51
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Epp R, Schmid F, Weber B, Jenny P. Predicting Vessel Diameter Changes to Up-Regulate Biphasic Blood Flow During Activation in Realistic Microvascular Networks. Front Physiol 2020; 11:566303. [PMID: 33178036 PMCID: PMC7596696 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2020.566303] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2020] [Accepted: 08/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
A dense network of blood vessels distributes blood to different regions of the brain. To meet the temporarily and spatially varying energy demand resulting from changes in neuronal activity, the vasculature is able to locally up-regulate the blood supply. However, to which extent diameter changes of different vessel types contribute to the up-regulation, as well as the spatial and temporal characteristics of their changes, are currently unknown. Here, we present a new simulation method, which solves an inverse problem to calculate diameter changes of individual blood vessels needed to achieve predefined blood flow distributions in microvascular networks. This allows us to systematically compare the impact of different vessel types in various regulation scenarios. Moreover, the method offers the advantage that it handles the stochastic nature of blood flow originating from tracking the movement of individual red blood cells. Since the inverse problem is formulated for time-averaged pressures and flow rates, a deterministic approach for calculating the diameter changes is used, which allows us to apply the method for large realistic microvascular networks with high-dimensional parameter spaces. Our results obtained in both artificial and realistic microvascular networks reveal that diameter changes at the level of capillaries enable a very localized regulation of blood flow. In scenarios where only larger vessels, i.e., arterioles, are allowed to adapt, the flow increase cannot be confined to a specific activated region and flow changes spread into neighboring regions. Furthermore, relatively small dilations and constrictions of all vessel types can lead to substantial changes of capillary blood flow distributions. This suggests that small scale regulation is necessary to obtain a localized increase in blood flow.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert Epp
- Institute of Fluid Dynamics, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Franca Schmid
- Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Bruno Weber
- Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Patrick Jenny
- Institute of Fluid Dynamics, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
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52
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Echagarruga CT, Gheres KW, Norwood JN, Drew PJ. nNOS-expressing interneurons control basal and behaviorally evoked arterial dilation in somatosensory cortex of mice. eLife 2020; 9:e60533. [PMID: 33016877 PMCID: PMC7556878 DOI: 10.7554/elife.60533] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2020] [Accepted: 10/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Cortical neural activity is coupled to local arterial diameter and blood flow. However, which neurons control the dynamics of cerebral arteries is not well understood. We dissected the cellular mechanisms controlling the basal diameter and evoked dilation in cortical arteries in awake, head-fixed mice. Locomotion drove robust arterial dilation, increases in gamma band power in the local field potential (LFP), and increases calcium signals in pyramidal and neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS)-expressing neurons. Chemogenetic or pharmocological modulation of overall neural activity up or down caused corresponding increases or decreases in basal arterial diameter. Modulation of pyramidal neuron activity alone had little effect on basal or evoked arterial dilation, despite pronounced changes in the LFP. Modulation of the activity of nNOS-expressing neurons drove changes in the basal and evoked arterial diameter without corresponding changes in population neural activity.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Kyle W Gheres
- Molecular, Cellular, and Integrative Biology Graduate Program, Pennsylvania State UniversityUniversity ParkUnited States
| | - Jordan N Norwood
- Cell and Developmental Biology Graduate Program, Pennsylvania State UniversityUniversity ParkUnited States
| | - Patrick J Drew
- Bioengineering Graduate Program, Pennsylvania State UniversityUniversity ParkUnited States
- Molecular, Cellular, and Integrative Biology Graduate Program, Pennsylvania State UniversityUniversity ParkUnited States
- Cell and Developmental Biology Graduate Program, Pennsylvania State UniversityUniversity ParkUnited States
- Departments of Engineering Science and Mechanics, Biomedical Engineering, and Neurosurgery, Pennsylvania State UniversityUniversity ParkUnited States
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53
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Secomb TW, Bullock KV, Boas DA, Sakadžić S. The mass transfer coefficient for oxygen transport from blood to tissue in cerebral cortex. J Cereb Blood Flow Metab 2020; 40:1634-1646. [PMID: 31423930 PMCID: PMC7370375 DOI: 10.1177/0271678x19870068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
The functioning of cerebral cortex depends on adequate tissue oxygenation. MRI-based techniques allow estimation of blood oxygen levels, tissue perfusion, and oxygen consumption rate (CMRO2), but do not directly measure partial pressure of oxygen (PO2) in tissue. To address the estimation of tissue PO2, the oxygen mass transfer coefficient (KTO2) is here defined as the CMRO2 divided by the difference in spatially averaged PO2 between blood and tissue, and is estimated by analyzing Krogh-cylinder type models. Resistance to radial diffusion of oxygen from microvessels to tissue is distributed within vessels and in the extravascular tissue. The value of KTO2 is shown to depend strongly on vascular length density and also on microvessel tube hematocrits and diameters, but to be insensitive to blood flow rate and to transient changes in flow or oxygen consumption. Estimated values of KTO2 are higher than implied by previous studies, implying smaller declines in PO2 from blood to tissue. Average tissue PO2 can be estimated from MRI-based measurements as average blood PO2 minus the product of KTO2 and CMRO2. For oxygen consumption rates and vascular densities typical of mouse cortex, the predicted difference between average blood and tissue PO2 is about 10 mmHg.
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Affiliation(s)
- Timothy W Secomb
- Department of Physiology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA.,Program in Applied Mathematics, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA.,Physiological Sciences Graduate Program, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA
| | - Katherine V Bullock
- Physiological Sciences Graduate Program, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA
| | - David A Boas
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.,Department of Biomedical Engineering, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Sava Sakadžić
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
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54
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Haselden WD, Kedarasetti RT, Drew PJ. Spatial and temporal patterns of nitric oxide diffusion and degradation drive emergent cerebrovascular dynamics. PLoS Comput Biol 2020; 16:e1008069. [PMID: 32716940 PMCID: PMC7410342 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1008069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2019] [Revised: 08/06/2020] [Accepted: 06/17/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Nitric oxide (NO) is a gaseous signaling molecule that plays an important role in neurovascular coupling. NO produced by neurons diffuses into the smooth muscle surrounding cerebral arterioles, driving vasodilation. However, the rate of NO degradation in hemoglobin is orders of magnitude higher than in brain tissue, though how this might impact NO signaling dynamics is not completely understood. We used simulations to investigate how the spatial and temporal patterns of NO generation and degradation impacted dilation of a penetrating arteriole in cortex. We found that the spatial location of NO production and the size of the vessel both played an important role in determining its responsiveness to NO. The much higher rate of NO degradation and scavenging of NO in the blood relative to the tissue drove emergent vascular dynamics. Large vasodilation events could be followed by post-stimulus constrictions driven by the increased degradation of NO by the blood, and vasomotion-like 0.1-0.3 Hz oscillations could also be generated. We found that these dynamics could be enhanced by elevation of free hemoglobin in the plasma, which occurs in diseases such as malaria and sickle cell anemia, or following blood transfusions. Finally, we show that changes in blood flow during hypoxia or hyperoxia could be explained by altered NO degradation in the parenchyma. Our simulations suggest that many common vascular dynamics may be emergent phenomena generated by NO degradation by the blood or parenchyma.
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Affiliation(s)
- William Davis Haselden
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, MD/PhD Medical Scientist Training Program, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
- Department of Engineering Science and Mechanics, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Ravi Teja Kedarasetti
- Department of Engineering Science and Mechanics, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Patrick J. Drew
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, MD/PhD Medical Scientist Training Program, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
- Department of Engineering Science and Mechanics, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
- Departments of Biomedical Engineering and Neurosurgery, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
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55
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Li B, Ohtomo R, Thunemann M, Adams SR, Yang J, Fu B, Yaseen MA, Ran C, Polimeni JR, Boas DA, Devor A, Lo EH, Arai K, Sakadžić S. Two-photon microscopic imaging of capillary red blood cell flux in mouse brain reveals vulnerability of cerebral white matter to hypoperfusion. J Cereb Blood Flow Metab 2020; 40:501-512. [PMID: 30829101 PMCID: PMC7026840 DOI: 10.1177/0271678x19831016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2018] [Revised: 01/19/2019] [Accepted: 01/21/2019] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
Despite the importance of understanding the regulation of microvascular blood flow in white matter, no data on subcortical capillary blood flow parameters are available, largely due to the lack of appropriate imaging methods. To address this knowledge gap, we employed two-photon microscopy using a far-red fluorophore Alexa680 and photon-counting detection to measure capillary red blood cell (RBC) flux in both cerebral gray and white matter, in isoflurane-anesthetized mice. We have found that in control animals, baseline capillary RBC flux in the white matter was significantly higher than in the adjacent cerebral gray matter. In response to mild hypercapnia, RBC flux in the white matter exhibited significantly smaller fractional increase than in the gray matter. Finally, during global cerebral hypoperfusion, RBC flux in the white matter was reduced significantly in comparison to the controls, while RBC flux in the gray matter was preserved. Our results suggest that blood flow in the white matter may be less efficiently regulated when challenged by physiological perturbations as compared to the gray matter. Importantly, the blood flow in the white matter may be more susceptible to hypoperfusion than in the gray matter, potentially exacerbating the white matter deterioration in brain conditions involving global cerebral hypoperfusion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Baoqiang Li
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA, USA
| | - Ryo Ohtomo
- Departments of Radiology and Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA, USA
| | - Martin Thunemann
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Stephen R Adams
- Department of Pharmacology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Jing Yang
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA, USA
| | - Buyin Fu
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA, USA
| | - Mohammad A Yaseen
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA, USA
| | - Chongzhao Ran
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA, USA
| | - Jonathan R Polimeni
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA, USA
| | - David A Boas
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Anna Devor
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA, USA
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Department of Radiology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Eng H Lo
- Departments of Radiology and Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA, USA
| | - Ken Arai
- Departments of Radiology and Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA, USA
| | - Sava Sakadžić
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA, USA
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56
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Shipley RJ, Smith AF, Sweeney PW, Pries AR, Secomb TW. A hybrid discrete-continuum approach for modelling microcirculatory blood flow. MATHEMATICAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY : A JOURNAL OF THE IMA 2020; 37:40-57. [PMID: 30892609 DOI: 10.1093/imammb/dqz006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2018] [Revised: 02/22/2019] [Accepted: 02/27/2019] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
In recent years, biological imaging techniques have advanced significantly and it is now possible to digitally reconstruct microvascular network structures in detail, identifying the smallest capillaries at sub-micron resolution and generating large 3D structural data sets of size >106 vessel segments. However, this relies on ex vivo imaging; corresponding in vivo measures of microvascular structure and flow are limited to larger branching vessels and are not achievable in three dimensions for the smallest vessels. This suggests the use of computational modelling to combine in vivo measures of branching vessel architecture and flows with ex vivo data on complete microvascular structures to predict effective flow and pressures distributions. In this paper, a hybrid discrete-continuum model to predict microcirculatory blood flow based on structural information is developed and compared with existing models for flow and pressure in individual vessels. A continuum-based Darcy model for transport in the capillary bed is coupled via point sources of flux to flows in individual arteriolar vessels, which are described explicitly using Poiseuille's law. The venular drainage is represented as a spatially uniform flow sink. The resulting discrete-continuum framework is parameterized using structural data from the capillary network and compared with a fully discrete flow and pressure solution in three networks derived from observations of the rat mesentery. The discrete-continuum approach is feasible and effective, providing a promising tool for extracting functional transport properties in situations where vascular branching structures are well defined.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca J Shipley
- Biomechanical Engineering Group, Department of Mechanical Engineering, University College London, Torrington Place, London, UK
| | - Amy F Smith
- Institut de Mécanique des Fluides de Toulouse, Université de Toulouse, CNRS, Toulouse, France
- Department of Physiology, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, USA
| | - Paul W Sweeney
- Biomechanical Engineering Group, Department of Mechanical Engineering, University College London, Torrington Place, London, UK
| | - Axel R Pries
- Department of Physiology, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Timothy W Secomb
- Department of Physiology, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, USA
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57
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Kennel P, Dichamp J, Barreau C, Guissard C, Teyssedre L, Rouquette J, Colombelli J, Lorsignol A, Casteilla L, Plouraboué F. From whole-organ imaging to in-silico blood flow modeling: A new multi-scale network analysis for revisiting tissue functional anatomy. PLoS Comput Biol 2020; 16:e1007322. [PMID: 32059013 PMCID: PMC7062279 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1007322] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2018] [Revised: 03/09/2020] [Accepted: 08/05/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
We present a multi-disciplinary image-based blood flow perfusion modeling of a whole organ vascular network for analyzing both its structural and functional properties. We show how the use of Light-Sheet Fluorescence Microscopy (LSFM) permits whole-organ micro-vascular imaging, analysis and modelling. By using adapted image post-treatment workflow, we could segment, vectorize and reconstruct the entire micro-vascular network composed of 1.7 million vessels, from the tissue-scale, inside a ∼ 25 × 5 × 1 = 125mm3 volume of the mouse fat pad, hundreds of times larger than previous studies, down to the cellular scale at micron resolution, with the entire blood perfusion modeled. Adapted network analysis revealed the structural and functional organization of meso-scale tissue as strongly connected communities of vessels. These communities share a distinct heterogeneous core region and a more homogeneous peripheral region, consistently with known biological functions of fat tissue. Graph clustering analysis also revealed two distinct robust meso-scale typical sizes (from 10 to several hundred times the cellular size), revealing, for the first time, strongly connected functional vascular communities. These community networks support heterogeneous micro-environments. This work provides the proof of concept that in-silico all-tissue perfusion modeling can reveal new structural and functional exchanges between micro-regions in tissues, found from community clusters in the vascular graph.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pol Kennel
- Institute of Fluid Mechanics of Toulouse (IMFT), Toulouse University, CNRS, INPT, UPS, Toulouse, France
| | - Jules Dichamp
- Institute of Fluid Mechanics of Toulouse (IMFT), Toulouse University, CNRS, INPT, UPS, Toulouse, France
| | - Corinne Barreau
- CNRS 5273; UMR STROMALab, BP 84225, F-31 432 Toulouse Cedex 4, France
| | | | | | | | - Julien Colombelli
- Advanced Digital Microscopy Core Facility, Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology. C. Baldiri Reixac, 10. E-08028 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Anne Lorsignol
- CNRS 5273; UMR STROMALab, BP 84225, F-31 432 Toulouse Cedex 4, France
| | - Louis Casteilla
- CNRS 5273; UMR STROMALab, BP 84225, F-31 432 Toulouse Cedex 4, France
| | - Franck Plouraboué
- Institute of Fluid Mechanics of Toulouse (IMFT), Toulouse University, CNRS, INPT, UPS, Toulouse, France
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58
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Grubb S, Cai C, Hald BO, Khennouf L, Murmu RP, Jensen AGK, Fordsmann J, Zambach S, Lauritzen M. Precapillary sphincters maintain perfusion in the cerebral cortex. Nat Commun 2020; 11:395. [PMID: 31959752 PMCID: PMC6971292 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-14330-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 83] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2019] [Accepted: 12/16/2019] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Active nerve cells release vasodilators that increase their energy supply by dilating local blood vessels, a mechanism termed neurovascular coupling and the basis of BOLD functional neuroimaging signals. Here, we reveal a mechanism for cerebral blood flow control, a precapillary sphincter at the transition between the penetrating arteriole and first order capillary, linking blood flow in capillaries to the arteriolar inflow. The sphincters are encircled by contractile mural cells, which are capable of bidirectional control of the length and width of the enclosed vessel segment. The hemodynamic consequence is that precapillary sphincters can generate the largest changes in the cerebrovascular flow resistance of all brain vessel segments, thereby controlling capillary flow while protecting the downstream capillary bed and brain tissue from adverse pressure fluctuations. Cortical spreading depolarization constricts sphincters and causes vascular trapping of blood cells. Thus, precapillary sphincters are bottlenecks for brain capillary blood flow. Precapillary sphincters are mural cells encircling an indentation of blood vessels where capillaries branch off from penetrating arterioles (PAs), but their existence and role in the brain is not fully understood. Here authors describe these structures at PAs in the cortex and show that they constrict during cortical spreading depolarization in mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Søren Grubb
- Department of Neuroscience, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Copenhagen, DK-2200, Copenhagen N, Denmark.
| | - Changsi Cai
- Department of Neuroscience, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Copenhagen, DK-2200, Copenhagen N, Denmark
| | - Bjørn O Hald
- Department of Neuroscience, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Copenhagen, DK-2200, Copenhagen N, Denmark
| | - Lila Khennouf
- Department of Neuroscience, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Copenhagen, DK-2200, Copenhagen N, Denmark.,Department of Neuroscience, Physiology and Pharmacology, University College London, Gower Street, London, WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Reena Prity Murmu
- Department of Neuroscience, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Copenhagen, DK-2200, Copenhagen N, Denmark
| | - Aske G K Jensen
- Department of Neuroscience, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Copenhagen, DK-2200, Copenhagen N, Denmark.,Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Jonas Fordsmann
- Department of Neuroscience, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Copenhagen, DK-2200, Copenhagen N, Denmark
| | - Stefan Zambach
- Department of Neuroscience, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Copenhagen, DK-2200, Copenhagen N, Denmark
| | - Martin Lauritzen
- Department of Neuroscience, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Copenhagen, DK-2200, Copenhagen N, Denmark. .,Department of Clinical Neurophysiology, Rigshospitalet, 2600, Glostrup, Denmark.
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59
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Schmid F, Barrett MJP, Obrist D, Weber B, Jenny P. Red blood cells stabilize flow in brain microvascular networks. PLoS Comput Biol 2019; 15:e1007231. [PMID: 31469820 PMCID: PMC6750893 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1007231] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2019] [Revised: 09/18/2019] [Accepted: 07/01/2019] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Capillaries are the prime location for oxygen and nutrient exchange in all tissues. Despite their fundamental role, our knowledge of perfusion and flow regulation in cortical capillary beds is still limited. Here, we use in vivo measurements and blood flow simulations in anatomically accurate microvascular network to investigate the impact of red blood cells (RBCs) on microvascular flow. Based on these in vivo and in silico experiments, we show that the impact of RBCs leads to a bias toward equating the values of the outflow velocities at divergent capillary bifurcations, for which we coin the term “well-balanced bifurcations”. Our simulation results further reveal that hematocrit heterogeneity is directly caused by the RBC dynamics, i.e. by their unequal partitioning at bifurcations and their effect on vessel resistance. These results provide the first in vivo evidence of the impact of RBC dynamics on the flow field in the cortical microvasculature. By structural and functional analyses of our blood flow simulations we show that capillary diameter changes locally alter flow and RBC distribution. A dilation of 10% along a vessel length of 100 μm increases the flow on average by 21% in the dilated vessel downstream a well-balanced bifurcation. The number of RBCs rises on average by 27%. Importantly, RBC up-regulation proves to be more effective the more balanced the outflow velocities at the upstream bifurcation are. Taken together, we conclude that diameter changes at capillary level bear potential to locally change the flow field and the RBC distribution. Moreover, our results suggest that the balancing of outflow velocities contributes to the robustness of perfusion. Based on our in silico results, we anticipate that the bi-phasic nature of blood and small-scale regulations are essential for a well-adjusted oxygen and energy substrate supply. Glucose and oxygen are key energy sources of the brain. As energy storage capabilities are limited in the brain, a continuous supply of oxygen and glucose via the bloodstream is crucial for the brain’s functioning. The bulk of discharge occurs at the level of capillaries, which are the smallest and most frequent vessels of the cortical vasculature. Nonetheless, our understanding of perfusion and topology of the capillary bed is still limited. Here, we use in vivo two-photon based blood flow measurements and numerical simulations in large realistic microvascular networks to study the flow in the cortical microvasculature. Our results reveal that the impact of red blood cells enhances the robustness of microvascular perfusion and increases the heterogeneity in red blood cell distribution. It is well established that higher neuronal activity leads to an increase in blood flow. However, the precise regulation mechanisms and their spatial extent remain largely unknown. We show that small-scale regulations locally alter flow and red blood cell distribution. We suggest that these mechanisms are key for an efficient and flexible circulatory system. Moreover, our results reveal a novel role of the bi-phasic nature of blood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Franca Schmid
- Institute of Fluid Dynamics, ETH Zurich, Sonneggstrasse 3, Zurich, Switzerland
- Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, Zurich, Switzerland
- * E-mail:
| | - Matthew J. P. Barrett
- Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, Zurich, Switzerland
- Neuroscience Center Zurich, University and ETH Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Dominik Obrist
- ARTORG Center for Biomedical Engineering Research, University of Bern, Murtenstrasse 50, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Bruno Weber
- Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, Zurich, Switzerland
- Neuroscience Center Zurich, University and ETH Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Patrick Jenny
- Institute of Fluid Dynamics, ETH Zurich, Sonneggstrasse 3, Zurich, Switzerland
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60
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Quintana DD, Lewis SE, Anantula Y, Garcia JA, Sarkar SN, Cavendish JZ, Brown CM, Simpkins JW. The cerebral angiome: High resolution MicroCT imaging of the whole brain cerebrovasculature in female and male mice. Neuroimage 2019; 202:116109. [PMID: 31446129 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2019.116109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2019] [Revised: 08/15/2019] [Accepted: 08/17/2019] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
The cerebrovascular system provides crucial functions that maintain metabolic and homeostatic states of the brain. Despite its integral role of supporting cerebral viability, the topological organization of these networks remains largely uncharacterized. This void in our knowledge surmises entirely from current technological limitations that prevent the capturing of data through the entire depth of the brain. We report high-resolution reconstruction and analysis of the complete vascular network of the entire brain at the capillary level in adult female and male mice using a vascular corrosion cast procedure. Vascular network analysis of the whole brain revealed sex-related differences of vessel hierarchy. In addition, region-specific network analysis demonstrated different patterns of angioarchitecture between brain subregions and sex. Furthermore, our group is the first to provide a three-dimensional analysis of the angioarchitecture and network organization in a single reconstructed tomographic data set that encompasses all hierarchy of vessels in the brain of the adult mouse.
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Affiliation(s)
- D D Quintana
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Center for Basic Translational and Stroke Research, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, 26506, USA
| | - S E Lewis
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Center for Basic Translational and Stroke Research, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, 26506, USA
| | - Y Anantula
- Department of Neuroscience, Center for Basic Translational and Stroke Research, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, 26506, USA
| | - J A Garcia
- Department of Neuroscience, Center for Basic Translational and Stroke Research, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, 26506, USA
| | - S N Sarkar
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Center for Basic Translational and Stroke Research, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, 26506, USA
| | - J Z Cavendish
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Center for Basic Translational and Stroke Research, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, 26506, USA
| | - C M Brown
- Department of Neuroscience, Center for Basic Translational and Stroke Research, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, 26506, USA
| | - J W Simpkins
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Center for Basic Translational and Stroke Research, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, 26506, USA.
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61
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Merkle CW, Zhu J, Bernucci MT, Srinivasan VJ. Dynamic Contrast Optical Coherence Tomography reveals laminar microvascular hemodynamics in the mouse neocortex in vivo. Neuroimage 2019; 202:116067. [PMID: 31394180 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2019.116067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2019] [Revised: 07/01/2019] [Accepted: 08/01/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Studies of flow-metabolism coupling often presume that microvessel architecture is a surrogate for blood flow. To test this assumption, we introduce an in vivo Dynamic Contrast Optical Coherence Tomography (DyC-OCT) method to quantify layer-resolved microvascular blood flow and volume across the full depth of the mouse neocortex, where the angioarchitecture has been previously described. First, we cross-validate average DyC-OCT cortical flow against conventional Doppler OCT flow. Next, with laminar DyC-OCT, we discover that layer 4 consistently exhibits the highest microvascular blood flow, approximately two-fold higher than the outer cortical layers. While flow differences between layers are well-explained by microvascular volume and density, flow differences between subjects are better explained by transit time. Finally, from layer-resolved tracer enhancement, we also infer that microvascular hematocrit increases in deep cortical layers, consistent with predictions of plasma skimming. Altogether, our results show that while the cortical blood supply derives mainly from the pial surface, laminar hemodynamics ensure that the energetic needs of individual cortical layers are met. The laminar trends reported here provide data that links predictions based on the cortical angioarchitecture to cerebrovascular physiology in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Conrad W Merkle
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of California Davis, Davis, CA, 95616, USA
| | - Jun Zhu
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of California Davis, Davis, CA, 95616, USA
| | - Marcel T Bernucci
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of California Davis, Davis, CA, 95616, USA
| | - Vivek J Srinivasan
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of California Davis, Davis, CA, 95616, USA; Department of Ophthalmology and Vision Science, University of California Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, CA, 95817, USA.
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62
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Drew PJ. Vascular and neural basis of the BOLD signal. Curr Opin Neurobiol 2019; 58:61-69. [PMID: 31336326 DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2019.06.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2018] [Accepted: 06/22/2019] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Neural activity in the brain is usually coupled to increases in local cerebral blood flow, leading to the increase in oxygenation that generates the BOLD fMRI signal. Recent work has begun to elucidate the vascular and neural mechanisms underlying the BOLD signal. The dilatory response is distributed throughout the vascular network. Arteries actively dilate within a second following neural activity increases, while venous distensions are passive and have a time course that last tens of seconds. Vasodilation, and thus local blood flow, is controlled by the activity of both neurons and astrocytes via multiple different pathways. The relationship between sensory-driven neural activity and the vascular dynamics in sensory areas are well-captured with a linear convolution model. However, depending on the behavioral state or brain region, the coupling between neural activity and hemodynamic signals can be weak or even inverted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick J Drew
- Departments of Engineering Science and Mechanics, Biomedical Engineering and Neurosurgery, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, United States.
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63
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Li B, Esipova TV, Sencan I, Kılıç K, Fu B, Desjardins M, Moeini M, Kura S, Yaseen MA, Lesage F, Østergaard L, Devor A, Boas DA, Vinogradov SA, Sakadžić S. More homogeneous capillary flow and oxygenation in deeper cortical layers correlate with increased oxygen extraction. eLife 2019; 8:42299. [PMID: 31305237 PMCID: PMC6636997 DOI: 10.7554/elife.42299] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2018] [Accepted: 07/01/2019] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Our understanding of how capillary blood flow and oxygen distribute across cortical layers to meet the local metabolic demand is incomplete. We addressed this question by using two-photon imaging of resting-state microvascular oxygen partial pressure (PO2) and flow in the whisker barrel cortex in awake mice. Our measurements in layers I-V show that the capillary red-blood-cell flux and oxygenation heterogeneity, and the intracapillary resistance to oxygen delivery, all decrease with depth, reaching a minimum around layer IV, while the depth-dependent oxygen extraction fraction is increased in layer IV, where oxygen demand is presumably the highest. Our findings suggest that more homogeneous distribution of the physiological observables relevant to oxygen transport to tissue is an important part of the microvascular network adaptation to local brain metabolism. These results will inform the biophysical models of layer-specific cerebral oxygen delivery and consumption and improve our understanding of the diseases that affect cerebral microcirculation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Baoqiang Li
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, United States
| | - Tatiana V Esipova
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, United States.,Department of Chemistry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, United States
| | - Ikbal Sencan
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, United States
| | - Kıvılcım Kılıç
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, United States
| | - Buyin Fu
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, United States
| | - Michele Desjardins
- Department of Radiology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, United States
| | - Mohammad Moeini
- Institute of Biomedical Engineering, École Polytechnique de Montréal, Montréal, Canada.,Research Centre, Montreal Heart Institute, Montréal, Canada
| | - Sreekanth Kura
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, United States
| | - Mohammad A Yaseen
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, United States
| | - Frederic Lesage
- Institute of Biomedical Engineering, École Polytechnique de Montréal, Montréal, Canada.,Research Centre, Montreal Heart Institute, Montréal, Canada
| | - Leif Østergaard
- Center of Functionally Integrative Neuroscience and MINDLab, Institute of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Anna Devor
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, United States.,Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, United States.,Department of Radiology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, United States
| | - David A Boas
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, United States.,Department of Biomedical Engineering, Boston University, Boston, United States
| | - Sergei A Vinogradov
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, United States.,Department of Chemistry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, United States
| | - Sava Sakadžić
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, United States
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64
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Linninger A, Hartung G, Badr S, Morley R. Mathematical synthesis of the cortical circulation for the whole mouse brain-part I. theory and image integration. Comput Biol Med 2019; 110:265-275. [PMID: 31247510 DOI: 10.1016/j.compbiomed.2019.05.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2019] [Revised: 04/25/2019] [Accepted: 05/04/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Microcirculation plays a significant role in cerebral metabolism and blood flow control, yet explaining and predicting functional mechanisms remains elusive because it is difficult to make physiologically accurate mathematical models of the vascular network. As a precursor to the human brain, this paper presents a computational framework for synthesizing anatomically accurate network models for the cortical blood supply in mouse. It addresses two critical deficiencies in cerebrovascular modeling. At the microscopic length scale of individual capillaries, we present a novel synthesis method for building anatomically consistent capillary networks with loops and anastomoses (=microcirculatory closure). This overcomes shortcomings in existing algorithms which are unable to create closed circulatory networks. A second critical innovation allows the incorporation of detailed anatomical features from image data into vascular growth. Specifically, computed tomography and two photon laser scanning microscopy data are input into the novel synthesis algorithm to build the cortical circulation for the entire mouse brain in silico. Computer predictions of blood flow and oxygen exchange executed on synthetic large-scale network models are expected to elucidate poorly understood functional mechanisms of the cerebral circulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andreas Linninger
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA; Department of Neurosurgery, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA.
| | - Grant Hartung
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Shoale Badr
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Ryan Morley
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
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65
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Govyadinov PA, Womack T, Eriksen JL, Chen G, Mayerich D. Robust Tracing and Visualization of Heterogeneous Microvascular Networks. IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON VISUALIZATION AND COMPUTER GRAPHICS 2019; 25:1760-1773. [PMID: 29993636 PMCID: PMC6360128 DOI: 10.1109/tvcg.2018.2818701] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
Abstract
Advances in high-throughput imaging allow researchers to collect three-dimensional images of whole organ microvascular networks. These extremely large images contain networks that are highly complex, time consuming to segment, and difficult to visualize. In this paper, we present a framework for segmenting and visualizing vascular networks from terabyte-sized three-dimensional images collected using high-throughput microscopy. While these images require terabytes of storage, the volume devoted to the fiber network is ≈ 4 percent of the total volume size. While the networks themselves are sparse, they are tremendously complex, interconnected, and vary widely in diameter. We describe a parallel GPU-based predictor-corrector method for tracing filaments that is robust to noise and sampling errors common in these data sets. We also propose a number of visualization techniques designed to convey the complex statistical descriptions of fibers across large tissue sections-including commonly studied microvascular characteristics, such as orientation and volume.
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66
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Masamoto K, Vazquez A. Optical imaging and modulation of neurovascular responses. J Cereb Blood Flow Metab 2018; 38:2057-2072. [PMID: 30334644 PMCID: PMC6282226 DOI: 10.1177/0271678x18803372] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2018] [Accepted: 09/02/2018] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
The cerebral microvasculature consists of pial vascular networks, parenchymal descending arterioles, ascending venules and parenchymal capillaries. This vascular compartmentalization is vital to precisely deliver blood to balance continuously varying neural demands in multiple brain regions. Optical imaging techniques have facilitated the investigation of dynamic spatial and temporal properties of microvascular functions in real time. Their combination with transgenic animal models encoding specific genetic targets have further strengthened the importance of optical methods for neurovascular research by allowing for the modulation and monitoring of neuro vascular function. Image analysis methods with three-dimensional reconstruction are also helping to understand the complexity of microscopic observations. Here, we review the compartmentalized cerebral microvascular responses to global perturbations as well as regional changes in response to neural activity to highlight the differences in vascular action sites. In addition, microvascular responses elicited by optical modulation of different cell-type targets are summarized with emphasis on variable spatiotemporal dynamics of microvascular responses. Finally, long-term changes in microvascular compartmentalization are discussed to help understand potential relationships between CBF disturbances and the development of neurodegenerative diseases and cognitive decline.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kazuto Masamoto
- Faculty of Informatics and Engineering, University of Electro-Communications, Tokyo, Japan
- Brain Science Inspired Life Support Research Center, University of Electro-Communications, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Alberto Vazquez
- Departments of Radiology and Bioengineering, University of Pittsburgh, PA, USA
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67
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Simulations of blood as a suspension predicts a depth dependent hematocrit in the circulation throughout the cerebral cortex. PLoS Comput Biol 2018; 14:e1006549. [PMID: 30452440 PMCID: PMC6277127 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1006549] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2018] [Revised: 12/03/2018] [Accepted: 10/05/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent advances in modeling oxygen supply to cortical brain tissue have begun to elucidate the functional mechanisms of neurovascular coupling. While the principal mechanisms of blood flow regulation after neuronal firing are generally known, mechanistic hemodynamic simulations cannot yet pinpoint the exact spatial and temporal coordination between the network of arteries, arterioles, capillaries and veins for the entire brain. Because of the potential significance of blood flow and oxygen supply simulations for illuminating spatiotemporal regulation inside the cortical microanatomy, there is a need to create mathematical models of the entire cerebral circulation with realistic anatomical detail. Our hypothesis is that an anatomically accurate reconstruction of the cerebrocirculatory architecture will inform about possible regulatory mechanisms of the neurovascular interface. In this article, we introduce large-scale networks of the murine cerebral circulation spanning the Circle of Willis, main cerebral arteries connected to the pial network down to the microcirculation in the capillary bed. Several multiscale models were generated from state-of-the-art neuroimaging data. Using a vascular network construction algorithm, the entire circulation of the middle cerebral artery was synthesized. Blood flow simulations indicate a consistent trend of higher hematocrit in deeper cortical layers, while surface layers with shorter vascular path lengths seem to carry comparatively lower red blood cell (RBC) concentrations. Moreover, the variability of RBC flux decreases with cortical depth. These results support the notion that plasma skimming serves a self-regulating function for maintaining uniform oxygen perfusion to neurons irrespective of their location in the blood supply hierarchy. Our computations also demonstrate the practicality of simulating blood flow for large portions of the mouse brain with existing computer resources. The efficient simulation of blood flow throughout the entire middle cerebral artery (MCA) territory is a promising milestone towards the final aim of predicting blood flow patterns for the entire brain. The brain’s astonishing cognitive capacity depends on the coordination between neurons and the cerebral circulation, a system known as the neurovascular unit. The spatial and temporal coupling between these two networks is the object of intense research. However, the concise anatomical description of the cerebral circulation has so far been intractable. This paper introduces a methodology for the in silico creation of realistic models for the entire cerebral circulation. This innovation incorporates topological data from several neuroimaging modalities covering three lengths scales as input into a computer algorithm, which assembles anatomically accurate circulatory networks. When simulating blood flow as red blood cells suspended in plasma for experimental and synthetic cortical network models, we discovered that red blood cells tend to be more concentrated in deeper layers of the cortex compared to the surface. RBC fluxes are more homogenous in deeper layers. The phenomenon of depth dependent red blood cell supply supports the notion that the intricate architecture of the cortical microcirculation serves a self-regulating function to maintain uniform oxygen perfusion to neurons. We also demonstrate the practicality of predicting blood flow patterns for the entire brain with existing computer power.
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68
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Stiso J, Bassett DS. Spatial Embedding Imposes Constraints on Neuronal Network Architectures. Trends Cogn Sci 2018; 22:1127-1142. [PMID: 30449318 DOI: 10.1016/j.tics.2018.09.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2018] [Revised: 09/20/2018] [Accepted: 09/24/2018] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
Recent progress towards understanding circuit function has capitalized on tools from network science to parsimoniously describe the spatiotemporal architecture of neural systems. Such tools often address systems topology divorced from its physical instantiation. Nevertheless, for embedded systems such as the brain, physical laws directly constrain the processes of network growth, development, and function. We review here the rules imposed by the space and volume of the brain on the development of neuronal networks, and show that these rules give rise to a specific set of complex topologies. These rules also affect the repertoire of neural dynamics that can emerge from the system, and thereby inform our understanding of network dysfunction in disease. We close by discussing new tools and models to delineate the effects of spatial embedding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer Stiso
- Department of Bioengineering, School of Engineering and Applied Science, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Neuroscience Graduate Group, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Danielle S Bassett
- Department of Bioengineering, School of Engineering and Applied Science, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Department of Electrical and Systems Engineering, School of Engineering and Applied Science, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Department of Neurology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104 USA; Department of Physics and Astronomy, College of Arts and Sciences, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
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69
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Lücker A, Secomb TW, Barrett MJP, Weber B, Jenny P. The Relation Between Capillary Transit Times and Hemoglobin Saturation Heterogeneity. Part 2: Capillary Networks. Front Physiol 2018; 9:1296. [PMID: 30298017 PMCID: PMC6160581 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2018.01296] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2017] [Accepted: 08/29/2018] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Brain metabolism is highly dependent on continuous oxygen supply. Cortical microvascular networks exhibit heterogeneous blood flow, leading to non-uniform tissue oxygenation and capillary hemoglobin saturation. We recently proposed capillary outflow saturation heterogeneity (COSH) to represent effects of heterogeneity on oxygen supply to tissue regions most vulnerable to hypoxia, and showed that diffusive oxygen exchange among red blood cells within capillaries and among capillaries (diffusive interaction) significantly reduces COSH in simplified geometrical configurations. Here, numerical simulations of oxygen transport in capillary network geometries derived from mouse somatosensory cortex are presented. Diffusive interaction was found to reduce COSH by 41 to 62% compared to simulations where diffusive interaction was excluded. Hemoglobin saturation drop across the microvascular network is strongly correlated with red blood cell transit time, but the coefficient of variation of saturation drop is approximately one third lower. Unexpectedly, the radius of the tissue cylinder supplied by a capillary correlates weakly with the anatomical tissue cylinder radius, but strongly with hemoglobin saturation. Thus, diffusive interaction contributes greatly to the microcirculation's ability to achieve tissue oxygenation, despite heterogeneous capillary transit time and hematocrit distribution. These findings provide insight into the effects of cerebral small vessel disease on tissue oxygenation and brain function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adrien Lücker
- Department of Mechanical and Process Engineering, Institute of Fluid Dynamics, ETH Zürich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Timothy W Secomb
- Department of Physiology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, United States
| | - Matthew J P Barrett
- Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Zürich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Bruno Weber
- Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Zürich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Patrick Jenny
- Department of Mechanical and Process Engineering, Institute of Fluid Dynamics, ETH Zürich, Zurich, Switzerland
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70
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Payne S, El-Bouri W. Modelling dynamic changes in blood flow and volume in the cerebral vasculature. Neuroimage 2018; 176:124-137. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2018.04.037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2017] [Revised: 03/02/2018] [Accepted: 04/17/2018] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
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71
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Lücker A, Secomb TW, Weber B, Jenny P. The Relation Between Capillary Transit Times and Hemoglobin Saturation Heterogeneity. Part 1: Theoretical Models. Front Physiol 2018; 9:420. [PMID: 29755365 PMCID: PMC5932636 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2018.00420] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2017] [Accepted: 04/04/2018] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Capillary dysfunction impairs oxygen supply to parenchymal cells and often occurs in Alzheimer's disease, diabetes and aging. Disturbed capillary flow patterns have been shown to limit the efficacy of oxygen extraction and can be quantified using capillary transit time heterogeneity (CTH). However, the transit time of red blood cells (RBCs) through the microvasculature is not a direct measure of their capacity for oxygen delivery. Here we examine the relation between CTH and capillary outflow saturation heterogeneity (COSH), which is the heterogeneity of blood oxygen content at the venous end of capillaries. Models for the evolution of hemoglobin saturation heterogeneity (HSH) in capillary networks were developed and validated using a computational model with moving RBCs. Two representative situations were selected: a Krogh cylinder geometry with heterogeneous hemoglobin saturation (HS) at the inflow, and a parallel array of four capillaries. The heterogeneity of HS after converging capillary bifurcations was found to exponentially decrease with a time scale of 0.15-0.21 s due to diffusive interaction between RBCs. Similarly, the HS difference between parallel capillaries also drops exponentially with a time scale of 0.12-0.19 s. These decay times are substantially smaller than measured RBC transit times and only weakly depend on the distance between microvessels. This work shows that diffusive interaction strongly reduces COSH on a small spatial scale. Therefore, we conclude that CTH influences COSH yet does not determine it. The second part of this study will focus on simulations in microvascular networks from the rodent cerebral cortex. Actual estimates of COSH and CTH will then be given.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adrien Lücker
- Department of Mechanical and Process Engineering, Institute of Fluid Dynamics, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Timothy W Secomb
- Department of Physiology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, United States
| | - Bruno Weber
- Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Patrick Jenny
- Department of Mechanical and Process Engineering, Institute of Fluid Dynamics, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
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72
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Payne SJ, Lucas C. Oxygen delivery from the cerebral microvasculature to tissue is governed by a single time constant of approximately 6 seconds. Microcirculation 2018; 25. [DOI: 10.1111/micc.12428] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2017] [Accepted: 11/02/2017] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Stephen John Payne
- Institute of Biomedical Engineering; Department of Engineering Science; University of Oxford; Oxford UK
| | - Claire Lucas
- School of Engineering; University of Warwick; Coventry UK
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73
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El-Bouri WK, Payne SJ. Investigating the effects of a penetrating vessel occlusion with a multi-scale microvasculature model of the human cerebral cortex. Neuroimage 2018; 172:94-106. [PMID: 29360574 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2018.01.049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2017] [Revised: 01/12/2018] [Accepted: 01/18/2018] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
The effect of the microvasculature on observed clinical parameters, such as cerebral blood flow, is poorly understood. This is partly due to the gap between the vessels that can be individually imaged in humans and the microvasculature, meaning that mathematical models are required to understand the role of the microvasculature. As a result, a multi-scale model based on morphological data was developed here that is able to model large regions of the human microvasculature. From this model, a clear layering of flow (and 1-dimensional depth profiles) was observed within a voxel, with the flow in the microvasculature being driven predominantly by the geometry of the penetrating vessels. It also appears that the pressure and flow are decoupled, both in healthy vasculatures and in those where occlusions have occurred, again due to the topology of the penetrating vessels shunting flow between them. Occlusion of a penetrating arteriole resulted in a very high degree of overlap of blood pressure drop with experimentally observed cell death. However, drops in blood flow were far more widespread, providing additional support for the theory that pericyte controlled regulation on the capillary scale likely plays a large part in the perfusion of tissue post-occlusion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wahbi K El-Bouri
- Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Department of Engineering Science, University of Oxford, Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3PJ, UK.
| | - Stephen J Payne
- Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Department of Engineering Science, University of Oxford, Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3PJ, UK
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74
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The Neurovascular Unit Coming of Age: A Journey through Neurovascular Coupling in Health and Disease. Neuron 2017; 96:17-42. [PMID: 28957666 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2017.07.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1262] [Impact Index Per Article: 180.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2017] [Revised: 07/20/2017] [Accepted: 07/25/2017] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
The concept of the neurovascular unit (NVU), formalized at the 2001 Stroke Progress Review Group meeting of the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, emphasizes the intimate relationship between the brain and its vessels. Since then, the NVU has attracted the interest of the neuroscience community, resulting in considerable advances in the field. Here the current state of knowledge of the NVU will be assessed, focusing on one of its most vital roles: the coupling between neural activity and blood flow. The evidence supports a conceptual shift in the mechanisms of neurovascular coupling, from a unidimensional process involving neuronal-astrocytic signaling to local blood vessels to a multidimensional one in which mediators released from multiple cells engage distinct signaling pathways and effector systems across the entire cerebrovascular network in a highly orchestrated manner. The recently appreciated NVU dysfunction in neurodegenerative diseases, although still poorly understood, supports emerging concepts that maintaining neurovascular health promotes brain health.
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75
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The impact of vessel size, orientation and intravascular contribution on the neurovascular fingerprint of BOLD bSSFP fMRI. Neuroimage 2017; 163:13-23. [PMID: 28890417 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2017.09.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2017] [Revised: 08/17/2017] [Accepted: 09/06/2017] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Monte Carlo simulations have been used to analyze oxygenation-related signal changes in pass-band balanced steady state free precession (bSSFP) as well as in gradient echo (GE) and spin echo (SE) sequences. Signal changes were calculated for artificial cylinders and neurovascular networks acquired from the mouse parietal cortex by two-photon laser scanning microscopy at 1 μm isotropic resolution. Signal changes as a function of vessel size, blood volume, vessel orientation to the main magnetic field B0 as well as relations of intra- and extravascular and of micro- and macrovascular contributions have been analyzed. The results show that bSSFP is highly sensitive to extravascular and microvascular components. Furthermore, GE and bSSFP, and to a lesser extent SE, exhibit a strong dependence of their signal change on the orientation of the vessel network to B0.
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76
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Schmid F, Barrett MJP, Jenny P, Weber B. Vascular density and distribution in neocortex. Neuroimage 2017; 197:792-805. [PMID: 28669910 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2017.06.046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2017] [Revised: 06/09/2017] [Accepted: 06/20/2017] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
An amazingly wide range of complex behavior emerges from the cerebral cortex. Much of the information processing that leads to these behaviors is performed in neocortical circuits that span throughout the six layers of the cortex. Maintaining this circuit activity requires substantial quantities of oxygen and energy substrates, which are delivered by the complex yet well-organized and tightly-regulated vascular system. In this review, we provide a detailed characterization of the most relevant anatomical and functional features of the cortical vasculature. This includes a compilation of the available data on laminar variation of vascular density and the topological aspects of the microvascular system. We also review the spatio-temporal dynamics of cortical blood flow regulation and oxygenation, many aspects of which remain poorly understood. Finally, we discuss some of the important implications of vascular density, distribution, oxygenation and blood flow regulation for (laminar) fMRI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Franca Schmid
- Institute of Fluid Dynamics, ETH Zurich, Sonneggstrasse 3, 8092, Zurich, Switzerland.
| | - Matthew J P Barrett
- Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, CH-8057, Zurich, Switzerland; Neuroscience Center, University and ETH Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, CH-8057, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Patrick Jenny
- Institute of Fluid Dynamics, ETH Zurich, Sonneggstrasse 3, 8092, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Bruno Weber
- Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, CH-8057, Zurich, Switzerland; Neuroscience Center, University and ETH Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, CH-8057, Zurich, Switzerland
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