51
|
McDowell KP, Berthiaume AA, Tieu T, Hartmann DA, Shih AY. VasoMetrics: unbiased spatiotemporal analysis of microvascular diameter in multi-photon imaging applications. Quant Imaging Med Surg 2021; 11:969-982. [PMID: 33654670 PMCID: PMC7829163 DOI: 10.21037/qims-20-920] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2020] [Accepted: 11/17/2020] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Multi-photon imaging of the cerebrovasculature provides rich data on the dynamics of cortical arterioles, capillaries, and venules. Vascular diameter is the major determinant of blood flow resistance, and is the most commonly quantified metric in studies of the cerebrovasculature. However, there is a lack of accessible and easy-to-use methods to quantify vascular diameter in imaging data. METHODS We created VasoMetrics, a macro written in ImageJ/Fiji for spatiotemporal analysis of microvascular diameter. The key feature of VasoMetrics is rapid analysis of many evenly spaced cross-sectional lines along the vessel of interest, permitting the extraction of numerous diameter measurements from individual vessels. Here we demonstrated the utility of VasoMetrics by analyzing in vivo multi-photon imaging stacks and movies collected from lightly sedated mice, as well as data from optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) of human retina. RESULTS Compared to the standard approach, which is to measure cross-sectional diameters at arbitrary points along a vessel, VasoMetrics accurately reported spatiotemporal features of vessel diameter, reduced measurement bias and time spent analyzing data, and improved the reproducibility of diameter measurements between users. VasoMetrics revealed the dynamics in pial arteriole diameters during vasomotion at rest, as well as changes in capillary diameter before and after pericyte ablation. Retinal arteriole diameter was quantified from a human retinal angiogram, providing proof-of-principle that VasoMetrics can be applied to contrast-enhanced clinical imaging of microvasculature. CONCLUSIONS VasoMetrics is a robust macro for spatiotemporal analysis of microvascular diameter in imaging applications.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Konnor P. McDowell
- Center for Developmental Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Seattle Children’s Research Institute, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Andrée-Anne Berthiaume
- Center for Developmental Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Seattle Children’s Research Institute, Seattle, WA, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA
| | - Taryn Tieu
- Center for Developmental Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Seattle Children’s Research Institute, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - David A. Hartmann
- Department of Neurology & Neurological Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Andy Y. Shih
- Center for Developmental Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Seattle Children’s Research Institute, Seattle, WA, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| |
Collapse
|
52
|
Fosse JH, Haraldsen G, Falk K, Edelmann R. Endothelial Cells in Emerging Viral Infections. Front Cardiovasc Med 2021; 8:619690. [PMID: 33718448 PMCID: PMC7943456 DOI: 10.3389/fcvm.2021.619690] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2020] [Accepted: 02/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
There are several reasons to consider the role of endothelial cells in COVID-19 and other emerging viral infections. First, severe cases of COVID-19 show a common breakdown of central vascular functions. Second, SARS-CoV-2 replicates in endothelial cells. Third, prior deterioration of vascular function exacerbates disease, as the most common comorbidities of COVID-19 (obesity, hypertension, and diabetes) are all associated with endothelial dysfunction. Importantly, SARS-CoV-2's ability to infect endothelium is shared by many emerging viruses, including henipaviruses, hantavirus, and highly pathogenic avian influenza virus, all specifically targeting endothelial cells. The ability to infect endothelium appears to support generalised dissemination of infection and facilitate the access to certain tissues. The disturbed vascular function observed in severe COVID-19 is also a prominent feature of many other life-threatening viral diseases, underscoring the need to understand how viruses modulate endothelial function. We here review the role of vascular endothelial cells in emerging viral infections, starting with a summary of endothelial cells as key mediators and regulators of vascular and immune responses in health and infection. Next, we discuss endotheliotropism as a possible virulence factor and detail features that regulate viruses' ability to attach to and enter endothelial cells. We move on to review how endothelial cells detect invading viruses and respond to infection, with particular focus on pathways that may influence vascular function and the host immune system. Finally, we discuss how endothelial cell function can be dysregulated in viral disease, either by viral components or as bystander victims of overshooting or detrimental inflammatory and immune responses. Many aspects of how viruses interact with the endothelium remain poorly understood. Considering the diversity of such mechanisms among different emerging viruses allows us to highlight common features that may be of general validity and point out important challenges.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Guttorm Haraldsen
- Department of Pathology, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway.,Department of Pathology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Knut Falk
- Norwegian Veterinary Institute, Oslo, Norway.,AquaMed Consulting AS, Oslo, Norway
| | - Reidunn Edelmann
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Centre for Cancer Biomarkers CCBIO, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
| |
Collapse
|
53
|
Pfeiffer T, Li Y, Attwell D. Diverse mechanisms regulating brain energy supply at the capillary level. Curr Opin Neurobiol 2021; 69:41-50. [PMID: 33485189 DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2020.12.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2020] [Revised: 11/28/2020] [Accepted: 12/13/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Neural information processing depends critically on the brain's energy supply, which is provided in the form of glucose and oxygen in the blood. Regulation of this supply occurs by smooth muscle and contractile pericytes adjusting the diameter of arterioles and capillaries, respectively. Controversies exist over the relative importance of capillary and arteriolar level control, whether enzymatically generated signals or K+ ions are the dominant controller of cerebral blood flow, and the involvement of capillary endothelial cells. Here, we try to synthesise the relevant recent data into a coherent view of how brain energy supply is controlled and suggest approaches to answering key questions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Pfeiffer
- Department of Neuroscience, Physiology & Pharmacology, University College London Gower Street, London, WC1E 6BT, UK.
| | - Yuening Li
- Department of Neuroscience, Physiology & Pharmacology, University College London Gower Street, London, WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - David Attwell
- Department of Neuroscience, Physiology & Pharmacology, University College London Gower Street, London, WC1E 6BT, UK.
| |
Collapse
|
54
|
Howarth C, Mishra A, Hall CN. More than just summed neuronal activity: how multiple cell types shape the BOLD response. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2021; 376:20190630. [PMID: 33190598 PMCID: PMC7116385 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2019.0630] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Functional neuroimaging techniques are widely applied to investigations of human cognition and disease. The most commonly used among these is blood oxygen level-dependent (BOLD) functional magnetic resonance imaging. The BOLD signal occurs because neural activity induces an increase in local blood supply to support the increased metabolism that occurs during activity. This supply usually outmatches demand, resulting in an increase in oxygenated blood in an active brain region, and a corresponding decrease in deoxygenated blood, which generates the BOLD signal. Hence, the BOLD response is shaped by an integration of local oxygen use, through metabolism, and supply, in the blood. To understand what information is carried in BOLD signals, we must understand how several cell types in the brain-local excitatory neurons, inhibitory neurons, astrocytes and vascular cells (pericytes, vascular smooth muscle and endothelial cells), and their modulation by ascending projection neurons-contribute to both metabolism and haemodynamic changes. Here, we review the contributions of each cell type to the regulation of cerebral blood flow and metabolism, and discuss situations where a simplified interpretation of the BOLD response as reporting local excitatory activity may misrepresent important biological phenomena, for example with regards to arousal states, ageing and neurological disease. This article is part of the theme issue 'Key relationships between non-invasive functional neuroimaging and the underlying neuronal activity'.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Clare Howarth
- Department of Psychology, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S1 2LT, UK
| | - Anusha Mishra
- Department of Neurology, Jungers Center for Neurosciences Research, and Knight Cardiovascular Institute, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR 97239, USA
| | | |
Collapse
|
55
|
Hariharan A, Weir N, Robertson C, He L, Betsholtz C, Longden TA. The Ion Channel and GPCR Toolkit of Brain Capillary Pericytes. Front Cell Neurosci 2020; 14:601324. [PMID: 33390906 PMCID: PMC7775489 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2020.601324] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2020] [Accepted: 11/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Brain pericytes reside on the abluminal surface of capillaries, and their processes cover ~90% of the length of the capillary bed. These cells were first described almost 150 years ago (Eberth, 1871; Rouget, 1873) and have been the subject of intense experimental scrutiny in recent years, but their physiological roles remain uncertain and little is known of the complement of signaling elements that they employ to carry out their functions. In this review, we synthesize functional data with single-cell RNAseq screens to explore the ion channel and G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) toolkit of mesh and thin-strand pericytes of the brain, with the aim of providing a framework for deeper explorations of the molecular mechanisms that govern pericyte physiology. We argue that their complement of channels and receptors ideally positions capillary pericytes to play a central role in adapting blood flow to meet the challenge of satisfying neuronal energy requirements from deep within the capillary bed, by enabling dynamic regulation of their membrane potential to influence the electrical output of the cell. In particular, we outline how genetic and functional evidence suggest an important role for Gs-coupled GPCRs and ATP-sensitive potassium (KATP) channels in this context. We put forth a predictive model for long-range hyperpolarizing electrical signaling from pericytes to upstream arterioles, and detail the TRP and Ca2+ channels and Gq, Gi/o, and G12/13 signaling processes that counterbalance this. We underscore critical questions that need to be addressed to further advance our understanding of the signaling topology of capillary pericytes, and how this contributes to their physiological roles and their dysfunction in disease.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ashwini Hariharan
- Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Nick Weir
- Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Colin Robertson
- Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Liqun He
- Rudbeck Laboratory, Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Christer Betsholtz
- Rudbeck Laboratory, Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.,Department of Medicine Huddinge (MedH), Karolinska Institutet & Integrated Cardio Metabolic Centre, Huddinge, Sweden
| | - Thomas A Longden
- Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD, United States
| |
Collapse
|
56
|
Ivanova E, Corona C, Eleftheriou CG, Bianchimano P, Sagdullaev BT. Retina-specific targeting of pericytes reveals structural diversity and enables control of capillary blood flow. J Comp Neurol 2020; 529:1121-1134. [PMID: 32812219 DOI: 10.1002/cne.25011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2020] [Revised: 08/11/2020] [Accepted: 08/12/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Pericytes are a unique class of mural cells essential for angiogenesis, maintenance of the vasculature and are key players in microvascular pathology. However, their diversity and specific roles are poorly understood, limiting our insight into vascular physiology and the ability to develop effective therapies. Here, in the mouse retina, a tractable model of the CNS, we evaluated distinct classes of mural cells along the vascular tree for both structural characterization and physiological manipulation of blood flow. To accomplish this, we first tested three inducible mural cell-specific mouse lines using a sensitive Ai14 reporter and tamoxifen application either by a systemic injection, or by local administration in the form of eye drops. The specificity and pattern of cre activation varied significantly across the three lines, under either the PDGFRβ or NG2 promoter (Pdgfrβ-CreRha, Pdgfrβ-CreCsln, and Cspg4-Cre). In particular, a mouse line with Cre under the NG2 promoter resulted in sparse TdTomato labeling of mural cells, allowing for an unambiguous characterization of anatomical features of individual sphincter cells and capillary pericytes. Furthermore, in one PDGFRβ line, we found that focal eye drop application of tamoxifen led to an exclusive Cre-activation in pericytes, without affecting arterial mural cells. We then used this approach to boost capillary blood flow by selective expression of Halorhodopsin, a highly precise hyperpolarizing optogenetic actuator. The ability to exclusively target capillary pericytes may prove a precise and potentially powerful tool to treat microcirculation deficits, a common pathology in numerous diseases.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Elena Ivanova
- Burke Neurological Institute, White Plains, New York, USA.,Department of Ophthalmology, BMRI, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, New York, USA
| | - Carlo Corona
- Burke Neurological Institute, White Plains, New York, USA
| | | | | | - Botir T Sagdullaev
- Burke Neurological Institute, White Plains, New York, USA.,Department of Ophthalmology, BMRI, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, New York, USA
| |
Collapse
|
57
|
Abstract
Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is a frequent complication of diabetes mellitus and an increasingly common cause of visual impairment. Blood vessel damage occurs as the disease progresses, leading to ischemia, neovascularization, blood-retina barrier (BRB) failure and eventual blindness. Although detection and treatment strategies have improved considerably over the past years, there is room for a better understanding of the pathophysiology of the diabetic retina. Indeed, it has been increasingly realized that DR is in fact a disease of the retina's neurovascular unit (NVU), the multi-cellular framework underlying functional hyperemia, coupling neuronal computations to blood flow. The accumulating evidence reveals that both neurochemical (synapses) and electrical (gap junctions) means of communications between retinal cells are affected at the onset of hyperglycemia, warranting a global assessment of cellular interactions and their role in DR. This is further supported by the recent data showing down-regulation of connexin 43 gap junctions along the vascular relay from capillary to feeding arteriole as one of the earliest indicators of experimental DR, with rippling consequences to the anatomical and physiological integrity of the retina. Here, recent advancements in our knowledge of mechanisms controlling the retinal neurovascular unit will be assessed, along with their implications for future treatment and diagnosis of DR.
Collapse
|