteries

In this article we describe an adapted relatively easy method using the fluorescence dye diaminofluorescein-2 diacetate (DAF-2DA) and dihydroethidium (DHE) for en face simultaneous detection and visualization of intracellular nitric oxide (NO) and superoxide anion (O2.&#8722;) respectively, in freshly isolated intact aortas of an obesity mouse model.

Endothelium-derived nitric oxide (NO) produced from endothelial NO-synthase (eNOS) is one of the most important vasoprotective molecules in cardiovascular ...

Measuring Nitrite and Nitrate, Metabolites in the Nitric Oxide Pathway, in Biological Materials using the Chemiluminescence Method

Nitric oxide (NO) is one of the main regulator molecules in vascular homeostasis and also a neurotransmitter. Enzymatically produced NO is oxidized into nitrite and nitrate by interactions with various oxy-heme proteins and other still not well known pathways. The reverse process, reduction of nitrite and nitrate into NO had been discovered in mammals in the last decade and it is gaining attention as one of the possible pathways to either prevent or ease a whole range of cardiovascular, metabolic and muscular disorders that are thought to be associated with decreased levels of NO. It is therefore important to estimate the amount of NO and its metabolites in different body compartments &#8212; blood, body fluids and the various tissues. Blood, due to its easy accessibility, is the preferred compartment used for estimation of NO metabolites. Due to its short lifetime (few milliseconds) and low sub-nanomolar concentration, direct reliable measurements of blood NO in vivo present great technical difficulties. Thus NO availability is usually estimated based on the amount of its oxidation products, nitrite and nitrate. These two metabolites are always measured separately. There are several well established methods to determine their concentrations in biological fluids and tissues. Here we present a protocol for chemiluminescence method (CL), based on spectrophotometrical detection of NO after nitrite or nitrate reduction by tri-iodide or vanadium(III) chloride solutions, respectively. The sensitivity for nitrite and nitrate detection is in low nanomolar range, which sets CL as the most sensitive method currently available to determine changes in NO metabolic pathways. We explain in detail how to prepare samples from biological fluids and tissues in order to preserve original amounts of nitrite and nitrate present at the time of collection and how to determine their respective amounts in samples. Limitations of the CL technique are also explained.

Nitric oxide (NO) is an important signaling molecule in vascular homeostasis. NO production in vivo is too low for direct measurement. Chemiluminescence provides useful insight into NO cycle via measuring its precursors and oxidation products, nitrite and nitrate. Nitrite / nitrate determination in body tissues and fluids is explained.

Nitric oxide (NO) is one of the main regulator molecules in vascular homeostasis and also a neurotransmitter. Enzymatically produced NO is oxidized into ...

Application of Genetically Encoded Fluorescent Nitric Oxide (NO&#8226;) Probes, the geNOps, for Real-time Imaging of NO&#8226; Signals in Single Cells

Nitric Oxide (NO&#8226;) is a small radical, which mediates multiple important cellular functions in mammals, bacteria and plants. Despite the existence of a large number of methods for detecting NO&#8226; in vivo and in vitro, the real-time monitoring of NO&#8226; at the single-cell level is very challenging. The physiological or pathological effects of NO&#8226; are determined by the actual concentration and dwell time of this radical. Accordingly, methods that allow the single-cell detection of NO&#8226; are highly desirable. Recently, we expanded the pallet of NO&#8226; indicators by introducing single fluorescent protein-based genetically encoded nitric oxide (NO&#8226;) probes (geNOps) that directly respond to cellular NO&#8226; fluctuations and, hence, addresses this need. Here we demonstrate the usage of geNOps to assess intracellular NO&#8226; signals in response to two different chemical NO&#8226;-liberating molecules. Our results also confirm that freshly prepared 3-(2-hydroxy-1-methyl-2-nitrosohydrazino)-N-methyl-1-propanamine (NOC-7) has a much higher potential to evoke change in intracellular NO&#8226; levels as compared with the inorganic NO&#8226; donor sodium nitroprusside (SNP). Furthermore, dual-color live-cell imaging using the green geNOps (G-geNOp) and the chemical Ca2+ indicator fura-2 was performed to visualize the tight regulation of Ca2+-dependent NO&#8226; formation in single endothelial cells. These representative experiments demonstrate that geNOps are suitable tools to investigate the real-time generation and degradation of single-cell NO&#8226; signals in diverse experimental setups.

Application of Genetically Encoded Fluorescent Nitric Oxide (NO&amp;#8226;) Probes, the geNOps, for Real-time Imaging of NO&amp;#8226; Signals in Single Cells

This manuscript presents protocols for the application of novel genetically encoded nitric oxide (NO&#8226;) probes (geNOps) to monitor single cell NO&#8226; fluctuations in real-time using fluorescence microscopy. The Ca2+-triggered NO&#8226; formation on the level of individual endothelial cells was visualized by combining geNOps with a chemical Ca2+ sensor.

Nitric Oxide (NO&#8226;) is a small radical, which mediates multiple important cellular functions in mammals, bacteria and plants. Despite the existence ...

Discrimination and Characterization of Heterocellular Populations Using Quantitative Imaging Techniques

Cellular processes are complex and result from the interplay between multiple cell types and their environment. Existing cell biology techniques often do not allow for accurate interpretation of this interplay. Using a quantitative imaging-based approach, we present a high-content protocol for characterizing the dynamic phenotypic responses (i.e. morphology changes, proliferation, apoptosis) of heterogeneous cell populations to changes in environmental stimuli. We highlight our ability to distinguish between cell types based upon either fluorescence intensity or inherent morphology features depending on the application. This platform allows for a more comprehensive characterization of subpopulation response to perturbation while utilizing shorter time, smaller amounts of reagents, and lower likelihood of error than traditional cell biology assays. However, in some cases, cell populations may be difficult to identify and quantitate based on complex cellular features and will require additional troubleshooting; we highlight some of these circumstances in the protocol. We demonstrate this application using response to drug in a cancer model; however, it can easily be applied more broadly to other physiological processes. This protocol allows one to identify subpopulations within a co-culture system and characterize the particular response of each to external stimuli.

We have developed a novel protocol for studying heterocellular population dynamics in response to perturbations. This manuscript describes an imaging-based platform that produces quantitative datasets for simultaneous characterization of multiple cellular phenotypes of heterocellular populations in a robust manner.

Cellular processes are complex and result from the interplay between multiple cell types and their environment. Existing cell biology techniques often do ...