Name: deep vascular imaging in the eye with flow-enhanced ultrasound
Uploaded: 2021-10-04T14:45:00
Description: Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Deep Vascular Imaging in the Eye with Flow-Enhanced Ultrasound at JoVE.com

This work has received funding from the Carlsberg Foundation (CF17-0778; CF18-0658), the Lundbeck Foundation (R324-2019-1470; R346-2020-1210), the Velux Foundations (00022458), The A.P. M&#248;ller Foundation for the Advancement of Medical Science, the European Union&#39;s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under the Marie Sk&#322;odowska-Curie grant agreement (No. 754513), and The Aarhus University Research Foundation.

The protocol below was performed with permission from the Danish Inspectorate for Animal Experimentation within the Danish Ministry of Food, Agriculture, and Fisheries, Danish Veterinary and Food Administration (Permit number 2016-15-0201-00835).
1. Anesthesia and ultrasound medium
<ol>
	<li>Anesthetize the research animal. 
	NOTE: Type and dose of appropriate anesthesia are highly species-dependent. In general, immersion-based anesthetics such as MS-222 (ethyl 3-aminobenzoate methanesu...

<ol>
	<li>Yu, C. Q., Schwab, I. R., Dubielzig, R. R. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Feeding+the+vertebrate+retina+from+the+Cambrian+to+the+Tertiary.">Feeding the vertebrate retina from the Cambrian to the Tertiary.</a> Journal of Zoology. 278 (4), 259-269 (2009).</li><li>Yu, D. Y., Cringle, S. J. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Oxygen+distribution+and+consumption+within+the+retina+in+vascularised+and+avascular+retinas+and+in+animal+models+of+retinal+disease.">Oxygen distribution and consumption within the retina in vascularised and avascular retinas and in animal models of retinal disease.</a> Progress in Retinal and Eye Research. 20 (2), 175-208 (2001).</li><li>Country, M. W. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Retinal+metabolism:+A+comparative+look+at+energetics+in+the+retina.">Retinal metabolism: A comparative look at energetics in the retina.</a> Brain Research. 1672, 50-57 (2017).</li><li>Damsgaard, 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=Retinal+oxygen+supply+shaped+the+functional+evolution+of+the+vertebrate+eye.">Retinal oxygen supply shaped the functional evolution of the vertebrate eye.</a> Elife. , 8 (2019).</li><li>Buttery, R. G., Hinrichsen, C. F. L., Weller, W. L., Haight, J. R. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=How+thick+should+a+retina+be?+A+comparative+study+of+mammalian+species+with+and+without+intraretinal+vasculature.">How thick should a retina be? A comparative study of mammalian species with and without intraretinal vasculature.</a> Vision Research. 31 (2), 169-187 (1991).</li><li>Ames, A., Li, Y., Heher, E., Kimble, C. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Energy+metabolism+of+rabbit+retina+as+related+to+function:+high+cost+of+Na++transport.">Energy metabolism of rabbit retina as related to function: high cost of Na+ transport.</a> The Journal of Neuroscience. 12 (3), 840-853 (1992).</li><li>Chase, J. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=The+Evolution+of+retinal+vascularization+in+mammals:+A+comparison+of+vascular+and+avascular+retinae.">The Evolution of retinal vascularization in mammals: A comparison of vascular and avascular retinae.</a> Ophthalmology. 89 (12), 1518-1525 (1982).</li><li>Johnson, G. L. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Ophthalmoscopic+studies+on+the+eyes+of+mammals.">Ophthalmoscopic studies on the eyes of mammals.</a> Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological Sciences. 254 (794), 207-220 (1968).</li><li>Johnson, G. L. I. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Contributions+to+the+comparative+anatomy+of+the+mammalian+eye,+chiefly+based+on+ophthalmoscopic+examination.">Contributions to the comparative anatomy of the mammalian eye, chiefly based on ophthalmoscopic examination.</a> Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological Sciences. 194 (194-206), 1-82 (1901).</li><li>Rodriguez-Ramos Fernandez, J., Dubielzig, R. R. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Ocular+comparative+anatomy+of+the+family+Rodentia.">Ocular comparative anatomy of the family Rodentia.</a> Veterinary Ophthalmology. 16, 94-99 (2013).</li><li>Copeland, D. E. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Functional+vascularization+of+the+teleost+eye.">Functional vascularization of the teleost eye.</a> Current Topics in Eye Research. 3, 219-280 (1980).</li><li>Meyer, D. B., Crescitelli, F. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=.">.</a> The Visual System in Vertebrates. Handbook of Sensory Physiology. 7, (1977).</li><li>Potier, S., Mitkus, M., Kelber, A. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Visual+adaptations+of+diurnal+and+nocturnal+raptors.">Visual adaptations of diurnal and nocturnal raptors.</a> Seminars in Cell &amp; Developmental Biology. 106, 116-126 (2020).</li><li>Wittenberg, J. B., Wittenberg, B. A. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Active+secretion+of+oxygen+into+the+eye+of+fish.">Active secretion of oxygen into the eye of fish.</a> Nature. 194, 106-107 (1962).</li><li>Damsgaard, C. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Physiology+and+evolution+of+oxygen+secreting+mechanism+in+the+fisheye.">Physiology and evolution of oxygen secreting mechanism in the fisheye.</a> Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology. 252, 110840 (2021).</li><li>Damsgaard, 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=A+novel+acidification+mechanism+for+greatly+enhanced+oxygen+supply+to+the+fish+retina.">A novel acidification mechanism for greatly enhanced oxygen supply to the fish retina.</a> Elife. 9, (2020).</li><li>Wittenberg, J. B., Haedrich, R. L. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=The+choroid+rete+mirabile+of+the+fish+eye.+II.+Distribution+and+relation+to+the+pseudobranch+and+to+the+swimbladder+rete+mirabile.">The choroid rete mirabile of the fish eye. II. Distribution and relation to the pseudobranch and to the swimbladder rete mirabile.</a> Biological Bulletin. 146 (1), 137-156 (1974).</li><li>Wittenberg, J. B., Wittenberg, B. 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+choroid+rete+mirabile+of+the+fish+eye.+I.+Oxygen+secretion+and+structure:+comparison+with+the+swimbladder+rete+mirabile.">The choroid rete mirabile of the fish eye. I. Oxygen secretion and structure: comparison with the swimbladder rete mirabile.</a> Biological Bulletin. 146 (1), 116-136 (1974).</li><li>Berenbrink, M. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Historical+reconstructions+of+evolving+physiological+complexity:+O2+secretion+in+the+eye+and+swimbladder+of+fishes.">Historical reconstructions of evolving physiological complexity: O2 secretion in the eye and swimbladder of fishes.</a> Journal of Experimental Biology. 210, 1641-1652 (2007).</li><li>Berenbrink, M., Koldkjaer, P., Kepp, O., Cossins, A. R. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Evolution+of+oxygen+secretion+in+fishes+and+the+emergence+of+a+complex+physiological+system.">Evolution of oxygen secretion in fishes and the emergence of a complex physiological system.</a> Science. 307 (5716), 1752-1757 (2005).</li><li>Keane, P. A., Sadda, S. R. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Retinal+imaging+in+the+twenty-first+century:+State+of+the+art+and+future+directions.">Retinal imaging in the twenty-first century: State of the art and future directions.</a> Ophthalmology. 121 (12), 2489-2500 (2014).</li><li>Yung, M., Klufas, M. A., Sarraf, D. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Clinical+applications+of+fundus+autofluorescence+in+retinal+disease.">Clinical applications of fundus autofluorescence in retinal disease.</a> International Journal of Retina and Vitreous. 2 (1), 12 (2016).</li><li>Ang, M., 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=Optical+coherence+tomography+angiography:+a+review+of+current+and+future+clinical+applications.">Optical coherence tomography angiography: a review of current and future clinical applications.</a> Graefe's Archive for Clinical and Experimental Ophthalmology. 256 (2), 237-245 (2018).</li><li>Spaide, R. F., Koizumi, H., Pozonni, M. C. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Enhanced+depth+imaging+spectral-domain+optical+coherence+tomography.">Enhanced depth imaging spectral-domain optical coherence tomography.</a> American Journal of Ophthalmology. 146 (4), 496-500 (2008).</li><li>Shen, Q., 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=Magnetic+resonance+imaging+of+tissue+and+vascular+layers+in+the+cat+retina.">Magnetic resonance imaging of tissue and vascular layers in the cat retina.</a> Journal of Magnetic Resonance Imaging. 23 (4), 465-472 (2006).</li><li>Tan, G. X., Jamil, M., Tee, N. G., Zhong, L., Yap, C. H. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=3D+reconstruction+of+chick+embryo+vascular+geometries+using+non-invasive+high-frequency+ultrasound+for+computational+fluid+dynamics+studies.">3D reconstruction of chick embryo vascular geometries using non-invasive high-frequency ultrasound for computational fluid dynamics studies.</a> Annals of Biomedical Engineering. 43 (11), 2780-2793 (2015).</li><li>Ho, S., Tan, G. X. Y., Foo, T. J., Phan-Thien, N., Yap, C. H. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Organ+dynamics+and+fluid+dynamics+of+the+HH25+chick+embryonic+cardiac+ventricle+as+revealed+by+a+novel+4D+high-frequency+ultrasound+imaging+technique+and+computational+flow+simulations.">Organ dynamics and fluid dynamics of the HH25 chick embryonic cardiac ventricle as revealed by a novel 4D high-frequency ultrasound imaging technique and computational flow simulations.</a> Annals of Biomedical Engineering. 45 (10), 2309-2323 (2017).</li><li>Dittrich, A., Thygesen, M. M., Lauridsen, H. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=2D+and+3D+echocardiography+in+the+Axolotl+(Ambystoma+Mexicanum).">2D and 3D echocardiography in the Axolotl (Ambystoma Mexicanum).</a> Journal of Visualized Experiments: JoVE. (141), e57089 (2018).</li><li>Jia, Y., 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=Split-spectrum+amplitude-decorrelation+angiography+with+optical+coherence+tomography.">Split-spectrum amplitude-decorrelation angiography with optical coherence tomography.</a> Optics Express. 20 (4), 4710-4725 (2012).</li><li>Clarke, K. W., Trim, C. M., Trim, C. M. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=.">.</a> Veterinary Anaesthesia E-Book. , (2013).</li><li>Flecknell, P. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=.">.</a> Laboratory Animal Anaesthesia. , (2015).</li><li>West, G., Heard, D., Caulkett, N. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=.">.</a> Zoo Animal and Wildlife Immobilization and Anesthesia. , (2014).</li><li>Lauridsen, H., Hansen, K., N&#248;rg&#229;rd, M. &. #. 2. 1. 6. ;., Wang, T., Pedersen, M. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=From+tissue+to+silicon+to+plastic:+three-dimensional+printing+in+comparative+anatomy+and+physiology.">From tissue to silicon to plastic: three-dimensional printing in comparative anatomy and physiology.</a> Royal Society Open Science. 3 (3), 150643 (2016).</li><li>Lauridsen, H., 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=Inside+out:+Modern+imaging+techniques+to+reveal+animal+anatomy.">Inside out: Modern imaging techniques to reveal animal anatomy.</a> PLoS One. 6 (3), 17879 (2011).</li><li>Ruthensteiner, B., He&#223;, M. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Embedding+3D+models+of+biological+specimens+in+PDF+publications.">Embedding 3D models of biological specimens in PDF publications.</a> Microscopy Research and Technique. 71 (11), 778-786 (2008).</li><li>Damsgaard, C., Lauridsen, H. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Deep+vascular+imaging+in+the+eye+with+flow-enhanced+ultrasound.">Deep vascular imaging in the eye with flow-enhanced ultrasound.</a> bioRxiv. , 447055 (2021).</li><li>Mueller, R. L., Ryan Gregory, T., Gregory, S. M., Hsieh, A., Boore, J. L. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Genome+size,+cell+size,+and+the+evolution+of+enucleated+erythrocytes+in+attenuate+salamanders.">Genome size, cell size, and the evolution of enucleated erythrocytes in attenuate salamanders.</a> Zoology. 111 (3), 218-230 (2008).</li><li>Greis, C. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Quantitative+evaluation+of+microvascular+blood+flow+by+contrast-enhanced+ultrasound+(CEUS).">Quantitative evaluation of microvascular blood flow by contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS).</a> Clinical Hemorheology and Microcirculation. 49, 137-149 (2011).</li><li>Urs, R., Ketterling, J. A., Tezel, G., Silverman, 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=Contrast-enhanced+plane-wave+ultrasound+imaging+of+the+rat+eye.">Contrast-enhanced plane-wave ultrasound imaging of the rat eye.</a> Experimental Eye Research. 193, 107986 (2020).</li><li>Walls, G. 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> The vertebrate eye and its adaptive radiation. , (1942).</li></ol>

Vascular imaging using flow-enhanced ultrasound provides a new method for non-invasive imaging of the vasculature of the eye that offers several advantages over present techniques but has its intrinsic limitations. The primary advantage of flow-enhanced ultrasound is the ability to generate ocular angiographies with a depth of field that exceeds the retinal pigment epithelium, which limits the depth of field in optical techniques. In ultrasound imaging, spatial resolution and depth of field are ultimately determined by t...

The high metabolism on the vertebrate retina imposes an intrinsic tradeoff between two contrasting needs; high blood flow rates and a light path devoid of blood vessels. To avoid visual disturbance of perfusing red blood cells, the retina of all vertebrates receives oxygen and nutrients via a sheet of capillaries behind the photoreceptors, the choriocapillaris1,2,3. However, this single source of nutrients and oxygen imposes a diffusion limitation to the thickness of the retina4,5, so many visually active species possess a variety of elaborate vascular networks to provide additional blood supply to this metabolically active organ6. These vascular beds include blood vessels perfusing the internal retinal layers in mammals and some fishes4,7,8,9,10, blood vessels on the inner (light-facing) side of the retina found in many fishes, reptiles, and birds4,11,12,13, and countercurrent vascular arrangements of the fish choroid, the choroid rete mirabile, that allows for the generation of super-atmospheric oxygen partial pressures14,15,16,17,18,19,20. Despite that these additional non-choroidal paths for retinal nutrient supply play an essential role in fueling the metabolic requirements of superior vision4, the three-dimensional anatomy of these vascular structures is poorly understood, limiting our understanding of the morphological evolution of the vertebrate eye.
Traditionally, retinal blood supply has been studied using optical techniques, such as fundus ophthalmoscopy. This category of techniques provides high-throughput non-destructive information on non-choroidal blood vessel anatomy in high-resolution21 and is therefore readily used in clinical diagnosis of abnormalities in retinal vessel structure22. However, the retinal pigment epithelium absorbs the transmitted light and limits the depth of view in these optical techniques, providing reduced information on choroidal structure and function without the use of contrast agent21. Similar depth limitations are experienced in optical coherence tomography (OCT). This technique can generate high-resolution fundus angiographies using light waves at the technical expense of depth penetration23, while the enhanced depth imaging OCT can visualize the choroid at the expense of retinal imaging quality24. Magnetic resonance imaging overcomes the optical limitations of ophthalmoscopy and OCT and can map vascular layers in the retina, albeit at a low resolution25. Histology and microcomputed tomography (&#181;CT) maintain the high-resolution of the optical techniques and provide information on whole-eye vascular morphology4, but both techniques require ocular sampling and are therefore not possible in the clinic or rare or endangered species. To overcome some of the limitations of these established retinal imaging techniques, the study here presents an ultrasound protocol on anesthetized animals, where blood movement is mapped in silico on a series of equally-spaced two-dimensional ultrasound scans spanning a whole eye by applying a comparable technique as described previously for embryonic and cardiovascular imaging26,27,28 and in OCT angiography29. This approach allows for the generation of non-invasive three-dimensional deep ocular angiographies without using a contrast agent and opens up new avenues for mapping blood flow distribution within the eye across species.

<table border="1" fo:keep-together.within-page="1" fo:keep-with-next.within-page="always">
	<tbody>
		<tr>
			<td>MS-222</td>
			<td>Sigma</td>
			<td>E10521-50G</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Benzocaine</td>
			<td>Sigma</td>
			<td>E-1501</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Propofol</td>
			<td>B Braun</td>
			<td> 
			12260470_0320</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Alfaxalon</td>
			<td>Jurox</td>
			<td>NA</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Isoflurane</td>
			<td>Zoetis</td>
			<td>50019100</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Ultrasound scanner</td>
			<td>VisualSonics</td>
			<td>Vevo 2100</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

deep vascular imaging in the eye with flow-enhanced ultrasound

The retina within the eye is one of the most energy-demanding tissues in the body and thus requires high rates of oxygen delivery from a rich blood supply. The capillary lamina of the choroid lines the outer surface of the retina and is the dominating source of oxygen in most vertebrate retinas. However, this vascular bed is challenging to image with traditional optical techniques due to its position behind the highly light-absorbing retina. Here we describe a high-frequency ultrasound technique with subsequent flow-enhancement to image deep vascular beds (0.5-3 cm) of the eye with a high spatiotemporal resolution. This non-invasive method works well in species with nucleated red blood cells (non-mammalian and fetal animal models). It allows for the generation of non-invasive three-dimensional angiographies without the use of contrast agents, and it is independent of blood flow angles with a higher sensitivity than Doppler-based ultrasound imaging techniques.

The flow-enhanced ultrasound technique to image vascular beds of the eye can be applied in a range of species and has currently been used in 46 different vertebrate species (Figure 1, Table 1). The presence of nucleated red blood cells in non-adult-mammalian vertebrates provides positive contrast of flowing blood compared to static tissue in cine recordings (Supplementary File 2). However, when analyzed on a frame-by-frame basis, the clear distinction betwee...

Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Deep Vascular Imaging in the Eye with Flow-Enhanced Ultrasound at JoVE.com

Deep Vascular Imaging in the Eye with Flow-Enhanced Ultrasound

We present a non-invasive ultrasound technique for generating three-dimensional angiographies in the eye without the use of contrast agents.

The retina within the eye is one of the most energy-demanding tissues in the body and thus requires high rates of oxygen delivery from a rich blood ...

Research

JoVE Journal

Biology

Labeling hESCs and hMSCs with Iron Oxide Nanoparticles for Non-Invasive in vivo Tracking with MR Imaging

In recent years, stem cell research has led to a better understanding of developmental biology, various diseases and its potential impact on regenerative ...

Labeling Stem Cells with Fluorescent Dyes for non-invasive Detection with Optical Imaging

Optical imaging (OI) is an easy, fast and inexpensive tool for in vivo monitoring of new stem cell based therapies. The technique is based on ex vivo ...

Live Imaging of Glial Cell Migration in the Drosophila Eye Imaginal Disc

Glial cells of both vertebrate and invertebrate organisms must migrate to final target regions in order to ensheath and support associated neurons.  While ...

In vivo Imaging of Deep Cortical Layers using a Microprism

In vivo Imaging of Deep Cortical Layers using a Microprism

We present a protocol for in vivo imaging of cortical tissue using a deep-brain imaging probe in the shape of a microprism.  Microprisms are 1-mm in size ...

Functional Imaging of Brown Fat in Mice with 18F-FDG micro-PET/CT

Functional Imaging of Brown Fat in Mice with 18F-FDG micro-PET/CT

Brown adipose tissue (BAT) differs from white adipose  tissue (WAT) by its discrete location and a brown-red color due to rich  vascularization and high ...

Live Imaging of Apoptotic Cell Clearance during Drosophila Embryogenesis

Live Imaging of Apoptotic Cell Clearance during Drosophila Embryogenesis

The  proper elimination of unwanted or aberrant cells through apoptosis and  subsequent phagocytosis (apoptotic cell clearance) is crucial for normal  ...

Isolation of Murine Coronary Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells

While the isolation and culture of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) from large vessels is well established, we sought to isolate and culture VSMCs ...

Implantation of Electrospun Vascular Grafts with Optimized Structure in a Rat Model

Here, we present a protocol to fabricate macroporous PCL vascular graft and describe an evaluation protocol by using a rat model of abdominal aorta ...

Evaluating Vascular Hyperpermeability-inducing Agents in the Skin with the Miles Assay

The primary function of the vascular endothelium in vertebrate organisms is to serve as a barrier between the blood and each tissue of the body, whereby ...