Name: precision-cut mouse lung slices to visualize live pulmonary dendritic cells
Uploaded: 2017-04-05T15:00:00
Description: Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Precision-cut Mouse Lung Slices to Visualize Live Pulmonary Dendritic Cells at JoVE.com

We thank Jeff Tucker, Erica Scappini, and Agnes Janoshazi for their help with microscopy, Ligon Perrow for her management of the mouse colony, and Jun Chen and Michael Sanderson for help with the tissue slicer, and Michael Fessler and Derek Cain for critical reading of the manuscript. This work was funded by the intramural branch of the NIEHS, NIH (ZIA ES102025-09), which is in turn sponsored by the Department of Health and Human Services.

Animal experimental procedures described in this paper were approved by the NIEHS Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC).
1. Lung Preparation
<ol>
	<li>House mice between 6 and 12 weeks of age in specific pathogen-free conditions in accordance with the guidelines provided by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committees. 
	NOTE: Imaged mice can be either na&#239;ve, or treated, depending on each researcher&#39;s specific interests. Here, we describe immune cell localization in na&#239...

<ol>
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S., 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+major+lung+CD103+(alphaE)-beta7+integrin-positive+epithelial+dendritic+cell+population+expressing+Langerin+and+tight+junction+proteins.">A major lung CD103 (alphaE)-beta7 integrin-positive epithelial dendritic cell population expressing Langerin and tight junction proteins.</a> J Immunol. 176 (4), 2161-2172 (2006).</li><li>Steinman, R. M. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Lasker+Basic+Medical+Research+Award.+Dendritic+cells:+versatile+controllers+of+the+immune+system.">Lasker Basic Medical Research Award. 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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=Allergic+sensitization+through+the+airway+primes+Th17-dependent+neutrophilia+and+airway+hyperresponsiveness.">Allergic sensitization through the airway primes Th17-dependent neutrophilia and airway hyperresponsiveness.</a> Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 180 (8), 720-730 (2009).</li><li>Schlitzer, 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=Identification+of+cDC1-+and+cDC2-committed+DC+progenitors+reveals+early+lineage+priming+at+the+common+DC+progenitor+stage+in+the+bone+marrow.">Identification of cDC1- and cDC2-committed DC progenitors reveals early lineage priming at the common DC progenitor stage in the bone marrow.</a> Nat Immunol. 16 (7), 718-728 (2015).</li><li>Baluk, P., 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=Preferential+lymphatic+growth+in+bronchus-associated+lymphoid+tissue+in+sustained+lung+inflammation.">Preferential lymphatic growth in bronchus-associated lymphoid tissue in sustained lung inflammation.</a> Am J Pathol. 184 (5), 1577-1592 (2014).</li><li>Jurisic, G., Iolyeva, M., Proulx, S. 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The protocol described here was originally developed to visualize the locations of two subsets of cDCs within the lung. However, this protocol can be readily adapted to study many different cell types, while maintaining cell viability and the three-dimensional architecture of the lung. The latter feature is an important advantage over cell culture systems and facilitates identification of rare cell types. The method relies on the generation of PCLS from the lung, and an appropriate combination of antibodies to identify s...

Following inhalation of pro-inflammatory stimuli such as lipopolysaccharide (LPS), there is a coordinated movement of immune cells into, within, and from the lung. For example, neutrophils are rapidly recruited to the lung parenchyma and airway. In addition, some professional antigen presenting cells known as conventional dendritic cells (cDCs) undergo a relatively complex migration pattern1,2. cDCs can be identified using flow cytometry, based in part on their display of the surface marker, CD11c. Distinct subsets of DCs can be distinguished by the differential surface expression of CD103 and CD11b3. Upon acquiring inhaled antigen, some cDCs exit the lung and migrate through the lymphatic vessels to lung-draining Lymph Nodes (LNs) where they present peptides to antigen-specific T cells4. This is a critical early event in the initiation of adaptive immune responses. For unknown reasons, however, not all cDCs that acquire inhaled antigens leave the lung, and many of these cells remain in that organ for several months5,6. This observation can be partly explained by the developmental ancestry of these cells because monocyte-derived CD11c+ cells lacking the chemokine receptor, CCR7, are unable to migrate to regional LNs7,8. It seems likely that the migration potential of cDCs is also determined, at least in part, by their anatomical position within the lung. However, the precise localization of these different populations of cDCs in the lung is not fully characterized. An improved knowledge of immune cell localization within the lung, and of the molecules that direct it, is needed for a better understanding of how the immune system of the lung becomes activated.
PCLS are being increasingly used as an ex vivo approach to visualize cellular positioning and cell-cell interactions, while maintaining the structural integrity of the lung architecture9,10. PCLS have been used to study lungs of many species, including mice, cattle, monkeys, sheep, horses, and humans11. A major advantage of this technique is that approximately 20 slices can be prepared from a single lobe of a mouse lung, thereby reducing the number of animals needed for individual experiments. Virtually all immune cell types, including DCs, macrophages, neutrophils, and T cells, are present in PCLS and maintain their normal structures.
PCLS can also be used to study calcium signaling and contractility of airway and smooth muscle cells after treatment with acetylcholine12 or methacholine13. In this approach, only a small portion of the lung is analyzed microscopically, but one study reported that measurements of airway contraction in PCLS vary only about 10% from slice to slice, and this variance is comparable to that seen using lung function tests in intact animals14. Other investigators have used PCLS as an ex vivo approach to study changes in cytokine expression and cell surface markers after incubation with LPS15. PCLS have also been used in an ex vivo model of hypoxic pulmonary vasoconstriction in small intra-acinar arteries. These vessels are located in the part of the lung that cannot be reached using other procedures, including recordings from dissected arterial segments or analysis of subpleural vessels16. Our lab has primarily used PCLS to visualize immune cell localization in live lung tissue at steady state and following an in vivo inflammatory stimulus. The procedures we have developed for this are as follows.

<table border="1" fo:keep-together.within-page="1" fo:keep-with-next.within-page="always">
	<tbody>
		<tr>
			<td>C57BL/6J mice</td>
			<td>Jackson Laboratory</td>
			<td>000664</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Prox1-TdTomato transgenic mice&#160;</td>
			<td>Jackson Laboratory</td>
			<td>018128</td>
			<td>B6;129S-Tg(Prox1-tdTomato)12Nrud/J</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>OT-II OVA-specific TCR x Nur77-GFP transgenic mice</td>
			<td>Jackson Laboratory</td>
			<td>004194, 006617</td>
			<td>B6.Cg-Tg(TcraTcrb)425Cbn/J x C57BL/6-Tg(Nr4a1-EGFP/cre)820Khog/J&#160;</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Rag1 knock-out mice</td>
			<td>Jackson Laboratory</td>
			<td>002216</td>
			<td>B6.129S7-Rag1tm1Mom/J</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Ovalbumin, Low Endo, Purified</td>
			<td>Worthington Biochemical Corporation</td>
			<td>LS003059</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Lipopolysaccharides from Escherichia coli</td>
			<td>Sigma-Aldrich Co.</td>
			<td>L2630-25MG</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Polyethylene tubing (Non-Sterile) 100 ft</td>
			<td>BD Diagnostic Systems</td>
			<td>427421</td>
			<td>0.86 mm inside diameter, 1.27 mm outside diameter</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>GeneMate Sieve GQA Low Melt Agarose</td>
			<td>BioExpress</td>
			<td>E-3112-125</td>
			<td>2% solution dissolved in PBS at 70 &#176;C and held at 40 &#176;C.</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Compresstome VF-300</td>
			<td>Precisionary Instruments, Inc.</td>
			<td>VF-300</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Double Edge Stainless Razor Blade</td>
			<td>Electron Microscopy Sciences</td>
			<td>72000</td>
			<td>Disposable; 250/box. Blade should be changed for every lung.</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Krazy Glue All Purpose Instant Gel</td>
			<td>VWR</td>
			<td>500033-484</td>
			<td>Commonly available for $3/tube in local drugstores&#160;</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Leibovitz&#39;s L-15 Medium, no phenol red</td>
			<td>ThermoFisher Scientific</td>
			<td>21083027</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Normal Rat Serum</td>
			<td>Jackson ImmunoResearch Inc.</td>
			<td>012-000-120</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Normal Mouse Serum</td>
			<td>Jackson ImmunoResearch Inc.</td>
			<td>015-000-120</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Fetal bovine serum</td>
			<td>Hyclone</td>
			<td>SH30071.03HI</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Staining Buffer</td>
			<td>Made in House</td>
			<td>N/A</td>
			<td>PBS w/ 0.5% bovine serum albumin, 0.1% NaN3, pH 7.4</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Fc Blocker (anti-CD16/32 antibodies)</td>
			<td>Made in House</td>
			<td>N/A</td>
			<td>Supernatant of cultured hybridoma cell line 2.4G2</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Anti-mouse CD11b eFluor 450</td>
			<td>eBioscience</td>
			<td>48-0112-80</td>
			<td>Anti-mouse CD11b eFluor 450 (clone: M1/70)&#160;</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Anti-mouse CD11c Brilliant Violet 605</td>
			<td>BioLegend</td>
			<td>101237</td>
			<td>Brilliant Violet 605 anti-mouse CD11c (clone: M1/70)</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Anti-mouse CD11c Phycoerythrin</td>
			<td>eBioscience</td>
			<td>12-0114-82</td>
			<td>PE conjugated anti-mouse CD11c (clone: N418)</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Anti-mouse CD11c Allophycocyanin</td>
			<td>BD Phamingen</td>
			<td>550261</td>
			<td>APC-labeled anti-mouse CD11c 9clone: HL3)</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Anti-mouse CD88 Phycoerythrin</td>
			<td>BioLegend</td>
			<td>135806</td>
			<td>PE anti-mouse CD88 (clone: 20/70)</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Anti-mouse CD103 Allophycocyanin</td>
			<td>eBioscience</td>
			<td>17-1031-82</td>
			<td>Anti-mouse CD103 APC (clone: 2E7)</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Anti-mouse CD90.2/Thy1.2 eF450</td>
			<td>eBioscience</td>
			<td>48-0902-82</td>
			<td>Anti-mouse CD90.2 eFluor 450 (clone: 53-2.1)</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Anti-mouse CD172a/Sirp1a Allophycocyanin</td>
			<td>eBioscience</td>
			<td>17-1721-82</td>
			<td>Anti-mouse CD172a APC (clone: P84)</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Anti-mouse CD324 Brilliant Violet 421</td>
			<td>BD Horizon</td>
			<td>564188</td>
			<td>BV421 mouse anti-E Cadherin (clone: 5E8 also known as 5E8-G9-B4)</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Anti-mouse CD324 Alexa Fluor 488</td>
			<td>eBioscience</td>
			<td>53-3249-82</td>
			<td>Anti-CD324(E-Cadherin) Alexa Flour 488 (clone: DECMA-1)</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Anti-mouse CD324 Alexa Fluor 647</td>
			<td>eBioscience</td>
			<td>51-3249-82</td>
			<td>Anti-CD324(E-Cadherin) Alexa Flour 647 (clone: DECMA-1)</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Glass Bottom Microwell Dishes 35mm petri dish, 14mm Microwell, No. 1.5 coverglass</td>
			<td>MatTek Corperation</td>
			<td>P35G-1.5-14-C</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Nunc Lab-Tek Chambered Coverglass</td>
			<td>ThermoFisher Scientific</td>
			<td>155411PK&#160;</td>
			<td>Pack of 16</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>15 mm Coverslip, No. 1.5 Glass Thickness</td>
			<td>MatTek Corperation</td>
			<td>PCS-1.5-15</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Bare Platinum Wire</td>
			<td>World Precision Instruments</td>
			<td>PTP201</td>
			<td>0.020&#34; (0.5mm) diameter cut into ~1 cm long pieces and bent into an &#34;L&#34; shape</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>ProLong Gold Antifade Mountant</td>
			<td>ThermoFisher Scientific</td>
			<td>P36934</td>
			<td>Keep at 4 &#176;C, warm to room tempterature before use.</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Matrigel Growth Factor Reduced (GFR) Basement Membrane Matrix, Phenol Red-Free, *LDEV-Free</td>
			<td>Corning</td>
			<td>356231</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Zeiss 880 multi-photon laser-scanning microscope</td>
			<td>Carl Zeiss</td>
			<td></td>
			<td>Zen Black software version 8.1, 2012 (Zeiss)</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Plan-Apochromat 20x/0.8 M27 objective lends</td>
			<td>Carl Zeiss</td>
			<td>420650-9901-000</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

precision-cut mouse lung slices to visualize live pulmonary dendritic cells

Inhalation of allergens and pathogens elicits multiple changes in a variety of immune cell types in the lung. Flow cytometry is a powerful technique for quantitative analysis of cell surface proteins on immune cells, but it provides no information on the localization and migration patterns of these cells within the lung. Similarly,&#160;chemotaxis assays can be performed to study the potential of cells to respond to chemotactic factors in vitro, but these assays do not reproduce the complex environment of the intact lung. In contrast to these aforementioned techniques, the location of individual cell types within the lung can be readily visualized by generating Precision-cut Lung Slices (PCLS), staining them with commercially available, fluorescently tagged antibodies, and visualizing the sections by confocal microscopy. PCLS can be used for both live and fixed lung tissue, and the slices can encompass areas as large as a cross section of an entire lobe. We have used this protocol to successfully visualize the location of a wide variety of cell types in the lung, including distinct types of dendritic cells, macrophages, neutrophils, T cells and B cells, as well as structural cells such as lymphatic, endothelial, and epithelial cells. The ability to visualize cellular interactions, such as those between dendritic cells and T cells, in live, three-dimensional lung tissue, can reveal how cells move within the lung and interact with one another at steady state and during inflammation. Thus, when used in combination with other procedures, such as flow cytometry and quantitative PCR, PCLS can contribute to a comprehensive understanding of cellular events that underlie allergic and inflammatory diseases of the lung.

To identify the location of two DC subsets, CD11bhi cDCs and CD103+ cDCs, PCLS from C57BL/6 mice were cut and stained with monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) specific to CD11c, CD88, CD103, and CD324 (E-cadherin). Antibodies to CD324 stain airway epithelial cells, and CD88 is displayed on macrophages and neutrophils, but not cDCs8. This allowed us to distinguish cDCs from CD11c+ macrophages, and to observe the spatial relationship of each...

Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Precision-cut Mouse Lung Slices to Visualize Live Pulmonary Dendritic Cells at JoVE.com

Precision-cut Mouse Lung Slices to Visualize Live Pulmonary Dendritic Cells

We describe a method for generating Precision-cut Lung Slices (PCLS) and immunostaining them to visualize the localization of various immune cell types in the lung. Our protocol can be extended to visualize the location and function of many different cell types under a variety of conditions.

Inhalation of allergens and pathogens elicits multiple changes in a variety of immune cell types in the lung. Flow cytometry is a powerful technique for ...

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Immunology and Infection

Isolation of Mouse Lung Dendritic Cells

Lung dendritic cells (DC) play a fundamental role in sensing invading pathogens 1,2 as well as in the control of tolerogenic responses 3 in the ...

Analysis of Pulmonary Dendritic Cell Maturation and Migration during Allergic Airway Inflammation

Dendritic cells (DCs) are the key players involved in initiation of adaptive immune response by activating antigen-specific T cells. DCs are present in ...

Isolation and Characterization of Dendritic Cells and Macrophages from the Mouse Intestine

Within the intestine reside unique populations of innate and adaptive immune cells that are involved in promoting tolerance towards commensal flora and ...

Right Ventricular Systolic Pressure Measurements in Combination with Harvest of Lung and Immune Tissue Samples in Mice

The function of the right heart is to pump blood through the lungs, thus linking right heart physiology and pulmonary vascular physiology. Inflammation is ...

Pseudomonas aeruginosa Induced Lung Injury Model

Pseudomonas aeruginosa Induced Lung Injury Model

In order to study human acute lung injury and pneumonia, it is important to develop animal models to mimic various pathological features of this disease. ...

Influenza Virus Propagation in Embryonated Chicken Eggs

Influenza infection is associated with about 36,000 deaths and more than 200,000 hospitalizations every year in the United States. The continuous ...

Legionella pneumophila Outer Membrane Vesicles: Isolation and Analysis of Their Pro-inflammatory Potential on Macrophages

Legionella pneumophila Outer Membrane Vesicles: Isolation and Analysis of Their Pro-inflammatory Potential on Macrophages

Bacteria are able to secrete a variety of molecules via various secretory systems. Besides the secretion of molecules into the extracellular space or ...

Human Lung Dendritic Cells: Spatial Distribution and Phenotypic Identification in Endobronchial Biopsies Using Immunohistochemistry and Flow Cytometry

The lungs are constantly exposed to the external environment, which in addition to harmless particles, also contains pathogens, allergens, and toxins. In ...

Assessment of the Cytotoxic and Immunomodulatory Effects of Substances in Human Precision-cut Lung Slices

Respiratory diseases in their broad diversity need appropriate model systems to understand the underlying mechanisms and enable development of new ...

Development and Validation of an Ultrasensitive Single Molecule Array Digital Enzyme-linked Immunosorbent Assay for Human Interferon-&#945;

Development and Validation of an Ultrasensitive Single Molecule Array Digital Enzyme-linked Immunosorbent Assay for Human Interferon-ÃƒÆ’Ã…Â½Ãƒâ€šÃ‚Â±

The main aim of this protocol is to describe the development and validation of an interferon (IFN)-&#945; single molecule array digital Enzyme-Linked ...