Name: repeated measurement of respiratory muscle activity and ventilation in mouse models of neuromuscular disease
Uploaded: 2017-04-17T14:00:00
Description: Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Repeated Measurement of Respiratory Muscle Activity and Ventilation in Mouse Models of Neuromuscular Disease at JoVE.com

Support for this work was provided by a Cincinnati Children&#39;s Hospital Medical Center Trustee Award to S.A.C. and an NIH training grant (T32NS007453) to V.N.J.

Experimental procedures were approved by the Cincinnati Children&#39;s Hospital Medical Center Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee and conducted in compliance with the NIH Guide for the care and use of laboratory animals.
1. Preparing for Telemetry Device Implant Surgery
<ol>
	<li>Put on personal protective equipment (i.e., scrubs, shoe covers, gown, hair net, mask, and surgical gloves). 
	NOTE: This surgery requires a sterile field.</li>
	<li>Turn on the incubator (servo-controlled humidif...

<ol>
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T. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Spontaneous+sleep-like+brain+state+alternations+and+breathing+characteristics+in+urethane+anesthetized+mice.">Spontaneous sleep-like brain state alternations and breathing characteristics in urethane anesthetized mice.</a> PLoS One. 8 (7), 70411 (2013).</li><li>Nicaise, C., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Phrenic+motor+neuron+degeneration+compromises+phrenic+axonal+circuitry+and+diaphragm+activity+in+a+unilateral+cervical+contusion+model+of+spinal+cord+injury.">Phrenic motor neuron degeneration compromises phrenic axonal circuitry and diaphragm activity in a unilateral cervical contusion model of spinal cord injury.</a> Exp Neurol. 235 (2), 539-552 (2012).</li><li>Akay, T. <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+measurement+of+muscle+denervation+and+locomotor+behavior+in+individual+wild-type+and+ALS+model+mice.">Long-term measurement of muscle denervation and locomotor behavior in individual wild-type and ALS model mice.</a> J Neurophysiol. 111 (3), 694-703 (2014).</li><li>Tysseling, V. 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B. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=A+potential+early+physiological+marker+for+CNS+oxygen+toxicity:+hyperoxic+hyperpnea+precedes+seizure+in+unanesthetized+rats+breathing+hyperbaric+oxygen.">A potential early physiological marker for CNS oxygen toxicity: hyperoxic hyperpnea precedes seizure in unanesthetized rats breathing hyperbaric oxygen.</a> J Appl Physiol. 114 (1985), 1009-1020 (1985).</li><li>Morrison, J. 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L. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=A+simple+method+to+remove+ECG+artifacts+from+trunk+muscle+EMG+signals.">A simple method to remove ECG artifacts from trunk muscle EMG signals.</a> J Electromyogr Kinesiol. 19 (6), e554-e555 (2009).</li><li>Lu, G., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Removing+ECG+noise+from+surface+EMG+signals+using+adaptive+filtering.">Removing ECG noise from surface EMG signals using adaptive filtering.</a> Neurosci Lett. 462 (1), 14-19 (2009).</li></ol>

The procedure demonstrated here allows for the noninvasive (after initial surgical implantation of the transmitter) measurement of respiratory muscle activity and ventilation over many months in the same animal. This technique has several advantages over standard EMG techniques in anesthetized mice: 1) the experiments require fewer mice and provide the ability to record data from the same site in a single mouse across disease stages (instead of using multiple mice at different disease stages); 2) data analysis can be per...

Accessory respiratory muscles (ARMs) increase ventilation during times of high demand (e.g., exercise) and help to maintain ventilation when diaphragm function is compromised following injury or disease1,2. Although changes in diaphragm function have been well described in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) patients and mouse models3,4,5,6, much less is known about the activity or function of ARMs in ALS. However, one study suggested that ALS patients that recruit ARMs have a better prognosis than those with similar diaphragm dysfunction that do not7. Furthermore, ARM activity is sufficient for respiration in cases of diaphragm paralysis8. These studies indicate that strategies to augment ARM function may improve breathing in patients suffering from neuromuscular disease, spinal cord injury, or other conditions in which diaphragm function is impaired. However, the mechanisms controlling ARM recruitment for breathing are largely unknown. Methods to measure respiratory function and changes in ARM activity over time in animal models of disease or injury are needed to study how ARMs are recruited, as well as to evaluate therapies to improve ARM recruitment and ventilation. Moreover, the increased activity of ARMs coinciding with the progressive loss of diaphragm function may be a useful biomarker for disease progression in neuromuscular diseases such as ALS7,9,10.
This protocol describes a method to non-invasively (following the initial surgery) and repeatedly measure the activity of respiratory muscles and ventilation in awake, behaving mice. Synchronized recordings of electromyography (EMG), whole-body plethysmography (WBP), and video allow the investigator to assess how changes in ARM activity impact ventilation and to determine when the subject is at rest or moving. A major advantage of this method is that it can be performed in awake, behaving mice, whereas some alternative methods to measure EMG require anesthesia and/or are terminal procedures11,12,13. The recording of EMG activity in awake mice over time may also be accomplished through the chronic implantation of EMG leads, where the mouse is tethered by wires to the acquisition system14,15. Because tethering a mouse could interfere with normal movement or behavior and may not be compatible with a standard plethysmography chamber, the described method uses telemetry devices to wirelessly transmit the EMG signal to the acquisition system. The transmitter can be turned on or off with a magnet to conserve battery power and allows repeated measurements of EMG activity over several months. This protocol can be easily adapted to measure the activity of additional respiratory or non-respiratory muscles by inserting the EMG leads into different muscles. Alternatively, one of the two leads may be used to measure EEG activity to assess sleep state or to identify seizure activity16. This technique has successfully been used to measure changes in ARM activity at rest throughout disease progression in a mouse model of ALS and to identify key neurons driving ARM activity in healthy mice10.

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repeated measurement of respiratory muscle activity and ventilation in mouse models of neuromuscular disease

Accessory respiratory muscles help to maintain ventilation when diaphragm function is impaired. The following protocol describes a method for repeated measurements over weeks or months of accessory respiratory muscle activity while simultaneously measuring ventilation in a non-anesthetized, freely behaving mouse. The technique includes the surgical implantation of a radio transmitter and the insertion of electrode leads into the scalene and trapezius muscles to measure the electromyogram activity of these inspiratory muscles. Ventilation is measured by whole-body plethysmography, and animal movement is assessed by video and is synchronized with electromyogram activity. Measurements of muscle activity and ventilation in a mouse model of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis are presented to show how this tool can be used to investigate how respiratory muscle activity changes over time and to assess the impact of muscle activity on ventilation. The described methods can easily be adapted to measure the activity of other muscles or to assess accessory respiratory muscle activity in additional mouse models of disease or injury.

The described protocol was used to implant a telemetry device and to record scalene and trapezius EMG, WBP, and video of a SOD1(G93A) ALS model mouse. Periods in which the animal is inactive (e.g., does not move) were identified using the video recording and confirmed by the lack of movement-related activity in the WBP trace (Figure 3A). Inactive periods include time spent in REM or non-REM sleep, as well as time spent awake but still (Figure 3A)...

Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Repeated Measurement of Respiratory Muscle Activity and Ventilation in Mouse Models of Neuromuscular Disease at JoVE.com

Repeated Measurement of Respiratory Muscle Activity and Ventilation in Mouse Models of Neuromuscular Disease

This paper introduces a method for repeated measurements of ventilation and respiratory muscle activity in a freely behaving amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) mouse model throughout disease progression with whole-body plethysmography and electromyography via an implanted telemetry device.

Accessory respiratory muscles help to maintain ventilation when diaphragm function is impaired. The following protocol describes a method for repeated ...

The overall goal of this procedure is to repeatedly measure respiratory muscle activity and ventilation throughout disease progression. Following the surgical implantation of a telemetry device with electromyography leads inserted into selected muscles. This method can be used to answer key questions about how accessory respiratory muscles compensate for impaired diaphragm function following disease or injury.The main advantage of this technique is that ventilation and respiratory muscle activity can be measured on the same freely behaving mouse throughout disease progression. This method can provide insight into diagonsis and treatment of ALS, but can also be applied to other models of neuromuscular disease or spinal cord injury. Begin by preparing the EMG electroleads.Use scissors reserved for handling wires to trim the distal leads, so that there is approximately three centimeters of lead to reach the target muscle. Then use a scalpel to turn off 0.5 centimeters of the plastic covering without cutting the wire itself. Next use wire-handling tools to stretch the ends of the leads to four or five times their original length.Trim the exposed wire of the leads so that they are 0.5 centimeters in length. Then prepare lead caps to cover the wire ends by trimming off 0.25 centimeter tubes from the previously removed plastic casing. After anesthetizing the mouse, perform a toe pinch and a tail pinch to make sure that the mouse is fully anesthetized by the absence of a reaction.Then transfer the mouse to the surgery set up and place the nose cone to maintain anesthesia during surgery. Apply lubricant ophthalmic ointment to prevent the eyes from drying out during surgery. Clip the toenails ipsilateral to the surgical site to reduce the chance of the mouse pulling out the leads or causing wounds by scratching during the healing process.Shave the mouse to expose a surgical site between the ear and shoulder. Then alternate swabbing the surgical site, first with disinfectant, and then with isopropanol. To begin the implantation, pull the forelimb toward the ipsilateral foot to caudally displace the scapula, providing surgical access to the scalene and trapezius muscles.Use blunt-curved forceps to hold back the front paw ipsilateral to the surgical site, and tape the paw in place. After putting on a fresh pair of surgical gloves, use the scalpel to make a two centimeter oblique incision between the shoulder and the ear. Then with 2 laminectomy forceps in each hand, pull back the fat pad and spread apart the trapezius and platysma muscles to expose the fascia covering the sternocleidomastoid and scalene muscles.Use the pale sternocleidomastoid muscle and phrenic nerve as landmarks to identify the scalene muscles. Note that the phrenic nerve runs parallel to the scalene muscles, while the sternocleidomastoid lies inferior. The scalene muscles run obliquely from the cervical vertebrae to the ribs under the trapezius muscle.Biopotential leads will be inserted into the anterior scalene muscle which can be identified as the muscle that runs adjacent to the phrenic nerve. Next make a pocket for the transmitter by inserting the tips of tissue separating scissors beneath the skin of the mouse and spreading them until a pocket slightly larger than the width of the transmitter is formed. Flush the pocket with warm sterile saline.Then insert the transmitter with the flatter side against the muscle. Position the transmitter so that it lies flat and the wires emerge from the pocket, parallel to each other rather than twisted. Run the leads from the transmitter to the scalene and trapezius muscles, so that the two sets of biopotential leads lie flat and parallel to each other.Next use the laminectomy forceps to separate the anterior scalene from the surrounding muscles. Then insert a 25-gauge needle through the scalene muscle perpendicular to the muscle fibers. Insert one lead into the tip of the needle and then pull the needle out of the muscle leaving behind the lead inserted into the muscle up to the insulation of the wire.Record which color leads are inserted into which muscle. Apply a drop of cyanoacrylate adhesive to a 21-gauge needle to facilitate glue application to the leads. Then place the adhesive onto the exposed end of the wire close to the muscle where the lead is inserted.Quickly slide the lead cap over the wire so that no wire is exposed between the lead cap and the muscle. Trim the excess wire distal to the cap and apply a drop of cyanoacrylate adhesive to the end of the lead cap and wire. Give the glue time to polymerize before releasing.Next insert the opposite polarity lead parallel to the first in the same muscle in the same manner. This lead should be one to two millimeters away from the first lead. Repeat the procedure to insert leads into the trapezius muscle, located just anterior to the scalene muscle as shown here.Next check that the wire leads are fixed in place and that there is just enough slack in the leads for the animal to perform body movements without pulling on the leads. Then gently remove the tape holding down the forelimb. Pull the fat pad back over the muscle and use it to cover the inserted leads.Next tease the skin flaps back together so that the incision lines up. Pinch a portion of the skin flaps together with curved forceps, and apply a small line of cyanoacrylate adhesive along this line. Inject 0.1 milliliters of carprofen subcutaneously to alleviate postoperative pain while the animal is still under anesthesia.Remove the animal from the nosecone and place it in a clean cage in the pre-warmed incubator until the animal is awake and moving around the cage voluntarily. Place the mouse in the plethysmography chamber for at least one hour to acclimate it prior to recording EMG and plethysmography. Prior to recording but after calibration, turn on the transmitter by placing a strong magnet within one inch of the implanted animal.A red light on the front of the receiver will indicate when the transmitter is on. Begin acquisition using the pull-down menu labeled Acquisition and choose Start Acquisition. Although the recording duration may vary by experiment, a typical plethysmography and EMG recording lasts one to three hours.When acquisition is finished, turn off the transmitter with a magnet and return the animal to the home cage. The following are WBP and EMG traces of scalene and trapezius muscles from a presymptomatic SOD-1(G93A)mouse on postnatal day 98. Periods when the animal is at rest are used for analysis.The red box shows EMG traces at rest lacking EMG bouts, characteristic of a presymptomatic mouse. Traces outside the red box show large and irregular peaks in plethysmography traces and muscle activity and EMG traces, typical when an animal is moving. This image shows WBP and EMG traces of the trapezius muscle from a symptomatic SOD-1(G93A)mouse on postnatal day 126, when an EMG bout is present while the mouse is at rest.Once mastered, this technique can be done in 35 minutes if it is performed properly. Following this procedure, implanted animals can be used to assess the effectiveness of pharmaceuticals to enhance accessory respiratory muscle activity in models of disease or injury.

repeated-measurement-respiratory-muscle-activity-ventilation-mouse

Research

JoVE Journal

Medicine

A Murine Model of Muscle Training by Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation

Neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) is a common clinical modality that is widely used to restore1, maintain2 or enhance3-5 muscle functional capacity. Transcutaneous surface stimulation of skeletal muscle involves a current flow between a cathode and an anode, thereby inducing excitement of the motor unit and the surrounding muscle fibers. 
NMES is an attractive modality to evaluate skeletal muscle adaptive responses for several reasons. First, it provides a reproducible experimental model in which physiological adaptations, such as myofiber hypertophy and muscle strengthening6, angiogenesis7-9, growth factor secretion9-11, and muscle precursor cell activation12 are well documented. Such physiological responses may be carefully titrated using different parameters of stimulation (for Cochrane review, see 13). In addition, NMES recruits motor units non-selectively, and in a spatially fixed and temporally synchronous manner14, offering the advantage of exerting a treatment effect on all fibers, regardless of fiber type. Although there are specified contraindications to NMES in clinical populations, including peripheral venous disorders or malignancy, for example, NMES is safe and feasible, even for those who are ill and/or bedridden and for populations in which rigorous exercise may be challenging. 
Here, we demonstrate the protocol for adapting commercially available electrodes and performing a NMES protocol using a murine model. This animal model has the advantage of utilizing a clinically available device and providing instant feedback regarding positioning of the electrode to elicit the desired muscle contractile effect. For the purpose of this manuscript, we will describe the protocol for muscle stimulation of the anterior compartment muscles of a mouse hindlimb.

A murine model of neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES), a safe and inexpensive clinical modality, to the anterior compartment muscles is described. This model has the advantage of modifying a readily available clinical device for the purpose of eliciting targeted and specific muscle contractions in mice.

Neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) is a common clinical modality that is widely used to restore1, maintain2 or enhance3-5 muscle functional ...

Evaluation of Respiratory Muscle Activation Using Respiratory Motor Control Assessment (RMCA) in Individuals with Chronic Spinal Cord Injury

During breathing, activation of respiratory muscles is coordinated by integrated input from the brain, brainstem, and spinal cord. When this coordination is disrupted by spinal cord injury (SCI), control of respiratory muscles innervated below the injury level is compromised1,2 leading to respiratory muscle dysfunction and pulmonary complications. These conditions are among the leading causes of death in patients with SCI3. Standard pulmonary function tests that assess respiratory motor function include spirometrical and maximum airway pressure outcomes: Forced Vital Capacity (FVC), Forced Expiratory Volume in one second (FEV1), Maximal Inspiratory Pressure (PImax) and Maximal Expiratory Pressure (PEmax)4,5. These values provide indirect measurements of respiratory muscle performance6. In clinical practice and research, a surface electromyography (sEMG) recorded from respiratory muscles can be used to assess respiratory motor function and help to diagnose neuromuscular pathology. However, variability in the sEMG amplitude inhibits efforts to develop objective and direct measures of respiratory motor function6. Based on a multi-muscle sEMG approach to characterize motor control of limb muscles7, known as the voluntary response index (VRI)8, we developed an analytical tool to characterize respiratory motor control directly from sEMG data recorded from multiple respiratory muscles during the voluntary respiratory tasks. We have termed this the Respiratory Motor Control Assessment (RMCA)9. This vector analysis method quantifies the amount and distribution of activity across muscles and presents it in the form of an index that relates the degree to which sEMG output within a test-subject resembles that from a group of healthy (non-injured) controls. The resulting index value has been shown to have high face validity, sensitivity and specificity9-11. We showed previously9 that the RMCA outcomes significantly correlate with levels of SCI and pulmonary function measures. We are presenting here the method to quantitatively compare post-spinal cord injury respiratory multi-muscle activation patterns to those of healthy individuals.

Evaluation of Respiratory Muscle Activation Using Respiratory Motor Control Assessment RMCA in Individuals with Chronic Spinal Cord Injury

The purpose of this publication is to present our original work on a multi-muscle surface electromyographic approach to quantitatively characterize respiratory muscle activation patterns in individuals with chronic spinal cord injury using vector-based analysis.

During breathing, activation of respiratory muscles is coordinated by integrated input from the brain, brainstem, and spinal cord. When this coordination ...

A Simple Method of Mouse Lung Intubation

A simple procedure to intubate mice for pulmonary function measurements would have several advantages in longitudinal studies with limited numbers or expensive animal. One of the reasons that this is not done more routinely is that it is relatively difficult, despite there being several published studies that describe ways to achieve it. In this paper we demonstrate a procedure that eliminates one of the major hurdles associated with this intubation, that of visualizing the trachea during the entire time of intubation. The approach uses a 0.5 mm fiberoptic light source that serves as an introducer to direct the intubation cannula into the mouse trachea. We show that it is possible to use this procedure to measure lung mechanics in individual mice over a time course of at least several weeks. The technique can be set up with relatively little expense and expertise, and it can be routinely accomplished with relatively little training. This should make it possible for any laboratory to routinely carry out this intubation, thereby allowing longitudinal studies in individual mice, thereby minimizing the number of mice needed and increasing the statistical power by using each mouse as its own control.

This paper describes a striaghforward and efficient method of intubating mice for pulmonary function measurements or pulmonary instillation, that allows the mice to recover and be studied at later times. The procedure involves an inexpensive fiberoptic light source that directly illuminates the trachea.

A  simple procedure to intubate mice for pulmonary function measurements would  have several advantages in longitudinal studies with limited numbers or  ...

Clinical Assessment of Spatiotemporal Gait Parameters in Patients and Older Adults

Spatial and temporal characteristics of human walking are frequently evaluated to identify possible gait impairments, mainly in orthopedic and neurological patients1-4, but also in healthy older adults5,6. The quantitative gait analysis described in this protocol is performed with a recently-introduced photoelectric system (see&#160;Materials table) which has the potential to be used in the clinic because it is portable, easy to set up (no subject preparation is required before a test), and does not require maintenance and sensor calibration. The photoelectric system consists of series of high-density floor-based photoelectric cells with light-emitting and light-receiving diodes that are placed parallel to each other to create a corridor, and are oriented perpendicular to the line of progression7. The system simply detects interruptions in light signal, for instance due to the presence of feet within the recording area. Temporal gait parameters and 1D spatial coordinates of consecutive steps are subsequently calculated to provide common gait parameters such as step length, single limb support and walking velocity8, whose validity against a criterion instrument has recently been demonstrated7,9. The measurement procedures are very straightforward; a single patient can be tested in less than 5 min&#160;and a comprehensive report can be generated in less than 1&#160;min.

This protocol is used to evaluate spatial and temporal gait variables of neurological/orthopedic patients and older persons by means of a recently-introduced floor-based photocell system.

Spatial and temporal characteristics of human walking are frequently evaluated to identify possible gait impairments, mainly in orthopedic and ...

Automated Measurement of Pulmonary Emphysema and Small Airway Remodeling in Cigarette Smoke-exposed Mice

COPD is projected to be the third most common cause of mortality world-wide by 2020(1). Animal models of COPD are used to identify molecules that contribute to the disease process and to test the efficacy of novel therapies for COPD. Researchers use a number of models of COPD employing different species including rodents, guinea-pigs, rabbits, and dogs(2). However, the most widely-used model is that in which mice are exposed to cigarette smoke. Mice are an especially useful species in which to model COPD because their genome can readily be manipulated to generate animals that are either deficient in, or over-express individual proteins. Studies of gene-targeted mice that have been exposed to cigarette smoke have provided valuable information about the contributions of individual molecules to different lung pathologies in COPD(3-5). Most studies have focused on pathways involved in emphysema development which contributes to the airflow obstruction that is characteristic of COPD. However, small airway fibrosis also contributes significantly to airflow obstruction in human COPD patients(6), but much less is known about the pathogenesis of this lesion in smoke-exposed animals. To address this knowledge gap, this protocol quantifies both emphysema development and small airway fibrosis in smoke-exposed mice. This protocol exposes mice to CS using a whole-body exposure technique, then measures respiratory mechanics in the mice, inflates the lungs of mice to a standard pressure, and fixes the lungs in formalin. The researcher then stains the lung sections with either Gill&#8217;s stain to measure the mean alveolar chord length (as a readout of emphysema severity) or Masson&#8217;s trichrome stain to measure deposition of extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins around small airways (as a readout of small airway fibrosis). Studies of the effects of molecular pathways on both of these lung pathologies will lead to a better understanding of the pathogenesis of COPD.

The goal of this protocol is to provide automated methods to quantify chronic lung pathologies in a murine model of COPD. The protocol includes exposing mice to cigarette smoke (CS), measuring pulmonary function, inflating the lungs, and using morphometry methods to measure emphysema and small airway remodeling in mice.

COPD is projected to be the third most common cause of mortality world-wide by 2020(1).  Animal models of COPD are used to identify molecules that ...

Quantitative Magnetic Resonance Imaging of Skeletal Muscle Disease

Quantitative magnetic resonance imaging (qMRI) describes the development and use of MRI to quantify physical, chemical, and/or biological properties of living systems. Neuromuscular diseases often exhibit a temporally varying, spatially heterogeneous, and multi-faceted pathology. The goal of this protocol is to characterize this pathology using qMRI methods. The MRI acquisition protocol begins with localizer images (used to locate the position of the body and tissue of interest within the MRI system), quality control measurements of relevant magnetic field distributions, and structural imaging for general anatomical characterization. The qMRI portion of the protocol includes measurements of the longitudinal and transverse relaxation time constants (T1 and T2, respectively). Also acquired are diffusion-tensor MRI data, in which water diffusivity is measured and used to infer pathological processes such as edema. Quantitative magnetization transfer imaging is used to characterize the relative tissue content of macromolecular and free water protons. Lastly, fat-water MRI methods are used to characterize fibro-adipose tissue replacement of muscle. In addition to describing the data acquisition and analysis procedures, this paper also discusses the potential problems associated with these methods, the analysis and interpretation of the data, MRI safety, and strategies for artifact reduction and protocol optimization.

Neuromuscular diseases often exhibit a temporally varying, spatially heterogeneous, and multi-faceted pathology. The goal of this protocol is to characterize this pathology using non-invasive magnetic resonance imaging methods.

Quantitative magnetic resonance imaging (qMRI) describes the development and use of MRI to quantify physical, chemical, and/or biological properties of ...

Cutaneous Surgical Denervation:  A Method for Testing the Requirement for Nerves in Mouse Models of Skin Disease

Cutaneous somatosensory nerves function to detect diverse stimuli that act upon the skin. In addition to their established sensory roles, recent studies have suggested that nerves may also modulate skin disorders including atopic dermatitis, psoriasis and cancer. Here, we describe protocols for testing the requirement for nerves in maintaining a cutaneous mechanosensory organ, the touch dome (TD). Specifically, we discuss methods for genetically labeling, harvesting and visualizing TDs by whole-mount staining, and for performing unilateral surgical denervation on mouse dorsal back skin. Together, these approaches can be used to directly compare TD morphology and gene expression in denervated as well as sham-operated skin from the same animal. These methods can also be readily adapted to examine the requirement for nerves in mouse models of skin pathology. Finally, the ability to repeatedly sample the skin provides an opportunity to monitor disease progression at different stages and times after initiation.

This article includes detailed protocols for genetic labeling of mouse skin, surgical denervation, skin biopsy and visualizing labeled epithelia by whole-mount &#946;-galactosidase staining. These methods can be used to test the requirement for nerves in mouse models of normal and pathological skin.

Cutaneous somatosensory nerves function to detect diverse stimuli that act upon the skin. In addition to their established sensory roles, recent studies ...

A Component-resolved Diagnostic Approach for a Study on Grass Pollen Allergens in Chinese Southerners with Allergic Rhinitis and/or Asthma

Sensitization to grass pollen imposes a global risk for allergic airway diseases. Although prevention relies on local investigation of the pollen allergens, data on this topic are limited in southern China. Any available data were obtained by self-report questionnaires, skin prick tests, and total or specific IgE tests using crude extracts. For many reasons, these methods are unreliable. Serum sIgE reactivity to Bermuda grass, Timothy grass, and Humulus scandens allergens in a cohort of patients from Greater Guangzhou (southern China&#39;s largest city and its outskirts) with allergic rhinitis and/or asthma were examined using a fully-automated immunoassay analyzer as a component-resolved diagnostics (CRD) tool.
For the first time, a considerably high prevalence of Bermuda grass sIgE positivity was demonstrated in Chinese southerners with allergic rhinitis and/or asthma. In these patients, a subtle prevalence of sensitization to Timothy grass and Humulus scandens was also noted, which may arise from cross-reactivity, as the latter two are not common in the region. This was also supported by the detection of allergen components.
Fully-automated immunoassay analyzers may offer satisfactory consistency between regions, laboratories, and institutions and over time. The automaticity of the instrument may enable a standardized detection that would not have been readily revealed before the advent of CRD.
This is a study that uses a CRD approach to investigate sensitization to grass pollen allergens in southern China. It adds to current evidence in the literature. Future studies are needed to validate these findings. However, although CRD is a useful tool, the findings made with the fully-automated immunoassay analyzer should not substitute for other laboratory investigations, clinical evaluations, and physician expertise.

This work describes a protocol that uses a component-resolved approach to study sensitization to grass pollen allergens in a cohort of patients from southern China with allergic rhinitis and/or asthma.

Sensitization to grass pollen imposes a global risk for allergic airway diseases. Although prevention relies on local investigation of the pollen ...

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.

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

Assessment of Kidney Function in Mouse Models of Glomerular Disease

The use of murine models to mimic human kidney disease is becoming increasingly common. Our research is focused on the assessment of glomerular function in diabetic nephropathy and podocyte-specific VEGF-A knock-out mice; therefore, this protocol describes the full kidney work-up used in our lab to assess these mouse models of glomerular disease, enabling a vast amount of information regarding kidney and glomerular function to be obtained from a single mouse. In comparison to alternative methods presented in the literature to assess glomerular function, the use of the method outlined in this paper enables the glomerular phenotype to be fully evaluated from multiple aspects. By using this method, the researcher can determine the kidney phenotype of the model and assess the mechanism as to why the phenotype develops. This vital information on the mechanism of disease is required when examining potential therapeutic avenues in these models. The methods allow for detailed functional assessment of the glomerular filtration barrier through measurement of the urinary albumin creatinine ratio and individual glomerular water permeability, as well as both structural and ultra-structural examination using the Periodic Acid Schiff stain and electron microscopy. Furthermore, analysis of the genes dysregulated at the mRNA and protein level enables mechanistic analysis of glomerular function. This protocol outlines the generic but adaptable methods that can be applied to all mouse models of glomerular disease.

This protocol describes a full kidney work-up that should be carried out in mouse models of glomerular disease. The methods allow for detailed functional, structural, and mechanistic analysis of glomerular function, which can be applied to all mouse models of glomerular disease.

The use of murine models to mimic human kidney disease is becoming increasingly common. Our research is focused on the assessment of glomerular function ...