Oxygen gradients in the microcirculation

RECAPITULATING THE VASCULAR MICROENVIRONMENT IN MICROFLUIDIC PLATFORMS

The vasculature is regulated by various chemical and mechanical factors. Reproducing these factors in vitro is crucial for the understanding of the mechanisms underlying vascular diseases and the development of new therapeutics and delivery techniques. Microfluidic technology offers opportunities to precisely control the level, duration and extent of various cues, providing unprecedented capabilities to recapitulate the vascular microenvironment. In the first part of this article, we review existing microfluidic technology that is capable of controlling both chemical and mechanical factors regulating the vascular microenvironment. In particular, we focus on micro-systems developed for controlling key parameters such as oxygen tension, co-culture, shear stress, cyclic stretch and flow patterns. In the second part of this article, we highlight recent advances that resulted from the use of these microfluidic devices for vascular research.

Directed oxygen gradients initiate a robust early remodeling response in engineered vascular grafts

Whereas functionally different, both organogenesis and wound-healing processes create zones or regions of hypoxia that persist until capillary networks are formed to facilitate oxygen and nutrient delivery. Similarly, regenerative processes within in vitro engineered tissues experience the same hypoxic regions, but without the capacity to form functional capillaries resulting in a major limitation in developing full-thickness organs and tissues. Due to the importance of oxygen in wound healing and tissue regeneration, we hypothesize that directed oxygen gradients can be used to modulate cell function and promote more effective tissue regeneration. The effect of controlled oxygen gradients on human smooth muscle cells (SMCs) was assessed using dual chambered perfusion bioreactors to regulate transport conditions occurring in a model vascular construct. SMCs were seeded onto the ablumenal surface of the scaffold and cultured for 21 days under 3 independent gas environments: (1) 21% oxygen, (2) 11% oxygen, or (3) an ablumen to lumen oxygen gradient from 11% to 21%. When compared to 21% oxygen and 11% oxygen conditions, the directed 11%-21% oxygen gradient resulted in a raised metabolic activity and significantly improved cell migration. After 21 days from seeding, cells were shown to migrate entirely across the scaffold to the vessel lumen (>450 μm). Concomitant with a more uniform cell dispersion, scaffold mechanics were significantly enhanced with increased stiffness and tensile strength. Native oxygen gradients are known to play a pivotal role during organ development; these results show that directed oxygen gradients within in vitro systems can be used to facilitate early remodeling leading to significantly enhanced cell migration and scaffold biomechanics.

Imaging local neuronal activity by monitoring PO₂ transients in capillaries

Two-photon phosphorescence lifetime microscopy (2PLM) has been used recently for depth measurements of oxygen partial pressure (PO(2)) in the rodent brain. In capillaries of olfactory bulb glomeruli, 2PLM has also allowed simultaneous measurements of PO(2) and blood flow and revealed the presence of erythrocyte-associated transients (EATs), which are PO(2) gradients that are associated with individual erythrocytes. We investigated the extent to which EAT properties in capillaries report local neuronal activity. We find that at rest, PO(2) at EAT peaks overestimates the mean PO(2) by 35 mm Hg. PO(2) between two EAT peaks is at equilibrium with, and thus reports, PO(2) in the neuropil. During odor stimulation, there is a small PO(2) decrease before functional hyperemia, showing that the initial dip in PO(2) is present at the level of capillaries. We conclude that imaging oxygen dynamics in capillaries provides a unique and noninvasive approach to map neuronal activity.

Shedding light on mitochondrial function by real time monitoring of NADH fluorescence: II: human studies

Monitoring the mitochondrial function, alone or together with microcirculatory blood flow, volume and hemoglobin oxygenation in patients, is very rare. The integrity of microcirculation and mitochondrial activity is a key factor in keeping normal cellular activities. Many pathological conditions in patients are directly or indirectly related to dysfunction of the mitochondria. Evaluation of mitochondrial activity by measuring the autofluorescence of NADH has been the most practical approach since the 1950s. This review, which accompanies part I, presents the principles and technological aspects of various devices used in order to monitor mitochondrial NADH redox state and tissue viability in patients. In part I, the detailed technological aspects of NADH monitoring were described. Typical results accumulated in our studies since the mid-1990s are presented as well. We were able to apply the fiber optic based NADH fluorometry to several organs monitored in vivo in patients under various pathophysiological conditions.

Shedding light on mitochondrial function by real time monitoring of NADH fluorescence: I. Basic methodology and animal studies

Normal mitochondrial function in the process of metabolic energy production is a key factor in maintaining cellular activities. Many pathological conditions in animals, as well as in patients, are directly or indirectly related to dysfunction of the mitochondria. Monitoring the mitochondrial activity by measuring the autofluorescence of NADH has been the most practical approach since the 1950s. This review presents the principles and technological aspects, as well as typical results, accumulated in our laboratory since the early 1970s. We were able to apply the fiber-optic-based NADH fluorometry to many organs monitored in vivo under various pathophysiological conditions in animals. These studies were the basis for the development of clinical monitoring devices as presented in accompanying article. The encouraging experimental results in animals stimulated us to apply the same technology in patients after technological adaptations as described in the accompanying article. Our medical device was approved for clinical use by the FDA.

Toward a multiscale description of microvascular flow regulation: o(2)-dependent release of ATP from human erythrocytes and the distribution of ATP in capillary networks

Integration of the numerous mechanisms that have been suggested to contribute to optimization of O₂ supply to meet O₂ need in skeletal muscle requires a systems biology approach which permits quantification of these physiological processes over a wide range of length scales. Here we describe two individual computational models based on in vivo and in vitro studies which, when incorporated into a single robust multiscale model, will provide information on the role of erythrocyte-released ATP in perfusion distribution in skeletal muscle under both physiological and pathophysiological conditions. Healthy human erythrocytes exposed to low O₂ tension release ATP via a well characterized signaling pathway requiring activation of the G-protein, Gi, and adenylyl cyclase leading to increases in cAMP. This cAMP then activates PKA and subsequently CFTR culminating in ATP release via pannexin 1. A critical control point in this pathway is the level of cAMP which is regulated by pathway-specific phosphodiesterases. Using time constants (~100 ms) that are consistent with measured erythrocyte ATP release, we have constructed a dynamic model of this pathway. The model predicts levels of ATP release consistent with measurements obtained over a wide range of hemoglobin O₂ saturations (sO₂). The model further predicts how insulin, at concentrations found in pre-diabetes, enhances the activity of PDE3 and reduces intracellular cAMP levels leading to decreased low O₂-induced ATP release from erythrocytes. The second model, which couples O₂ and ATP transport in capillary networks, shows how intravascular ATP and the resulting conducted vasodilation are affected by local sO₂, convection and ATP degradation. This model also predicts network-level effects of decreased ATP release resulting from elevated insulin levels. Taken together, these models lay the groundwork for investigating the systems biology of the regulation of microvascular perfusion distribution by erythrocyte-derived ATP.

Microvascular and mitochondrial PO(2) simultaneously measured by oxygen-dependent delayed luminescence

Measurement of tissue oxygenation is a complex task and various techniques have led to a wide range of tissue PO(2) values and contradictory results. Tissue is compartmentalized in microcirculation, interstitium and intracellular space and current techniques are biased towards a certain compartment. Simultaneous oxygen measurements in various compartments might be of great benefit for our understanding of determinants of tissue oxygenation. Here we report simultaneous measurement of microvascular PO(2) (μPO(2) ) and mitochondrial PO(2) (mitoPO(2) ) in rats. The μPO(2) measurements are based on oxygen-dependent quenching of phosphorescence of the near-infrared phosphor Oxyphor G2. The mitoPO(2) measurements are based on oxygen-dependent quenching of delayed fluorescence of protoporphyrin IX (PpIX). Favorable spectral properties of these porphyrins allow simultaneous measurement of the delayed luminescence lifetimes. A dedicated fiber-based time-domain setup consisting of a tunable pulsed laser, 2 red-sensitive gated photomultiplier tubes and a simultaneous sampling data-acquisition system is described in detail. The absence of cross talk between the channels is shown and the feasibility of simultaneous μPO(2) and mitoPO(2) measurements is demonstrated in rat liver in vivo. It is anticipated that this novel approach will greatly contribute to our understanding of tissue oxygenation in physiological and pathological circumstances.

The roles of cerebral blood flow, capillary transit time heterogeneity, and oxygen tension in brain oxygenation and metabolism

Normal brain function depends critically on moment-to-moment regulation of oxygen supply by the bloodstream to meet changing metabolic needs. Neurovascular coupling, a range of mechanisms that converge on arterioles to adjust local cerebral blood flow (CBF), represents our current framework for understanding this regulation. We modeled the combined effects of CBF and capillary transit time heterogeneity (CTTH) on the maximum oxygen extraction fraction (OEF(max)) and metabolic rate of oxygen that can biophysically be supported, for a given tissue oxygen tension. Red blood cell velocity recordings in rat brain support close hemodynamic-metabolic coupling by means of CBF and CTTH across a range of physiological conditions. The CTTH reduction improves tissue oxygenation by counteracting inherent reductions in OEF(max) as CBF increases, and seemingly secures sufficient oxygenation during episodes of hyperemia resulting from cortical activation or hypoxemia. In hypoperfusion and states of blocked CBF, both lower oxygen tension and CTTH may secure tissue oxygenation. Our model predicts that disturbed capillary flows may cause a condition of malignant CTTH, in which states of higher CBF display lower oxygen availability. We propose that conditions with altered capillary morphology, such as amyloid, diabetic or hypertensive microangiopathy, and ischemia-reperfusion, may disturb CTTH and thereby flow-metabolism coupling and cerebral oxygen metabolism.

Kinetics of muscle deoxygenation and microvascular Po2 during contractions in rat: comparison of optical spectroscopy and phosphorescence-quenching techniques

The overarching presumption with near-infrared spectroscopy measurement of muscle deoxygenation is that the signal reflects predominantly the intramuscular microcirculatory compartment rather than intramyocyte myoglobin (Mb). To test this hypothesis, we compared the kinetics profile of muscle deoxygenation using visible light spectroscopy (suitable for the superficial fiber layers) with that for microvascular O2 partial pressure (i.e., PmvO2, phosphorescence quenching) within the same muscle region (0.5∼1 mm depth) during transitions from rest to electrically stimulated contractions in the gastrocnemius of male Wistar rats ( n = 14). Both responses could be modeled by a time delay (TD), followed by a close-to-exponential change to the new steady level. However, the TD for the muscle deoxygenation profile was significantly longer compared with that for the phosphorescence-quenching PmvO2 [8.6 ± 1.4 and 2.7 ± 0.6 s (means ± SE) for the deoxygenation and PmvO2, respectively; P < 0.05]. The time constants (τ) of the responses were not different (8.8 ± 4.7 and 11.2 ± 1.8 s for the deoxygenation and PmvO2, respectively). These disparate (TD) responses suggest that the deoxygenation characteristics of Mb extend the TD, thereby increasing the duration (number of contractions) before the onset of muscle deoxygenation. However, this effect was insufficient to increase the mean response time. Somewhat differently, the muscle deoxygenation response measured using near-infrared spectroscopy in the deeper regions (∼5 mm depth) (∼50% type I Mb-rich, highly oxidative fibers) was slower (τ = 42.3 ± 6.6 s; P < 0.05) than the corresponding value for superficial muscle measured using visible light spectroscopy or PmvO2 and can be explained on the basis of known fiber-type differences in PmvO2 kinetics. These data suggest that, within the superficial and also deeper muscle regions, the τ of the deoxygenation signal may represent a useful index of local O2 extraction kinetics during exercise transients.

Control of microvascular PO₂ kinetics following onset of muscle contractions: role for AMPK

The microvascular partial pressure of oxygen (Pmv(o(2))) kinetics following the onset of exercise reflects the relationship between muscle O(2) delivery and uptake (Vo(2)). Although AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) is known as a regulator of mitochondria and nitric oxide metabolism, it is unclear whether the dynamic balance of O(2) delivery and Vo(2) at exercise onset is dependent on AMPK activation level. We used transgenic mice with muscle-specific AMPK dominant-negative (AMPK-DN) to investigate a role for skeletal muscle AMPK on Pmv(o(2)) kinetics following onset of muscle contractions. Phosphorescence quenching techniques were used to measure Pmv(o(2)) at rest and across the transition to twitch (1 Hz) and tetanic (100 Hz, 3-5 V, 4-ms pulse duration, stimulus duration of 100 ms every 1 s for 1 min) contractions in gastrocnemius muscles (each group n = 6) of AMPK-DN mice and wild-type littermates (WT) under isoflurane anesthesia with 100% inspired O(2) to avoid hypoxemia. Baseline Pmv(o(2)) before contractions was not different between groups (P > 0.05). Both muscle contraction conditions exhibited a delay followed by an exponential decrease in Pmv(o(2)). However, compared with WT, AMPK-DN demonstrated 1) prolongation of the time delay before Pmv(o(2)) began to decline (1 Hz: WT, 3.2 ± 0.5 s; AMPK-DN, 6.5 ± 0.4 s; 100 Hz: WT, 4.4 ± 1.0 s; AMPK-DN, 6.5 ± 1.4 s; P < 0.05), 2) a faster response time (i.e., time constant; 1 Hz: WT, 19.4 ± 3.9 s; AMPK-DN, 12.4 ± 2.6 s; 100 Hz: WT, 15.1 ± 2.2 s; AMPK-DN, 9.0 ± 1.7 s; P < 0.05). These findings are consistent with the presence of substantial mitochondrial and microvascular dysfunction in AMPK-DN mice, which likely slows O(2) consumption kinetics (i.e., oxidative phosphorylation response) and impairs the hyperemic response at the onset of contractions thereby sowing the seeds for exercise intolerance.