Hypoxia or lowering of the oxygen availability is involved in many physiological and pathological processes. At the molecular level, cells initiate a particular transcriptional program in order to mount an appropriate and coordinated cellular response. The cell possesses several oxygen sensor enzymes that require molecular oxygen as cofactor for their activity. These range from prolyl-hydroxylases to histone demethylases. The majority of studies analyzing cellular responses to hypoxia are based on cellular populations and average studies, and as such single cell analysis of hypoxic cells are seldom performed. Here we describe a method of analysis of global RNA synthesis at the single cell level in hypoxia by using Click-iT RNA imaging kits in an oxygen controlled workstation, followed by microscopy analysis and quantification. Using cancer cells exposed to hypoxia for different lengths of time, RNA is labeled and measured in each cell. This analysis allows the visualization of temporal and cell-to-cell changes in global RNA synthesis following hypoxic stress.
16 Related JoVE Articles!
Induction and Testing of Hypoxia in Cell Culture
Institutions: Baylor College of Medicine.
Hypoxia is defined as the reduction or lack of oxygen in organs, tissues, or cells. This decrease of oxygen tension can be due to a reduced supply in oxygen (causes include insufficient blood vessel network, defective blood vessel, and anemia) or to an increased consumption of oxygen relative to the supply (caused by a sudden higher cell proliferation rate). Hypoxia can be physiologic or pathologic such as in solid cancers 1-3
, rheumatoid arthritis, atherosclerosis etc… Each tissues and cells have a different ability to adapt to this new condition. During hypoxia, hypoxia inducible factor alpha (HIF) is stabilized and regulates various genes such as those involved in angiogenesis or transport of oxygen 4
. The stabilization of this protein is a hallmark of hypoxia, therefore detecting HIF is routinely used to screen for hypoxia 5-7
In this article, we propose two simple methods to induce hypoxia in mammalian cell cultures and simple tests to evaluate the hypoxic status of these cells.
Cell Biology, Issue 54, mammalian cell, hypoxia, anoxia, hypoxia inducible factor (HIF), reoxygenation, normoxia
In vivo Bioluminescence Imaging of Tumor Hypoxia Dynamics of Breast Cancer Brain Metastasis in a Mouse Model
Institutions: University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center , University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center , Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine.
It is well recognized that tumor hypoxia plays an important role in promoting malignant progression and affecting therapeutic response negatively. There is little knowledge about in situ, in vivo,
tumor hypoxia during intracranial development of malignant brain tumors because of lack of efficient means to monitor it in these deep-seated orthotopic tumors. Bioluminescence imaging (BLI), based on the detection of light emitted by living cells expressing a luciferase gene, has been rapidly adopted for cancer research, in particular, to evaluate tumor growth or tumor size changes in response to treatment in preclinical animal studies. Moreover, by expressing a reporter gene under the control of a promoter sequence, the specific gene expression can be monitored non-invasively by BLI. Under hypoxic stress, signaling responses are mediated mainly via the hypoxia inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) to drive transcription of various genes. Therefore, we have used a HIF-1α reporter construct, 5HRE-ODD-luc, stably transfected into human breast cancer MDA-MB231 cells (MDA-MB231/5HRE-ODD-luc). In vitro
HIF-1α bioluminescence assay is performed by incubating the transfected cells in a hypoxic chamber (0.1% O2
) for 24 hr before BLI, while the cells in normoxia (21% O2
) serve as a control. Significantly higher photon flux observed for the cells under hypoxia suggests an increased HIF-1α binding to its promoter (HRE elements), as compared to those in normoxia. Cells are injected directly into the mouse brain to establish a breast cancer brain metastasis model. In vivo
bioluminescence imaging of tumor hypoxia dynamics is initiated 2 wks after implantation and repeated once a week. BLI reveals increasing light signals from the brain as the tumor progresses, indicating increased intracranial tumor hypoxia. Histological and immunohistochemical studies are used to confirm the in vivo
imaging results. Here, we will introduce approaches of in vitro
HIF-1α bioluminescence assay, surgical establishment of a breast cancer brain metastasis in a nude mouse and application of in vivo
bioluminescence imaging to monitor intracranial tumor hypoxia.
Medicine, Issue 56, bioluminescence imaging (BLI), tumor hypoxia dynamics, hypoxia inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α), breast cancer brain metastasis
Creating Defined Gaseous Environments to Study the Effects of Hypoxia on C. elegans
Institutions: University of Washington, University of Washington.
Oxygen is essential for all metazoans to survive, with one known exception1
. Decreased O2
availability (hypoxia) can arise during states of disease, normal development or changes in environmental conditions2-5
. Understanding the cellular signaling pathways that are involved in the response to hypoxia could provide new insight into treatment strategies for diverse human pathologies, from stroke to cancer. This goal has been impeded, at least in part, by technical difficulties associated with controlled hypoxic exposure in genetically amenable model organisms.
The nematode Caenorhabditis elegans
is ideally suited as a model organism for the study of hypoxic response, as it is easy to culture and genetically manipulate. Moreover, it is possible to study cellular responses to specific hypoxic O2
concentrations without confounding effects since C. elegans
(and other gasses) by diffusion, as opposed to a facilitated respiratory system6
. Factors known to be involved in the response to hypoxia are conserved in C. elegans
. The actual response to hypoxia depends on the specific concentration of O2
that is available. In C. elegans
, exposure to moderate hypoxia elicits a transcriptional response mediated largely by hif-1
, the highly-conserved hypoxia-inducible transcription factor6-9
. C .elegans
embryos require hif-1
to survive in 5,000-20,000 ppm O27,10
. Hypoxia is a general term for "less than normal O2
". Normoxia (normal O2
) can also be difficult to define. We generally consider room air, which is 210,000 ppm O2
to be normoxia. However, it has been shown that C. elegans
has a behavioral preference for O2
concentrations from 5-12% (50,000-120,000 ppm O2
. In larvae and adults, hif-1
acts to prevent hypoxia-induced diapause in 5,000 ppm O212
. However, hif-1
does not play a role in the response to lower concentrations of O2
(anoxia, operational definition <10 ppm O2
. In anoxia, C. elegans
enters into a reversible state of suspended animation in which all microscopically observable activity ceases10
. The fact that different physiological responses occur in different conditions highlights the importance of having experimental control over the hypoxic concentration of O2
Here, we present a method for the construction and implementation of environmental chambers that produce reliable and reproducible hypoxic conditions with defined concentrations of O2
. The continual flow method ensures rapid equilibration of the chamber and increases the stability of the system. Additionally, the transparency and accessibility of the chambers allow for direct visualization of animals being exposed to hypoxia. We further demonstrate an effective method of harvesting C. elegans
samples rapidly after exposure to hypoxia, which is necessary to observe many of the rapidly-reversed changes that occur in hypoxia10,14
. This method provides a basic foundation that can be easily modified for individual laboratory needs, including different model systems and a variety of gasses.
Biochemistry, Issue 65, Molecular Biology, Cellular Biology, Genetics, Developmental Biology, C. elegans, hypoxia, hypoxia inducible factor-1 (hif-1), anoxia, oxygen
The Analysis of Neurovascular Remodeling in Entorhino-hippocampal Organotypic Slice Cultures
Institutions: University of Basel, University of Basel.
Ischemic brain injury is among the most common and devastating conditions compromising proper brain function and often leads to persisting functional deficits in the affected patients. Despite intensive research efforts, there is still no effective treatment option available that reduces neuronal injury and protects neurons in the ischemic areas from delayed secondary death. Research in this area typically involves the use of elaborate and problematic animal models. Entorhino-hippocampal organotypic slice cultures challenged with oxygen and glucose deprivation (OGD) are established in vitro
models which mimic cerebral ischemia. The novel aspect of this study is that changes of the brain blood vessels are studied in addition to neuronal changes and the reaction of both the neuronal compartment and the vascular compartment can be compared and correlated. The methods presented in this protocol substantially broaden the potential applications of the organotypic slice culture approach. The induction of OGD or hypoxia alone can be applied by rather simple means in organotypic slice cultures and leads to reliable and reproducible damage in the neural tissue. This is in stark contrast to the complicated and problematic animal experiments inducing stroke and ischemia in vivo
. By broadening the analysis to include the study of the reaction of the vasculature could provide new ways on how to preserve and restore brain functions. The slice culture approach presented here might develop into an attractive and important tool for the study of ischemic brain injury and might be useful for testing potential therapeutic measures aimed at neuroprotection.
Neurobiology, Issue 92, blood-brain-barrier, neurovascular remodeling, hippocampus, pyramidal cells, excitotoxic, ischemia
Videomorphometric Analysis of Hypoxic Pulmonary Vasoconstriction of Intra-pulmonary Arteries Using Murine Precision Cut Lung Slices
Acute alveolar hypoxia causes pulmonary vasoconstriction (HPV) - also known as von Euler-Liljestrand mechanism - which serves to match lung perfusion to ventilation. Up to now, the underlying mechanisms are not fully understood. The major vascular segment contributing to HPV is the intra-acinar artery. This vessel section is responsible for the blood supply of an individual acinus, which is defined as the portion of lung distal to a terminal bronchiole. Intra-acinar arteries are mostly located in that part of the lung that cannot be selectively reached by a number of commonly used techniques such as measurement of the pulmonary artery pressure in isolated perfused lungs or force recordings from dissected proximal pulmonary artery segments1,2
. The analysis of subpleural vessels by real-time confocal laser scanning luminescence microscopy is limited to vessels with up to 50 µm in diameter3
We provide a technique to study HPV of murine intra-pulmonary arteries in the range of 20-100 µm inner diameters. It is based on the videomorphometric analysis of cross-sectioned arteries in precision cut lung slices (PCLS). This method allows the quantitative measurement of vasoreactivity of small intra-acinar
arteries with inner diameter between 20-40 µm which are located at gussets of alveolar septa next to alveolar ducts and of larger pre-acinar
arteries with inner diameters between 40-100 µm which run adjacent to bronchi and bronchioles. In contrast to real-time imaging of subpleural vessels in anesthetized and ventilated mice, videomorphometric analysis of PCLS occurs under conditions free of shear stress. In our experimental model both arterial segments exhibit a monophasic HPV when exposed to medium gassed with 1% O2
and the response fades after 30-40 min at hypoxia.
Medicine, Issue 83, Hypoxic pulmonary vasoconstriction, murine lungs, precision cut lung slices, intra-pulmonary, pre- and intra-acinar arteries, videomorphometry
Isolation of Blood-vessel-derived Multipotent Precursors from Human Skeletal Muscle
Institutions: University of Pittsburgh, University of Pittsburgh, Nazarbayev University, University of California at Los Angeles, Erasmus MC Stem Cell Institute, Oregon Health & Science University, Queen's Medical Research Institute and University of Edinburgh, University of California at Los Angeles, University of Pittsburgh.
Since the discovery of mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (MSCs), the native identity and localization of MSCs
have been obscured by their retrospective isolation in culture. Recently, using fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS), we and other researchers prospectively identified and purified three subpopulations of multipotent precursor cells associated with the vasculature of human skeletal muscle. These three cell populations: myogenic endothelial cells (MECs), pericytes (PCs), and adventitial cells (ACs), are localized respectively to the three structural layers of blood vessels: intima, media, and adventitia. All of these human blood-vessel-derived stem cell (hBVSC) populations not only express classic MSC markers but also possess mesodermal developmental potentials similar to typical MSCs. Previously, MECs, PCs, and ACs have been isolated through distinct protocols and subsequently characterized in separate studies. The current isolation protocol, through modifications to the isolation process and adjustments in the selective cell surface markers, allows us to simultaneously purify all three hBVSC subpopulations by FACS from a single human muscle biopsy. This new method will not only streamline the isolation of multiple BVSC subpopulations but also facilitate future clinical applications of hBVSCs for distinct therapeutic purposes.
Cellular Biology, Issue 90, Blood Vessel; Pericyte; Adventitial Cell; Myogenic Endothelial Cell; Multipotent Precursor
Sequential In vivo Imaging of Osteogenic Stem/Progenitor Cells During Fracture Repair
Institutions: Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Harvard Medical School.
Bone turns over continuously and is highly regenerative following injury. Osteogenic stem/progenitor cells have long been hypothesized to exist, but in vivo
demonstration of such cells has only recently been attained. Here, in vivo
imaging techniques to investigate the role of endogenous osteogenic stem/progenitor cells (OSPCs) and their progeny in bone repair are provided. Using osteo-lineage cell tracing models and intravital imaging of induced microfractures in calvarial bone, OSPCs can be directly observed during the first few days after injury, in which critical events in the early repair process occur. Injury sites can be sequentially imaged revealing that OSPCs relocate to the injury, increase in number and differentiate into bone forming osteoblasts. These methods offer a means of investigating the role of stem cell-intrinsic and extrinsic molecular regulators for bone regeneration and repair.
Medicine, Issue 87, Osteogenic Stem Cells, In vivo Imaging, Lineage tracking, Bone regeneration, Fracture repair, Mx1.
siRNA Screening to Identify Ubiquitin and Ubiquitin-like System Regulators of Biological Pathways in Cultured Mammalian Cells
Institutions: University of Dundee, University of Dundee.
Post-translational modification of proteins with ubiquitin and ubiquitin-like molecules (UBLs) is emerging as a dynamic cellular signaling network that regulates diverse biological pathways including the hypoxia response, proteostasis, the DNA damage response and transcription. To better understand how UBLs regulate pathways relevant to human disease, we have compiled a human siRNA “ubiquitome” library consisting of 1,186 siRNA duplex pools targeting all known and predicted components of UBL system pathways. This library can be screened against a range of cell lines expressing reporters of diverse biological pathways to determine which UBL components act as positive or negative regulators of the pathway in question. Here, we describe a protocol utilizing this library to identify ubiquitome-regulators of the HIF1A-mediated cellular response to hypoxia using a transcription-based luciferase reporter. An initial assay development stage is performed to establish suitable screening parameters of the cell line before performing the screen in three stages: primary, secondary and tertiary/deconvolution screening. The use of targeted over whole genome siRNA libraries is becoming increasingly popular as it offers the advantage of reporting only on members of the pathway with which the investigators are most interested. Despite inherent limitations of siRNA screening, in particular false-positives caused by siRNA off-target effects, the identification of genuine novel regulators of the pathways in question outweigh these shortcomings, which can be overcome by performing a series of carefully undertaken control experiments.
Biochemistry, Issue 87, siRNA screening, ubiquitin, UBL, ubiquitome, hypoxia, HIF1A, High-throughput, mammalian cells, luciferase reporter
Manual Isolation of Adipose-derived Stem Cells from Human Lipoaspirates
Institutions: Cytori Therapeutics Inc, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA.
In 2001, researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles, described the isolation of a new population of adult stem cells from liposuctioned adipose tissue that they initially termed Processed Lipoaspirate Cells or PLA cells. Since then, these stem cells have been renamed as Adipose-derived Stem Cells or ASCs and have gone on to become one of the most popular adult stem cells populations in the fields of stem cell research and regenerative medicine. Thousands of articles now describe the use of ASCs in a variety of regenerative animal models, including bone regeneration, peripheral nerve repair and cardiovascular engineering. Recent articles have begun to describe the myriad of uses for ASCs in the clinic. The protocol shown in this article outlines the basic procedure for manually and enzymatically isolating ASCs from large amounts of lipoaspirates obtained from cosmetic procedures. This protocol can easily be scaled up or down to accommodate the volume of lipoaspirate and can be adapted to isolate ASCs from fat tissue obtained through abdominoplasties and other similar procedures.
Cellular Biology, Issue 79, Adipose Tissue, Stem Cells, Humans, Cell Biology, biology (general), enzymatic digestion, collagenase, cell isolation, Stromal Vascular Fraction (SVF), Adipose-derived Stem Cells, ASCs, lipoaspirate, liposuction
Biochemical Titration of Glycogen In vitro
Institutions: University of Nice - Sophia Antipolis.
Glycogen is the main energetic polymer of glucose in vertebrate animals and plays a crucial role in whole body metabolism as well as in cellular metabolism. Many methods to detect glycogen already exist but only a few are quantitative. We describe here a method using the Abcam Glycogen assay kit, which is based on specific degradation of glycogen to glucose by glucoamylase. Glucose is then specifically oxidized to a product that reacts with the OxiRed probe to produce fluorescence. Titration is accurate, sensitive and can be achieved on cell extracts or tissue sections. However, in contrast to other techniques, it does not give information about the distribution of glycogen in the cell. As an example of this technique, we describe here the titration of glycogen in two cell lines, Chinese hamster lung fibroblast CCL39 and human colon carcinoma LS174, incubated in normoxia (21% O2
) versus hypoxia (1% O2
). We hypothesized that hypoxia is a signal that prepares cells to synthesize and store glycogen in order to survive1
Basic Protocol, Issue 81, Glycogen, Glucoamylase, Fluorescence, Oxidation, Periodic Acid Shiff staining (PAS)
Repair of a Critical-sized Calvarial Defect Model Using Adipose-derived Stromal Cells Harvested from Lipoaspirate
Institutions: Stanford University , Duke University , Saint Joseph Mercy Hospital, University of California, San Francisco , University of California, Los Angeles .
Craniofacial skeletal repair and regeneration offers the promise of de novo
tissue formation through a cell-based approach utilizing stem cells. Adipose-derived stromal cells (ASCs) have proven to be an abundant source of multipotent stem cells capable of undergoing osteogenic, chondrogenic, adipogenic, and myogenic differentiation. Many studies have explored the osteogenic potential of these cells in vivo
with the use of various scaffolding biomaterials for cellular delivery. It has been demonstrated that by utilizing an osteoconductive, hydroxyapatite-coated poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (HA-PLGA) scaffold seeded with ASCs, a critical-sized calvarial defect, a defect that is defined by its inability to undergo spontaneous healing over the lifetime of the animal, can be effectively show robust osseous regeneration. This in vivo
model demonstrates the basis of translational approaches aimed to regenerate the bone tissue - the cellular component and biological matrix. This method serves as a model for the ultimate clinical application of a progenitor cell towards the repair of a specific tissue defect.
Medicine, Issue 68, Stem Cells, Skeletal Tissue Engineering, Calvarial Defect, Scaffold, Tissue Regeneration, adipose-derived stromal cells
Tracking Hypoxic Signaling within Encapsulated Cell Aggregates
Institutions: University of South Carolina, University of South Carolina.
In Diabetes mellitus type 1, autoimmune destruction of the pancreatic β-cells results in loss of insulin production and potentially lethal hyperglycemia. As an alternative treatment option to exogenous insulin injection, transplantation of functional pancreatic tissue has been explored1,2
. This approach offers the promise of a more natural, long-term restoration of normoglycemia. Protection of the donor tissue from the host's immune system is required to prevent rejection and encapsulation is a method used to help achieve this aim.
Biologically-derived materials, such as alginate3
, have been the traditional choice for capsule construction but may induce inflammation or fibrotic overgrowth5
which can impede nutrient and oxygen transport. Alternatively, synthetic poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG)-based hydrogels are non-degrading, easily functionalized, available at high purity, have controllable pore size, and are extremely biocompatible,6,7,8
. As an additional benefit, PEG hydrogels may be formed rapidly in a simple photo-crosslinking reaction that does not require application of non-physiological temperatures6,7
. Such a procedure is described here. In the crosslinking reaction, UV degradation of the photoinitiator, 1-[4-(2-Hydroxyethoxy)-phenyl]-2-hydroxy-2-methyl-1-propane-1-one (Irgacure 2959), produces free radicals which attack the vinyl carbon-carbon double bonds of dimethacrylated PEG (PEGDM) inducing crosslinking at the chain ends. Crosslinking can be achieved within 10 minutes. PEG hydrogels constructed in such a manner have been shown to favorably support cells7,9
, and the low photoinitiator concentration and brief exposure to UV irradiation is not detrimental to viability and function of the encapsulated tissue10
. While we methacrylate our PEG with the method described below, PEGDM can also be directly purchased from vendors such as Sigma.
An inherent consequence of encapsulation is isolation of the cells from a vascular network. Supply of nutrients, notably oxygen, is therefore reduced and limited by diffusion. This reduced oxygen availability may especially impact β-cells whose insulin secretory function is highly dependent on oxygen11-13
. Capsule composition and geometry will also impact diffusion rates and lengths for oxygen. Therefore, we also describe a technique for identifying hypoxic cells within our PEG capsules. Infection of the cells with a recombinant adenovirus allows for a fluorescent signal to be produced when intracellular hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF) pathways are activated14
. As HIFs are the primary regulators of the transcriptional response to hypoxia, they represent an ideal target marker for detection of hypoxic signaling15
. This approach allows for easy and rapid detection of hypoxic cells. Briefly, the adenovirus has the sequence for a red fluorescent protein (Ds Red DR from Clontech) under the control of a hypoxia-responsive element (HRE) trimer. Stabilization of HIF-1 by low oxygen conditions will drive transcription of the fluorescent protein (Figure 1). Additional details on the construction of this virus have been published previously15
. The virus is stored in 10% glycerol at -80° C as many 150 μL aliquots in 1.5 mL centrifuge tubes at a concentration of 3.4 x 1010
Previous studies in our lab have shown that MIN6 cells encapsulated as aggregates maintain their viability throughout 4 weeks of culture in 20% oxygen. MIN6 aggregates cultured at 2 or 1% oxygen showed both signs of necrotic cells (still about 85-90% viable) by staining with ethidium bromide as well as morphological changes relative to cells in 20% oxygen. The smooth spherical shape of the aggregates displayed at 20% was lost and aggregates appeared more like disorganized groups of cells. While the low oxygen stress does not cause a pronounced drop in viability, it is clearly impacting MIN6 aggregation and function as measured by glucose-stimulated insulin secretion15
. Western blot analysis of encapsulated cells in 20% and 1% oxygen also showed a significant increase in HIF-1α for cells cultured in the low oxygen conditions which correlates with the expression of the DsRed DR protein.
Bioengineering, Issue 58, Cell encapsulation, PEG, cell aggregation, hypoxia, insulin secretion, fluorescent imaging
Labeling Stem Cells with Ferumoxytol, an FDA-Approved Iron Oxide Nanoparticle
Institutions: Molecular Imaging Program at Stanford (MIPS) , Stanford University .
Stem cell based therapies offer significant potential for the field of regenerative medicine. However, much remains to be understood regarding the in vivo
kinetics of transplanted cells. A non-invasive method to repetitively monitor transplanted stem cells in vivo
would allow investigators to directly monitor stem cell transplants and identify successful or unsuccessful engraftment outcomes.
A wide range of stem cells continues to be investigated for countless applications. This protocol focuses on 3 different stem cell populations: human embryonic kidney 293 (HEK293) cells, human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSC) and induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells. HEK 293 cells are derived from human embryonic kidney cells grown in culture with sheared adenovirus 5 DNA. These cells are widely used in research because they are easily cultured, grow quickly and are easily transfected. hMSCs are found in adult marrow. These cells can be replicated as undifferentiated cells while maintaining multipotency or the potential to differentiate into a limited number of cell fates. hMSCs can differentiate to lineages of mesenchymal tissues, including osteoblasts, adipocytes, chondrocytes, tendon, muscle, and marrow stroma. iPS cells are genetically reprogrammed adult cells that have been modified to express genes and factors similar to defining properties of embryonic stem cells. These cells are pluripotent meaning they have the capacity to differentiate into all cell lineages 1
. Both hMSCs and iPS cells have demonstrated tissue regenerative capacity in-vivo
Magnetic resonance (MR) imaging together with the use of superparamagnetic iron oxide (SPIO) nanoparticle cell labels have proven effective for in vivo
tracking of stem cells due to the near microscopic anatomical resolution, a longer blood half-life that permits longitudinal imaging and the high sensitivity for cell detection provided by MR imaging of SPIO nanoparticles 2-4
. In addition, MR imaging with the use of SPIOs is clinically translatable. SPIOs are composed of an iron oxide core with a dextran, carboxydextran or starch surface coat that serves to contain the bioreactive iron core from plasma components. These agents create local magnetic field inhomogeneities that lead to a decreased signal on T2-weighted MR images 5
. Unfortunately, SPIOs are no longer being manufactured. Second generation, ultrasmall SPIOs (USPIO), however, offer a viable alternative. Ferumoxytol (FerahemeTM) is one USPIO composed of a non-stoichiometric magnetite core surrounded by a polyglucose sorbitol carboxymethylether coat. The colloidal, particle size of ferumoxytol is 17-30 nm as determined by light scattering. The molecular weight is 750 kDa, and the relaxivity constant at 2T MRI field is 58.609 mM-1 sec-1 strength4
. Ferumoxytol was recently FDA-approved as an iron supplement for treatment of iron deficiency in patients with renal failure 6
. Our group has applied this agent in an “off label” use for cell labeling applications. Our technique demonstrates efficient labeling of stem cells with ferumoxytol that leads to significant MR signal effects of labeled cells on MR images. This technique may be applied for non-invasive monitoring of stem cell therapies in pre-clinical and clinical settings.
Medicine, Issue 57, USPIO, cell labeling, MR imaging, MRI, molecular imaging, iron oxides, ferumoxytol, cellular imaging, nanoparticles
Magnetic Resonance Imaging Quantification of Pulmonary Perfusion using Calibrated Arterial Spin Labeling
Institutions: University of California San Diego - UCSD, University of California San Diego - UCSD, University of California San Diego - UCSD.
This demonstrates a MR imaging method to measure the spatial distribution of pulmonary blood flow in healthy subjects
during normoxia (inspired O2
, fraction (FI
) = 0.21) hypoxia (FI
= 0.125), and hyperoxia
= 1.00). In addition, the physiological responses of the subject are monitored in the MR scan environment. MR images
were obtained on a 1.5 T GE MRI scanner during a breath hold from a sagittal slice in the right lung at functional residual capacity. An arterial
spin labeling sequence (ASL-FAIRER) was used to measure the spatial distribution of pulmonary blood flow 1,2
and a multi-echo fast
gradient echo (mGRE) sequence 3
was used to quantify the regional proton (i.e. H2
O) density, allowing the quantification
of density-normalized perfusion for each voxel (milliliters blood per minute per gram lung tissue).
With a pneumatic switching valve and facemask equipped with a 2-way non-rebreathing valve, different oxygen concentrations
were introduced to the subject in the MR scanner through the inspired gas tubing. A metabolic cart collected expiratory gas via expiratory tubing. Mixed expiratory O2
concentrations, oxygen consumption, carbon dioxide production, respiratory exchange ratio,
respiratory frequency and tidal volume were measured. Heart rate and oxygen saturation were monitored using pulse-oximetry.
Data obtained from a normal subject showed that, as expected, heart rate was higher in hypoxia (60 bpm) than during normoxia (51) or hyperoxia (50) and the arterial oxygen saturation (SpO2
) was reduced during hypoxia to 86%. Mean ventilation was 8.31 L/min BTPS during hypoxia, 7.04 L/min during normoxia, and 6.64 L/min during hyperoxia. Tidal volume was 0.76 L during hypoxia, 0.69 L during normoxia, and 0.67 L during hyperoxia.
Representative quantified ASL data showed that the mean density normalized perfusion was 8.86 ml/min/g during hypoxia, 8.26 ml/min/g during normoxia and 8.46 ml/min/g during hyperoxia, respectively. In this subject, the relative dispersion4
, an index of global heterogeneity, was increased in hypoxia (1.07 during hypoxia, 0.85 during normoxia, and 0.87 during hyperoxia) while the fractal dimension (Ds), another index of heterogeneity reflecting vascular branching structure, was unchanged (1.24 during hypoxia, 1.26 during normoxia, and 1.26 during hyperoxia).
Overview. This protocol will demonstrate the acquisition of data to measure the distribution of pulmonary perfusion noninvasively under conditions of normoxia, hypoxia, and hyperoxia using a magnetic resonance imaging technique known as arterial spin labeling (ASL).
Rationale: Measurement of pulmonary blood flow and lung proton density using MR technique offers high spatial resolution images which can be quantified and the ability to perform repeated measurements under several different physiological conditions. In human studies, PET, SPECT, and CT are commonly used as the alternative techniques. However, these techniques involve exposure to ionizing radiation, and thus are not suitable for repeated measurements in human subjects.
Medicine, Issue 51, arterial spin labeling, lung proton density, functional lung imaging, hypoxic pulmonary vasoconstriction, oxygen consumption, ventilation, magnetic resonance imaging
Reaggregate Thymus Cultures
Institutions: University of Birmingham .
Stromal cells within lymphoid tissues are organized into three-dimensional structures that provide a scaffold that is thought to control the migration and development of haemopoeitic cells. Importantly, the maintenance of this three-dimensional organization appears to be critical for normal stromal cell function, with two-dimensional monolayer cultures often being shown to be capable of supporting only individual fragments of lymphoid tissue function. In the thymus, complex networks of cortical and medullary epithelial cells act as a framework that controls the recruitment, proliferation, differentiation and survival of lymphoid progenitors as they undergo the multi-stage process of intrathymic T-cell development. Understanding the functional role of individual stromal compartments in the thymus is essential in determining how the thymus imposes self/non-self discrimination. Here we describe a technique in which we exploit the plasticity of fetal tissues to re-associate into intact three-dimensional structures in vitro
, following their enzymatic disaggregation. The dissociation of fetal thymus lobes into heterogeneous cellular mixtures, followed by their separation into individual cellular components, is then combined with the in vitro
re-association of these desired cell types into three-dimensional reaggregate structures at defined ratios, thereby providing an opportunity to investigate particular aspects of T-cell development under defined cellular conditions. (This article is based on work first reported Methods in Molecular Biology 2007, Vol. 380 pages 185-196).
Immunology, Issue 18, Springer Protocols, Thymus, 2-dGuo, Thymus Organ Cultures, Immune Tolerance, Positive and Negative Selection, Lymphoid Development
Propagation of Human Embryonic Stem (ES) Cells
Institutions: MGH - Massachusetts General Hospital.
Cellular Biology, Issue 1, ES, embryonic stem cells, tissue culture