Name: an in vivo assay to test blood vessel permeability
Uploaded: 2013-03-16T13:00:00
Description: Watch this Scientific Journal Video about An in vivo Assay to Test Blood Vessel Permeability at JoVE.com

This work was supported by a grant from the National Institutes of Health, R01CA142928.

1. Intravenous Injection of Evans Blue in the Mouse Lateral Tail Vein
	<ol>
	 <li>Prepare a 0.5% sterile solution of Evans blue in PBS. If necessary, filter-sterilize the solution to remove any particulate matter that has not dissolved.	 </li>
 <li>Aspirate 200 &mu;l Evans Blue solution into a syringe. Avoid all air bubbles that might have escaped into the syringe. </li>
 <li>Place mice that are 8-12 weeks old into a restraint device so that the animal is not freely mobile but its tail can be handled. </l...

<ol>
	<li>Beck, K. F., 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=Inducible+NO+synthase:+role+in+cellular+signaling.">Inducible NO synthase: role in cellular signaling.</a> J. Exp. Biol. 202, 645-653 (1999).</li><li>Bertglia, S., Giusti, A. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Role+of+nitric+oxide+in+capillary+perfusion+and+oxygen+delivery+regulation+during+systemic+hypoxia.">Role of nitric oxide in capillary perfusion and oxygen delivery regulation during systemic hypoxia.</a> Am. J. Physiol. Heart Circ. Physiol. 288, H525-H531 (2005).</li><li>Miles, A. A., Miles, E. M. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Vascular+reactions+to+histamine,+histamine-liberator+and+leutaxine+in+the+skin+of+guinea+pigs.">Vascular reactions to histamine, histamine-liberator and leutaxine in the skin of guinea pigs.</a> J. Physiol. (London). 118, 228-257 (1952).</li><li>Weis, S. M. <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+in+cardiovascular+disease+and+cancer.">Vascular permeability in cardiovascular disease and cancer.</a> Curr. Opin. Hematol. 15, 243-249 (2008).</li><li>Kumar, P., Shen, Q., Pivetii, C. D., Lee, E. S., We, M. H., Yuan, S. Y. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Molecular+mechanisms+of+endothelial+hyperpermeability:+implications+in+inflammation.">Molecular mechanisms of endothelial hyperpermeability: implications in inflammation.</a> Expert Rev. Mol. Med. 30, 11-19 (2009).</li><li>Viazzi, F., 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=Vascular+permeability,+blood+pressure,+and+organ+damage+in+primary+hypertension.">Vascular permeability, blood pressure, and organ damage in primary hypertension.</a> Hypertens. Res. 31, 873-879 (2008).</li><li>Scheppke, ., 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=Retinal+vascular+permeability+suppression+by+topical+application+of+a+novel+VEGFR2/Src+kinase+inhibitor+in+mice+and+rabbits.">Retinal vascular permeability suppression by topical application of a novel VEGFR2/Src kinase inhibitor in mice and rabbits.</a> J. Clin. Invest. 118, 2337-2346 (2008).</li><li>Blanchet, M. R., 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=Loss+of+CD34+Leads+To+Exacerbated+Autoimmune+Arthritis+through+Increased+Vascular+Permeability.">Loss of CD34 Leads To Exacerbated Autoimmune Arthritis through Increased Vascular Permeability.</a> J. Immunol. 184, 1292-1299 (2010).</li><li>Dvorak, A. M. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Mast+cell-derived+mediators+of+enhanced+microvascular+permeability,+vascular+permeability+factor/vascular+endothelial+growth+factor,+histamine,+and+serotonin,+cause+leakage+of+macromolecules+through+a+new+endothelial+cell+permeability+organelle,+the+vesiculo-vacuolar+organelle.">Mast cell-derived mediators of enhanced microvascular permeability, vascular permeability factor/vascular endothelial growth factor, histamine, and serotonin, cause leakage of macromolecules through a new endothelial cell permeability organelle, the vesiculo-vacuolar organelle.</a> Chem. Immunol. Allergy. 85, 185-204 (2005).</li><li>Le Guelte, A., Gavard, J. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Role+of+endothelial+cell-cell+junctions+in+endothelial+permeability.">Role of endothelial cell-cell junctions in endothelial permeability.</a> Methods Mol. Biol. 763, 265-279 (2011).</li><li>Martins-Green, M., Petreaca, M., Yao, M. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=An+assay+system+for+in+vitro+detection+of+permeability+in+human+"endothelium".">An assay system for in vitro detection of permeability in human "endothelium".</a> Methods Enzymol. 443, 137-153 (2008).</li></ol>

Vascular permeability is a critical marker for blood vessel status. Increased vascular permeability has been shown to be present in several systemic diseases, including diabetes, hypertension, and autoimmune diseases 6,7,8. Increased vascular permeability has been shown to be mediated by shear stress, growth factors like vascular endothelial growth factor and fibroblast growth factor, inflammatory mediators like serotonin, histamine and bradykinin 9. Extravasation of water and small molecules is tho...

Formation and maintenance of selective permeable barriers are essential for proper organ development and performance 1,2. Endothelial cells line the blood vessel lumen and form a semi-permeable barrier that is essential in the selective transport between blood and the interstitial space of all organs. An adequate permeability barrier is maintained through tight cell-to-cell junctions that are strictly controlled by growth factors, cytokines and other stress related molecules 3. Disruption of the endothelial cell barrier can result in increased permeability and vascular leakage. These effects are seen in various disease states and the understanding of the underlining molecular signaling requires multidisciplinary methods 4,5. In this article, we describe an in vivo method to measure vessel permeability using a mouse model.
The assay we are describing, also known as Miles assay, is a well-established method to test vascular permeability in vivo. The assay is based on the fact that, under basal physiological conditions, albumin does not cross the endothelial barrier. Evans Blue, an azo dye with high affinity for albumin, is injected in the blood stream of an experimental animal, and under physiologic conditions, it is expected to be restricted within blood vessels. When a vascular permeability stimulus is added, either topically or systemically, blood vessels start to leak protein and thus, also the Evans blue that is bound to albumin. This results in a rapid bluish coloration of tissues that have permeable vessels.
Successful injection of the dye in the mouse lateral tail vein is critical for the good outcome of the experiment. Tail vein injection technique requires extensive practice and should be mastered prior to starting the experiment.
 Vessel permeability is highly dependent on the age and weight of the animal, so when comparing different mouse strains it is imperative that the mice or other test subjects have close to identical birth dates and weight. Other factors that influence the permeability of the endothelial barrier are environmental conditions such as temperature, humidity, and very importantly, the handling stress of the mouse. Due to the multitude of factors that can influence the outcome of the experiment it is always advisable that the experiment is repeated at least three times and statistical analysis performed. 
This assay can be used or to compare vessel permeability of mice that have been genetically modified, as well as mice with different genetic backgrounds. Permeability can be assessed in the presence or absence of a stimulus, depending on the function of the gene that is modulated. This assay can also be used or to test the effect of different compounds on vessel permeability.

<table border="1">
	<tbody>
 	<tr>
 	<td></td>
 <td></td>
 <td></td>
 <td>REAGENT</td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 	<td>EVANS BLUE</td>
 <td>SIGMA	</td>
 <td>E2129	</td>
 <td></td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 	<td>FORMAMIDE</td>
 <td>INVITROGEN</td>
 <td>15515-026	</td>
 <td></td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 	<td>PBS</td>
 <td></td>
 <td></td>
 <td>0.2M Phosphate 
				1.5M NaCl 
				pH 7.4</td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 	<td></td>
 <td></td>
 <td></td>
 <td>EQUIPMENT</td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 	<td>SPECTROPHOTOMETER</td>
 <td>EPPENDORF</td>
 <td>952000006	</td>
 <td></td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 	<td>MOUSE RESTRAINT DEVICE</td>
 <td>HARVARD APPARATUS</td>
 <td>340012	</td>
 <td></td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 	<td>SYRINGE</td>
 <td>BD</td>
 <td>309659	</td>
 <td></td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 	<td>NEEDLES</td>
 <td>BD</td>
 <td>305106</td>
 <td>The gauge of the needle depends on the size of the animal.</td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 	<td>BALANCE</td>
 <td>DENVER INSTRUMENT</td>
 <td>TP-64	</td>
 <td></td>
 </tr>
 </tbody>
 </table>

an in vivo assay to test blood vessel permeability

This method is based on the intravenous injection of Evans Blue in mice as the test animal model. Evans blue is a dye that binds albumin. Under physiologic conditions the endothelium is impermeable to albumin, so Evans blue bound albumin remains restricted within blood vessels. In pathologic conditions that promote increased vascular permeability endothelial cells partially lose their close contacts and the endothelium becomes permeable to small proteins such as albumin. This condition allows for extravasation of Evans Blue in tissues. A healthy endothelium prevents extravasation of the dye in the neighboring vascularized tissues. Organs with increased permeability will show significantly increased blue coloration compared to organs with intact endothelium. The level of vascular permeability can be assessed by simple visualization or by quantitative measurement of the dye incorporated per milligram of tissue of control versus experimental animal/tissue. Two powerful aspects of this assay are its simplicity and quantitative characteristics. Evans Blue dye can be extracted from tissues by incubating a specific amount of tissue in formamide. Evans Blue absorbance maximum is at 620 nm and absorbance minimum is at 740 nm. By using a standard curve for Evans Blue, optical density measurements can be converted into milligram dye captured per milligram of tissue. Statistical analysis should be used to assess significant differences in vascular permeability.

We used an in vivo permeability assay to test vessel leakage in mice 8-12 weeks old. This test is useful in comparing the relative vascular permeability between animals of different genetic background or in a single strain of mice subjected to treatments that affect the vasculature. Our results show that a strain of genetically modified mice we created in our lab has a more permeable endothelium compared to wild-type mice. These changes are evident at macroscopic level in many organs (Figure 1)...

Watch this Scientific Journal Video about An in vivo Assay to Test Blood Vessel Permeability at JoVE.com

An in vivo Assay to Test Blood Vessel Permeability

We are presenting an in vivo assay to test blood vessel permeability. This assay is based on intravenous injection of a dye and subsequent visualization of its diffusion into interstitial spaces.

An in vivo Assay to Test Blood Vessel Permeability

This method is based on the intravenous injection of Evans Blue in mice as the test animal model. Evans blue is a dye that binds albumin. Under ...

an-in-vivo-assay-to-test-blood-vessel-permeability

Research

JoVE Journal

Medicine

Chemotherapy-induced Vascular Toxicity - Real-time In vivo Imaging of Vessel Impairment

Certain classes of chemotherapies may exert acute vascular changes that may progress into long-term conditions that may predispose the patient to an increased risk of vascular morbidity.&#160;Yet, albeit&#160;the mounting clinical evidence, there is a paucity of clear studies of vascular toxicity and therefore the etiology of a heterogeneous group of vascular/cardiovascular disorders remains to be elucidated. Moreover, the mechanism that may underlie vascular toxicity can completely differ from the principles of chemotherapy-induced cardiotoxicity, which is related to direct myocyte injury. We have established a real-time, in vivo molecular imaging platform&#160;to evaluate&#160;the potential&#160;acute&#160;vascular toxicity of anti-cancer therapies.
We have set up a platform of in vivo, high-resolution molecular imaging&#160;in mice,&#160;suitable for visualizing vasculature within confined organs and reference blood vessels within the same individuals whereas each individual serve as its own control. Blood vessel walls were impaired after doxorubicin administration, representing a unique mechanism of vascular toxicity that may be the early event in end-organ injury. Herein, the method of fibered confocal fluorescent microscopy (FCFM) based imaging is described, which provides an innovative mode to understand physiological phenomena at the cellular and sub-cellular levels in animal subjects.

Chemotherapy-induced Vascular Toxicity - Real-time In vivo Imaging of Vessel Impairment

We herein describe the method of fibered confocal fluorescent microscopy (FCFM) based imaging, which provides an innovative mode to understand physiological phenomena at the cellular and sub-cellular levels in animal subjects.

Certain classes of chemotherapies may exert acute vascular changes that may progress into long-term conditions that may predispose the patient to an ...

Ex Vivo Intestinal Sacs to Assess Mucosal Permeability in Models of Gastrointestinal Disease

The epithelial barrier is the first innate defense of the gastrointestinal tract and selectively regulates transport from the lumen to the underlying tissue compartments, restricting the transport of smaller molecules across the epithelium and almost completely prohibiting epithelial macromolecular transport. This selectivity is determined by the mucous gel layer, which limits the transport of lipophilic molecules and both the apical receptors and tight junctional protein complexes of the epithelium. In vitro cell culture models of the epithelium are convenient, but as a model, they lack the complexity of interactions between the microbiota, mucous-gel, epithelium and immune system. On the other hand, in vivo assessment of intestinal absorption or permeability may be performed, but these assays measure overall gastrointestinal absorption, with no indication of site specificity. Ex vivo permeability assays using &#34;intestinal sacs&#34; are a rapid and sensitive method of measuring either overall intestinal integrity or comparative transport of a specific molecule, with the added advantage of intestinal site specificity. Here we describe the preparation of intestinal sacs for permeability studies and the calculation of the apparent permeability (Papp) of a molecule across the intestinal barrier. This technique may be used as a method of assessing drug absorption, or to examine regional epithelial barrier dysfunction in animal models of gastrointestinal disease.

Ex Vivo Intestinal Sacs to Assess Mucosal Permeability in Models of Gastrointestinal Disease

This protocol describes the use of excised intestinal tissue preparations or "intestinal sacs" as an ex vivo model of intestinal barrier function. This model may be used to assess integrity of both the epithelial barrier and the mucous gel layer at specific intestinal sites in animal models of digestive disease.

The epithelial barrier is the first innate defense of the gastrointestinal tract and selectively regulates transport from the lumen to the underlying ...

Depletion of Mouse Cells from Human Tumor Xenografts Significantly Improves Downstream Analysis of Target Cells

The use of in vitro cell line models for cancer research has been a useful tool. However, it has been shown that these models fail to reliably mimic patient tumors in different assays1. Human tumor xenografts represent the gold standard with respect to tumor biology, drug discovery, and metastasis research 2-4. Tumor xenografts can be derived from different types of material like tumor cell lines, tumor tissue from primary patient tumors4 or serially transplanted tumors. When propagated in vivo, xenografted tissue is infiltrated and vascularized by cells of mouse origin. Multiple factors such as the tumor entity, the origin of xenografted material, growth rate and region of transplantation influence the composition and the amount of mouse cells present in tumor xenografts. However, even when these factors are kept constant, the degree of mouse cell contamination is highly variable.
Contaminating mouse cells significantly impair downstream analyses of human tumor xenografts. As mouse fibroblasts show high plating efficacies and proliferation rates, they tend to overgrow cultures of human tumor cells, especially slowly proliferating subpopulations. Mouse cell derived DNA, mRNA, and protein components can bias downstream gene expression analysis, next-generation sequencing, as well as proteome analysis 5. To overcome these limitations, we have developed a fast and easy method to isolate untouched human tumor cells from xenografted tumor tissue. This procedure is based on the comprehensive depletion of cells of mouse origin by combining automated tissue dissociation with the benchtop tissue dissociator and magnetic cell sorting. Here, we demonstrate that human target cells can be can be obtained with purities higher than 96% within less than 20 min independent of the tumor type.

Human tumor xenografts are vascularized and infiltrated by cells of mouse origin during the growth phase in vivo. To circumvent the bias caused by these contaminating cells during downstream analysis, we developed a method allowing for comprehensive depletion of all mouse cells by magnetic cell sorting.

The use of in vitro cell line models for cancer research has been a useful tool. However, it has been shown that these models fail to reliably mimic ...

In Vitro Assays to Assess Blood-brain Barrier Mesh-like Vessel Formation and Disruption

Blood-brain barrier (BBB) coverage plays a central role in the homeostasis of the central nervous system (CNS). The BBB is dynamically maintained by astrocytes, pericytes and brain endothelial cells (BECs). Here, we detail methods to assess BBB coverage using single cultures of immortalized human BECs, single cultures of primary mouse BECs, and a humanized triple culture model (BECs, astrocytes and pericytes) of the BBB. To highlight the applicability of the assays to disease states, we describe the effect of oligomeric amyloid-&#946; (oA&#946;), which is an important contributor to Alzheimer&#39;s disease (AD) progression, on BBB coverage. Further, we utilize the epidermal growth factor (EGF) to illuminate the drug screening potential of the techniques. Our results show that single and triple cultured BECs form meshwork-like structures under basal conditions, and that oA&#946; disrupts this cell meshwork formation and degenerates the preformed mesh structures, but EGF blocks this disruption. Thus, the techniques described are important for dissecting fundamental and disease-relevant processes that modulate BBB coverage.

In Vitro Assays to Assess Blood-brain Barrier Mesh-like Vessel Formation and Disruption

Maintaining blood-brain barrier coverage is key for the homeostasis of the central nervous system. This protocol describes in vitro techniques to delineate the fundamental and pathological processes that modulate blood-brain barrier coverage.

Blood-brain barrier (BBB) coverage plays a central role in the homeostasis of the central nervous system (CNS). The BBB is dynamically maintained by ...

The 4-vessel Sampling Approach to Integrative Studies of Human Placental Physiology In Vivo

The human placenta is highly inaccessible for research while still in utero. The current understanding of human placental physiology in vivo is therefore largely based on animal studies, despite the high diversity among species in placental anatomy, hemodynamics and duration of the pregnancy. The vast majority of human placenta studies are ex vivo perfusion studies or in vitro trophoblast studies. Although in vitro studies and animal models are essential, extrapolation of the results from such studies to the human placenta in vivo is uncertain. We aimed to study human placenta physiology in vivo at term, and present a detailed protocol of the method. Exploiting the intraabdominal access to the uterine vein just before the uterine incision during planned cesarean section, we collect blood samples from the incoming and outgoing vessels on the maternal and fetal sides of the placenta. When combining concentration measurements from blood samples with volume blood flow measurements, we are able to quantify placental and fetal uptake and release of any compound. Furthermore, placental tissue samples from the same mother-fetus pairs can provide measurements of transporter density and activity and other aspects of placental functions in vivo. Through this integrative use of the 4-vessel sampling method we are able to test some of the current concepts of placental nutrient transfer and metabolism in vivo, both in normal and pathological pregnancies. Furthermore, this method enables the identification of substances secreted by the placenta to the maternal circulation, which could be an important contribution to the search for biomarkers of placenta dysfunction.

The 4-vessel Sampling Approach to Integrative Studies of Human Placental Physiology In Vivo

We present a detailed method to study human placental physiology in vivo at term. The method combines blood sampling from the incoming and outgoing vessels on the maternal and fetal sides of the placenta with ultrasound measurements of volume blood flow and placental tissue sampling.

The human placenta is highly inaccessible for research while still in utero. The current understanding of human placental physiology in vivo is therefore ...

A Chronic Cardiac Ischemia Model in Swine Using an Ameroid Constrictor

Cardiovascular disease remains the number one cause of mortality in the United States. There are numerous approaches to treating these diseases, but regardless of the approach, an in vivo model is needed to test each treatment. The pig is one of the most used large animal models for cardiovascular disease. Its heart is very similar in anatomy and function to that of a human. The ameroid placement technique creates an ischemic area of the heart, which has many useful applications in studying myocardial infarction. This model has been used for surgical research, pharmaceutical studies, imaging techniques, and cell therapies.
There are several ways of inducing an ischemic area in the heart. Each has its advantages and disadvantages, but the placement of an ameroid constrictor remains the most widely used technique. The main advantages to using the ameroid are its prevalence in existing research, its availability in various sizes to accommodate the anatomy and size of the vessel to be constricted, the surgery is a relatively simple procedure, and the post-operative monitoring is minimal, since there are no external devices to maintain. This paper provides a detailed overview of the proper technique for the placement of the ameroid constrictor.

The purpose of this protocol is to demonstrate the placement of a delayed constricting device (an ameroid constrictor) around a coronary artery in a swine model. This device creates an ischemic area of the heart that is useful for studying new diagnostic imaging techniques and new methods of treatment.

Cardiovascular disease remains the number one cause of mortality in the United States. There are numerous approaches to treating these diseases, but ...

Re-Arterialized Rat Partial Liver Transplantation with an in vivo Vessel-Oriented 70% Hepatectomy

Split liver transplantation and living liver donor liver transplantation were developed in the clinic to utilize liver organs in a more efficient manner. To better understand the mechanism behind these surgical procedures, a rat partial liver transplantation (PLTx) model was established for relevant surgical studies. Because of the complexity of the rat PLTx model, a protocol with detailed descriptions is required. An article published previously reported a protocol in which ex vivo hepatectomy was used to achieve 50% rat PLTx. In contrast to this protocol, we introduced a re-arterialized PLTx with an in vivo 70% hepatectomy. An updated vessel-oriented hepatectomy was incorporated into the rat PLTx to refine the microsurgical procedure. The portal veins and hepatic arteries of the left lateral lobe and the median lobe were individually dissected and ligated before removal of the liver parenchyma, thereby decreasing the probability of bleeding in the remnant liver stump. Furthermore, an end-to-side vessel anastomosis between the common hepatic artery and the enlarged proper hepatic artery was introduced to re-arterialize the hepatic artery. By using this end-to-side vessel anastomosis technique, the diameter of the anastomosis was enlarged, thereby decreasing the difficulty of hand suture and maintaining a high rate of anastomotic patency. Moreover, the cuff anastomosis of the infrahepatic vena cava was slightly modified. A section of circumferential liver parenchyma around the vena cava of a recipient was preserved during cuff anastomosis to maintain the three-dimensional shape of the vascular lumen. This section of liver parenchyma was removed after completing the anastomosis. With this modification, the step involving placement of stay sutures was omitted, thereby further shortening the cuff anastomosis time. By using this protocol of rat PLTx, a low liver enzyme level, an intact liver lobular architecture and a high survival rate were achieved after microsurgery.

Re-Arterialized Rat Partial Liver Transplantation with an in vivo Vessel-Oriented 70% Hepatectomy

Here, a protocol involving re-arterialized rat partial liver transplantation is presented. Specifically, 70% liver was resected in vivo by using an updated technique of vessel-oriented hepatectomy. The hepatic artery was reconstructed in an end-to-side manner. The cuff technique was modified to shorten the anastomosis time of the infrahepatic vena cava.

Split liver transplantation and living liver donor liver transplantation were developed in the clinic to utilize liver organs in a more efficient manner. ...

An In Vivo Method for Evaluating the Gut-Blood Barrier and Liver Metabolism of Microbiota Products

The gut-blood barrier (GBB) controls the passage of nutrients, bacterial metabolites and drugs from intestinal lumen to the bloodstream. The GBB integrity is disturbed in gastrointestinal, cardiovascular and metabolic diseases, which may result in easier access of biologically active compounds, such as gut bacterial metabolites, to the bloodstream. Thus, the permeability of the GBB may be a marker of both intestinal and extraintestinal diseases. Furthermore, the increased penetration of bacterial metabolites may affect the functioning of the entire organism.
Commonly used methods for studying the GBB permeability are performed ex vivo. The accuracy of those methods is limited, because the functioning of the GBB depends on intestinal blood flow. On the other hand, commonly used in vivo methods may be biased by liver and kidney performance, as those methods are based on evaluation of urine or/and peripheral blood concentrations of exogenous markers. Here, we present a direct measurement of GBB permeability in rats using an in vivo method based on portal blood sampling, which preserves intestinal blood flow and is virtually not affected by the liver and kidney function. 
Polyurethane catheters are inserted into the portal vein and inferior vena cava just above the hepatic veins confluence. Blood is sampled at baseline and after administration of a selected marker into a desired part of the gastrointestinal tract. Here, we present several applications of the method including (1) evaluation of the colon permeability to TMA, a gut bacterial metabolite, (2) evaluation of liver clearance of TMA, and (3) evaluation of a gut-portal blood-liver-peripheral blood pathway of gut bacteria-derived short-chain fatty acids. Furthermore, the protocol may also be used for tracking intestinal absorption and liver metabolism of drugs or for measurements of portal blood pressure.

An In Vivo Method for Evaluating the Gut-Blood Barrier and Liver Metabolism of Microbiota Products

The access of nutrients, microbiota metabolites and medicines to the circulation is controlled by the gut-blood barrier (GBB). We describe a direct method for measuring the GBB permeability in vivo, which, in contrast to commonly used indirect methods, is virtually not affected by liver and kidney functions.

The gut-blood barrier (GBB) controls the passage of nutrients, bacterial metabolites and drugs from intestinal lumen to the bloodstream. The GBB integrity ...

Measurement of Strial Blood Flow in Mouse Cochlea Utilizing an Open Vessel-Window and Intravital Fluorescence Microscopy

Transduction of sound is metabolically demanding, and the normal function of the microvasculature in the lateral wall is critical for maintaining endocochlear potential, ion transport, and fluid balance. Different forms of hearing disorders are reported to involve abnormal microcirculation in the cochlea. Investigation of how cochlear blood flow (CoBF) pathology affects hearing function is challenging due to the lack of feasible interrogation methods and the difficulty in accessing the inner ear. An open vessel-window in the lateral cochlear wall, combined with fluorescence intravital microscopy, has been used for studying CoBF changes in vivo, but mostly in guinea pig and only recently in the mouse. This paper and the associated video describe the open vessel-window method for visualizing blood flow in the mouse cochlea. Details include 1) preparation of the fluorescent-labeled blood cell suspension from mice; 2) construction of an open vessel-window for intravital microscopy in an anesthetized mouse, and 3) measurement of blood flow velocity and volume using an offline recording of the imaging. The method is presented in video format to show how to use the open window approach in mouse to investigate structural and functional changes in the cochlear microcirculation under normal and pathological conditions.

An open vessel-window approach using fluorescent tracers provides sufficient resolution for cochlear blood flow (CoBF) measurement. The method facilitates the study of structural and functional changes in CoBF in mouse under normal and pathological conditions.

Transduction of sound is metabolically demanding, and the normal function of the microvasculature in the lateral wall is critical for maintaining ...

Precision Cut Lung Slices as an Efficient Tool for Ex vivo Pulmonary Vessel Structure and Contractility Studies

The visualization of murine lung tissue provides valuable structural and cellular information regarding the underlying airway and vasculature. However, the preservation of pulmonary vessels that truly represents physiological conditions still presents challenges. In addition, the delicate configuration of murine lungs result in technical challenges preparing samples for high-quality images that preserve both cellular composition and architecture. Similarly, cellular contractility assays can be performed to study the potential of cells to respond to vasoconstrictors in vitro, but these assays do not reproduce the complex environment of the intact lung. In contrast to these technical issues, the precision-cut lung slice (PCLS) method can be applied as an efficient alternative to visualize lung tissue in three dimensions without regional bias and serve as a live surrogate contractility model for up to 10 days. Tissue prepared using PCLS has preserved structure and spatial orientation, making it ideal to study disease processes ex vivo. The location of endogenous tdTomato-labeled cells in PCLS harvested from an inducible tdTomato reporter murine model can be successfully visualized by confocal microscopy. After exposure to vasoconstrictors, PCLS demonstrates the preservation of both vessel contractility and lung structure, which can be captured by a time-lapse module. In combination with the other procedures, such as western blot and RNA analysis, PCLS can contribute to the comprehensive understanding of signaling cascades that underlie a wide variety of disorders and lead to a better understanding of the pathophysiology in pulmonary vascular diseases.

Precision Cut Lung Slices as an Efficient Tool for Ex vivo Pulmonary Vessel Structure and Contractility Studies

Presented here is a protocol for preserving the vascular contractility of PCLS murine lung tissue, resulting in a sophisticated three-dimensional image of the pulmonary vasculature and airway, which can be preserved for up to 10 days that is susceptible to numerous procedures.

The visualization of murine lung tissue provides valuable structural and cellular information regarding the underlying airway and vasculature. However, ...