The studies were supported by NIH HL75503 to KP.

All experiments performed on animals were as approved by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee of the University of Tennessee Health Science Center.
1. Tubing for Perfusing Rat Lung Preparations
<ol>
	<li>Prepare a tubing system with Tygon tubing (#18) for blood perfusion as shown in Figure 1. Connect pressure transducers (P23XL) and place the tubing on the microscope stage.</li>
	<li>Set water bath temperature to 37 &#176;C.</li>
	<li>Connect the lung inlet and ou...

<ol>
	<li>Ware, L. B., Matthay, M. A. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=The+acute+respiratory+distress+syndrome.">The acute respiratory distress syndrome.</a> N Engl J Med. 342, 1334-1349 (2000).</li><li>Matthay, M. A., 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=The+acute+respiratory+distress+syndrome.">The acute respiratory distress syndrome.</a> J Clin Invest. 122, 2731-2740 (2012).</li><li>Bhattacharya, J., Matthay, M. 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B., Stewart, P. A. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Differential+permeability+of+endothelial+and+epithelial+barriers+to+albumin+flux.">Differential permeability of endothelial and epithelial barriers to albumin flux.</a> J Appl Physiol Respir Environ Exerc Physiol. 47, 1315-1324 (1979).</li><li>Boutoille, D., 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=FITC-albumin+as+a+marker+for+assessment+of+endothelial+permeability+in+mice:+comparison+with+125I-albumin.">FITC-albumin as a marker for assessment of endothelial permeability in mice: comparison with 125I-albumin.</a> Exp Lung Res. 35, 263-271 (2009).</li><li>Thorball, N. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=FITC-dextran+tracers+in+microcirculatory+and+permeability+studies+using+combined+fluorescence+stereo+microscopy,+fluorescence+light+microscopy+and+electron+microscopy.">FITC-dextran tracers in microcirculatory and permeability studies using combined fluorescence stereo microscopy, fluorescence light microscopy and electron microscopy.</a> Histochemistry. 71, 209-233 (1981).</li><li>Stevens, T. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Functional+and+molecular+heterogeneity+of+pulmonary+endothelial+cells.">Functional and molecular heterogeneity of pulmonary endothelial cells.</a> Proc Am Thorac Soc. 8, 453-457 (2011).</li><li>Ofori-Acquah, S. 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=Heterogeneity+of+barrier+function+in+the+lung+reflects+diversity+in+endothelial+cell+junctions.">Heterogeneity of barrier function in the lung reflects diversity in endothelial cell junctions.</a> Microvasc Res. 75, 391-402 (2008).</li><li>Kandasamy, K., 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=Real-time+imaging+reveals+endothelium-mediated+leukocyte+retention+in+LPS-treated+lung+microvessels.">Real-time imaging reveals endothelium-mediated leukocyte retention in LPS-treated lung microvessels.</a> Microvasc Res. 83, 323-331 (2012).</li><li>Kandasamy, K., 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=Lipopolysaccharide+induces+endoplasmic+store+Ca2+-dependent+inflammatory+responses+in+lung+microvessels.">Lipopolysaccharide induces endoplasmic store Ca2+-dependent inflammatory responses in lung microvessels.</a> PloS One. 8, (2013).</li><li>Qiao, R. 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The isolated blood-perfused lung preparation coupled with real time imaging provides a simple tool for determination of permeability changes in single lung microvessels. We applied this method to define permeability changes in response to infusions of LPS. Our data clearly suggest that LPS infusion caused an increase in microvascular permeability. Further, the data also indicate that permeability changes induced by LPS were similar in both venules and capillaries. Thus, a major advantage of this technique is the ability ...

Increased microvascular permeability in lungs leads to development of alveolar edema and compromised gas exchange and is a major characteristic of acute lung injury (ALI)1-3. Thus, estimates of vascular permeability are important in defining the extent of lung injury and efficacy of proposed therapeutic interventions. Gravimetric analysis such as blood free lung wet-to-dry ratio and microvascular filtration coefficient are widely used methods to estimate permeability4,5. Other methods include quantifying the retention of radioactive or fluorescent probes in lung tissue6-8. However, the above methods require postexperiment processing of lung tissue samples toward elucidating the permeability data. Moreover, since one animal can be only used for a single treatment protocol, large animal numbers may be needed for a complete study. A common characteristic of the above methods is that they determine the mean vascular permeability for all blood vessels within the tissue sample. However, it is well established that pulmonary micro- and macro-vessels are phenotypically different9. Hence, permeability responses may be heterogeneous among the various vessel segments as well9,10. Thus, quantifying mean permeability of all pulmonary vessels in a tissue sample may not adequately reflect this heterogeneity.
In the isolated blood-perfused lung preparation, blood vessels on the lung surface can be visualized by an upright microscope4,11,12. This enables characterizing responses in single vessels and thus, addressing any heterogeneity in the responses13. In addition, by utilizing fluorescence imaging of microvessels, fluorescence based assays can be incorporated. Further, a left atrial microcatheter can be used to deliver agents and fluorescence probes into blood vessels11,14. The microcatheter limits the delivery to a small lung region, thus exposing only the blood vessels within the region to the infused agents and fluorophores. This allows multiple small regions within the same lung to be used for separate experiments, leading to an overall reduction in animals needed for a study.
Real time imaging enables capture of dynamic changes in vascular and extravascular fluorescence of single microvessels of the isolated lung preparation. Thus, for each microvessel within an image field, changes in fluorescence during infusion of fluorophores and washoff can be recorded, and quantified offline14. Using values of maximum and residual vascular fluorescence, a permeability index for each microvessel within the imaging field can be determined. To determine permeability changes in response to inflammatory or injurious agents, the desired agent can be administered first and then the permeability index determined. In addition, the image field can be set anywhere within the lung region infused by the microcatheter, thus enabling a high degree of flexibility in selecting the desired vascular network. Thus, the isolated blood-perfused lung preparation in tandem with real time imaging provides an attractive experimental model to quantify permeability in single lung microvessels.

<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="740">
	<tbody>
		<tr height="42">
			<td height="42" style="height:42px;width:216px;">Tygon Tubing</td>
			<td style="width:108px;">Fisher Scientific</td>
			<td style="width:119px;"></td>
			<td style="width:297px;">#18</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="42">
			<td height="42" style="height:42px;width:216px;">Pressure Transducer</td>
			<td style="width:108px;">Data Sciences International</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">P23XL</td>
			<td>Need quantity 3</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="42">
			<td height="42" style="height:42px;width:216px;">Butterfly Needle</td>
			<td style="width:108px;">Greiner Bio-One</td>
			<td align="right" style="width:119px;">450081</td>
			<td>21G</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:216px;">Peristaltic pump</td>
			<td style="width:108px;">Cole Parmer</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">Masterflex L/S</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="42">
			<td height="42" style="height:42px;width:216px;">PE-90 tubing</td>
			<td style="width:108px;">Becton Dickinson</td>
			<td align="right" style="width:119px;">427421</td>
			<td>30 cm needed</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="42">
			<td height="42" style="height:42px;width:216px;">PE-10 tubing</td>
			<td style="width:108px;">Becton Dickinson</td>
			<td align="right" style="width:119px;">427401</td>
			<td>40 cm needed</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="42">
			<td height="42" style="height:42px;width:216px;">Syringe Pump</td>
			<td style="width:108px;">Braintree Scientific</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">BS8000</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:216px;">O-ring</td>
			<td style="width:108px;"></td>
			<td style="width:119px;"></td>
			<td>Custom made with a 20 mm diamter hole&#160; and a handle&#160; to secure o-ring to holder</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="42">
			<td height="42" style="height:42px;width:216px;">Upright fluorescence microscope</td>
			<td style="width:108px;">Olympus America</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">BX61WI</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="42">
			<td height="42" style="height:42px;width:216px;">Image Acquisition Software</td>
			<td style="width:108px;">Molecular Devices</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">Metamorph</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:216px;">FITC Dextran 20KD</td>
			<td style="width:108px;">Sigma Aldrich</td>
			<td style="width:119px;"></td>
			<td>0.5 mg/ml (A dextran of different molecular size can be selected, if trial experiments indicate its suitability based on the calculated permeability index values)&#160;</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:216px;">Lipopolysaccharide</td>
			<td style="width:108px;">Sigma Aldrich</td>
			<td style="width:119px;"></td>
			<td>Serotype 0111:B4</td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

quantifying single microvessel permeability in isolated blood-perfused rat lung preparation

The isolated blood-perfused lung preparation is widely used to visualize and define signaling in single microvessels. By coupling this preparation with real time imaging, it becomes feasible to determine permeability changes in individual pulmonary microvessels. Herein we describe steps to isolate rat lungs and perfuse them with autologous blood. Then, we outline steps to infuse fluorophores or agents via a microcatheter into a small lung region. Using these procedures described, we determined permeability increases in rat lung microvessels in response to infusions of bacterial lipopolysaccharide. The data revealed that lipopolysaccharide increased fluid leak across both venular and capillary microvessel segments. Thus, this method makes it possible to compare permeability responses among vascular segments and thus, define any heterogeneity in the response. While commonly used methods to define lung permeability require postprocessing of lung tissue samples, the use of real time imaging obviates this requirement as evident from the present method. Thus, the isolated lung preparation combined with real time imaging offers several advantages over traditional methods to determine lung microvascular permeability, yet is a straightforward method to develop and implement.

An isolated blood-perfused lung preparation connected to the perfusion tubing and related equipment is shown in Figure 2. For demonstration purposes, we used a Sprague Dawley rat, though the procedures described herein can be used with any rat species. Infusions through a left atrial microcatheter reach only a small region of the lung. The infused region can be identified by the infusion-induced discoloration (Figure 3). The lung preparation as positioned for real-time imaging is shown i...

Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Quantifying Single Microvessel Permeability in Isolated Blood-perfused Rat Lung Preparation at JoVE.com

Quantifying Single Microvessel Permeability in Isolated Blood-perfused Rat Lung Preparation

The isolated blood-perfused lung preparation makes it feasible to visualize microvessel networks on the lung surface. Here we describe an approach to quantify permeability of single microvessels in isolated lungs using real time fluorescence imaging.

The isolated blood-perfused lung preparation is widely used to visualize and define signaling in single microvessels. By coupling this preparation with ...

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9.3K Views.  The University of Tennessee Health Science Center. The isolated blood-perfused lung preparation makes it feasible to visualize microvessel networks on the lung surface. Here we describe an approach to quantify permeability of single microvessels in isolated lungs using real time fluorescence imaging.