Development of the mouse cochlea database (MCD)

Tackling the Mouse-on-Mouse Problem in Cochlear Immunofluorescence: A Simple Double-Blocking Protocol for Immunofluorescent Labeling of Murine Cochlear Sections with Primary Mouse Antibodies

The mouse is the most widely used animal model in hearing research. Immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescent staining of murine cochlear sections have, thus, remained a backbone of inner ear research. Since many primary antibodies are raised in mouse, the problem of "mouse-on-mouse" background arises due to the interaction between the anti-mouse secondary antibody and the native mouse immunoglobulins. Here, we describe the pattern of mouse-on-mouse background fluorescence in sections of the postnatal mouse cochlea. Furthermore, we describe a simple double-blocking immunofluorescence protocol to label mouse cochlear cryosections. The protocol contains a conventional blocking step with serum, and an additional blocking step with a commercially available anti-mouse IgG blocking reagent. This blocking technique virtually eliminates the "mouse-on-mouse" background in murine cochlear sections, while adding only a little time to the staining protocol. We provide detailed instructions and practical tips for tissue harvesting, processing, and immunofluorescence-labeling. Further protocol modifications are described, to shorten the duration of the protocol, based on the primary antibody incubation temperature. Finally, we demonstrate examples of immunofluorescence staining performed using different incubation times and various incubation temperatures with a commercially available mouse monoclonal primary antibody. © 2020 The Authors. Basic Protocol: Tackling the Mouse-on-Mouse Problem in Cochlear Immunofluorescence: A Simple Double-Blocking Protocol for Immunofluorescent Labeling of Murine Cochlear Sections with Primary Mouse Antibodies.

Light sheet microscopy of the gerbil cochlea

Light sheet fluorescence microscopy (LSFM) provides a rapid and complete three-dimensional image of the cochlea. The method retains anatomical relationships-on a micrometer scale-between internal structures such as hair cells, basilar membrane (BM), and modiolus with external surface structures such as the round and oval windows. Immunolabeled hair cells were used to visualize the spiraling BM in the intact cochlea without time intensive dissections or additional histological processing; yet material prepared for LSFM could be rehydrated, the BM dissected out and reimaged at higher resolution with the confocal microscope. In immersion-fixed material, details of the cochlear vasculature were seen throughout the cochlea. Hair cell counts (both inner and outer) as well as frequency maps of the BM were comparable to those obtained by other methods, but with the added dimension of depth. The material provided measures of angular, linear, and vector distance between characteristic frequency regions along the BM. Thus, LSFM provides a unique ability to rapidly image the entire cochlea in a manner applicable to model and interpret physiological results. Furthermore, the three-dimensional organization of the cochlea can be studied at the organ and cellular level with LSFM, and this same material can be taken to the confocal microscope for detailed analysis at the subcellular level.

Deep Volumetric Segmentation of Murine Cochlear Compartments from Micro-Computed Tomography Images

Local drug delivery to the inner ear via micropump implants has the potential to be much more effective than oral drug delivery for treating patients with sensorineural hearing loss and to protect hearing from ototoxic insult due to noise exposure or cancer treatments. Designing micropumps to deliver appropriate concentrations of drugs to the necessary cochlear compartments is of paramount importance; however, directly measuring local drug concentrations over time throughout the cochlea is not possible. Recent approaches for indirectly quantifying local drug concentrations in animal models capture a series of magnetic resonance (MR) or micro computed tomography (µCT) images before and after infusion of a contrast agent into the cochlea. These approaches require accurately segmenting important cochlear components (scala tympani (ST), scala media (SM) and scala vestibuli (SV)) in each scan and ensuring that they are registered longitudinally across scans. In this paper, we focus on segmenting cochlear compartments from µCT volumes using V-Net, a convolutional neural network (CNN) architecture for 3-D segmentation. We show that by modifying the V-Net architecture to decrease the numbers of encoder and decoder blocks and to use dilated convolutions enables extracting local estimates of drug concentration that are comparable to those extracted using atlas-based segmentation (3.37%, 4.81%, and 19.65% average relative error in ST, SM, and SV), but in a fraction of the time. We also test the feasibility of training our network on a larger MRI dataset, and then using transfer learning to perform segmentation on a smaller number of µCT volumes, which would enable this technique to be used in the future to characterize drug delivery in the cochlea of larger mammals.

Nonlinear cochlear mechanics without direct vibration-amplification feedback

Recent in vivo recordings from the mammalian cochlea indicate that although the motion of the basilar membrane appears actively amplified and nonlinear only at frequencies relatively close to the peak of the response, the internal motions of the organ of Corti display these same features over a much wider range of frequencies. These experimental findings are not easily explained by the textbook view of cochlear mechanics, in which cochlear amplification is controlled by the motion of the basilar membrane (BM) in a tight, closed-loop feedback configuration. This study shows that a simple phenomenological model of the cochlea inspired by the work of Zweig [J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 138, 1102 (2015)] can account for recent data in mouse and gerbil. In this model, the active forces are regulated indirectly, through the effect of BM motion on the pressure field across the cochlear partition, rather than via direct coupling between active-force generation and BM vibration. The absence of strong vibration-amplification feedback in the cochlea also provides a compelling explanation for the observed intensity invariance of fine time structure in the BM response to acoustic clicks.

Investigation of inner ear anatomy in mouse using X-ray phase contrast tomography

A thorough understanding of inner ear anatomy is important for investigators. However, investigation of the mouse inner ear is difficult due to the limitations of imaging techniques. X-ray phase contrast tomography increases contrast 100-1,000 times compared with conventional X-ray imaging. This study aimed to investigate inner ear anatomy in a fresh post-mortem mouse using X-ray phase contrast tomography and to provide a comprehensive atlas of microstructures with less tissue deformation. All experiments were performed in accordance with our institution's guidelines on the care and use of laboratory animals. A fresh mouse cadaver was scanned immediately after sacrifice using an inline phase contrast tomography system. Slice images were reconstructed using a filtered back-projection (FBP) algorithm. Standardized axial and coronal planes were adjusted with a multi-planar reconstruction method. Some three-dimensional (3D) objects were reconstructed by surface rendering. The characteristic features of microstructures, including otoconia masses of the saccular and utricular maculae, superior and inferior macula cribrosae, single canal, modiolus, and osseous spiral lamina, were described in detail. Spatial positions and relationships of the vestibular structures were exhibited in 3D views. This study investigated mouse inner ear anatomy and provided a standardized presentation of microstructures. In particular, otoconia masses were visualized in their natural status without contrast for the first time. The comprehensive anatomy atlas presented in this study provides an excellent reference for morphology studies of the inner ear.

Cochlear pharmacokinetics - Micro-computed tomography and learning-prediction modeling for transport parameter determination

Inner ear disorders such as sensorineural deafness and genetic diseases may one day be treated with local drug delivery to the inner ear. Current pharmacokinetic models have been based on invasive methods to measure drug concentrations, limiting them in spatial resolution, and restricting the research to larger rodents. We developed an intracochlear pharmacokinetic model based on an imaging, learning-prediction (LP) paradigm for learning transport parameters in the murine cochlea. This was achieved using noninvasive micro-computed tomography imaging of the cochlea during in vivo infusion of a contrast agent at the basal end of scala tympani through a cochleostomy. Each scan was registered in 3-D to a cochlear atlas to segment the cochlear regions with high accuracy, enabling concentrations to be extracted along the length of each scala. These spatio-temporal concentration profiles were used to learn a concentration dependent diffusion coefficient, and transport parameters between the major scalae and to clearance. The LP model results are comparable to the current state of the art model, and can simulate concentrations for cases involving different infusion molecules and different drug delivery protocols. Forward simulation results with pulsatile delivery suggest the pharmacokinetic model can be used to optimize drug delivery protocols to reduce total drug delivered and the potential for toxic side effects. While developed in the challenging murine cochlea, the processes are scalable to larger animals and different drug infusion paradigms.

Monitoring blood-flow in the mouse cochlea using an endoscopic laser speckle contrast imaging system

Laser speckle contrast imaging (LSCI) enables continuous high-resolution assessment of microcirculation in real-time. We applied an endoscope to LSCI to measure cochlear blood-flow in an ischemia–reperfusion mouse model. We also explored whether using xenon light in combination with LSCI facilitates visualization of anatomical position. Based on a previous preliminary study, the appropriate wavelength for penetrating the thin bony cochlea was 830 nm. A 2.7-mm-diameter endoscope was used, as appropriate for the size of the mouse cochlea. Our endoscopic LSCI system was used to illuminate the right cochlea after dissection of the mouse. We observed changes in the speckle signals when we applied the endoscopic LSCI system to the ischemia-reperfusion mouse model. The anatomical structure of the mouse cochlea and surrounding structures were clearly visible using the xenon light. The speckle signal of the cochlea was scattered, with an intensity that varied between that of the stapes (with the lowest signal), the negative control, and the stapedial artery (with the highest signal), the positive control. In the cochlear ischemia–reperfusion mouse model, the speckle signal of the cochlea decreased during the ischemic phase, and increased during the reperfusion phase, clearly reflecting cochlear blood-flow. The endoscopic LSCI system generates high-resolution images in real-time, allowing visualization of blood-flow and its changes in the mouse cochlea. Anatomical structures were clearly matched using LSCI along with visible light.

Acoustic Hearing After Murine Cochlear Implantation: Effects of Trauma and Implant Type

OBJECTIVES

To model the contribution of implant material and insertion trauma on loss of acoustic hearing after cochlear implantation in an appropriate animal model.

METHODS

Sixty-five C57Bl/6J mice underwent unilateral implantation with implant grade materials: 2 implant grade silicones and a third uncoated platinum wire. A sham surgery group was included as a control. Serial auditory brainstem response (ABR) thresholds and distortion product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAEs) were used to discern effects on hearing over 22 weeks. Histologic measurements of damage to the organ of Corti and spiral ganglion were correlated with degree of hearing loss and material type.

RESULTS

Organ of Corti damage correlated with rate of hearing loss soon after implantation (0-2 weeks) but not subsequently (2-22 weeks). Organ of Corti damage did not depend on implant type and was present even in sham surgery subjects when hearing was severely damaged. Spiral ganglia appeared unaffected. There was no evidence of an inflammatory or toxic effect of the materials beyond the site of implant insertion.

CONCLUSIONS

Hearing loss and cochlear damage appear to be related to insertion trauma, with minimal effect on delayed hearing loss caused by different materials. In the C57Bl/6J mouse model, the sensory epithelium appears to be the location of damage after cochlear implantation.

Systemic lipopolysaccharide compromises the blood-labyrinth barrier and increases entry of serum fluorescein into the perilymph

The blood vessels that supply the inner ear form a barrier between the blood and the inner ear fluids to control the exchange of solutes, protein, and water. This barrier, called the blood-labyrinth barrier (BLB) is analogous to the blood-brain barrier (BBB), which plays a critical role in limiting the entry of inflammatory and infectious agents into the central nervous system. We have developed an in vivo method to assess the functional integrity of the BLB by injecting sodium fluorescein into the systemic circulation of mice and measuring the amount of fluorescein that enters perilymph in live animals. In these experiments, perilymph was collected from control and experimental mice in sequential samples taken from the posterior semicircular canal approximately 30 min after systemic fluorescein administration. Perilymph fluorescein concentrations in control mice were compared with perilymph fluorescein concentrations after lipopolysaccharide (LPS) treatment (1 mg/kg IP daily for 2 days). The concentration of perilymphatic fluorescein, normalized to serum fluorescein, was significantly higher in LPS-treated mice compared to controls. In order to assess the contributions of perilymph and endolymph in our inner ear fluid samples, sodium ion concentration of the inner ear fluid was measured using ion-selective electrodes. The sampled fluid from the posterior semicircular canal demonstrated an average sodium concentration of 145 mM, consistent with perilymph. These experiments establish a novel technique to assess the functional integrity of the BLB using quantitative methods and to provide a comparison of the BLB to the BBB.

Round window membrane intracochlear drug delivery enhanced by induced advection

Delivery of therapeutic compounds to the inner ear via absorption through the round window membrane (RWM) has advantages over direct intracochlear infusions; specifically, minimizing impact upon functional hearing measures. However, previous reports show that significant basal-to-apical concentration gradients occur, with the potential to impact treatment efficacy. Here we present a new approach to inner ear drug delivery with induced advection aiding distribution of compounds throughout the inner ear in the murine cochlea. Polyimide microtubing was placed near the RWM niche through a bullaostomy into the middle ear cavity allowing directed delivery of compounds to the RWM. We hypothesized that a posterior semicircular canalostomy would induce apical flow from the patent cochlear aqueduct to the canalostomy due to influx of cerebral spinal fluid. To test this hypothesis, young adult CBA/CaJ mice were divided into two groups: bullaostomy approach only (BA) and bullaostomy+canalostomy (B+C). Cochlear function was evaluated by distortion product otoacoustic emission (DPOAE) and auditory brainstem response (ABR) thresholds during and after middle ear infusion of salicylate in artificial perilymph (AP), applied near the RWM. The mice recovered for 1week, and were re-tested. The results demonstrate there was no significant impact on auditory function utilizing the RWM surgical procedure with or without the canalostomy, and DPOAE thresholds were elevated reversibly during the salicylate infusion. Comparing the threshold shifts for both methods, the B+C approach had more of a physiological effect than the BA approach, including at lower frequencies representing more apical cochlear locations. Unlike mouse cochleostomies, there was no deleterious auditory functional impact after 1week recovery from surgery. The B+C approach had more drug efficacy at lower frequencies, underscoring potential benefits for more precise control of delivery of inner ear therapeutic compounds.

Noninvasive technique for monitoring drug transport through the murine cochlea using micro-computed tomography

Local delivery of drugs to the inner ear has the potential to treat inner ear disorders including permanent hearing loss or deafness. Current mathematical models describing the pharmacokinetics of drug delivery to the inner ear have been based on large rodent studies with invasive measurements of concentration at few locations within the cochlea. Hence, estimates of clearance and diffusion parameters are based on fitting measured data with limited spatial resolution to a model. To overcome these limitations, we developed a noninvasive imaging technique to monitor and characterize drug delivery inside the mouse cochlea using micro-computed tomography (μCT). To increase the measurement accuracy, we performed a subject-atlas image registration to exploit the information readily available in the atlas image of the mouse cochlea and pass segmentation or labeling information from the atlas to our μCT scans. The approach presented here has the potential to quantify concentrations at any point along fluid-filled scalae of the inner ear. This may permit determination of spatially dependent diffusion and clearance parameters for enhanced models.

Three-dimensional histological specimen preparation for accurate imaging and spatial reconstruction of the middle and inner ear

PURPOSE

This paper presents a highly accurate cross-sectional preparation technique. The research aim was to develop an adequate imaging modality for both soft and bony tissue structures featuring high contrast and high resolution. Therefore, the advancement of an already existing micro-grinding procedure was pursued. The central objectives were to preserve spatial relations and to ensure the accurate three-dimensional reconstruction of histological sections.

METHODS

Twelve human temporal bone specimens including middle and inner ear structures were utilized. They were embedded in epoxy resin, then dissected by serial grinding and finally digitalized. The actual abrasion of each grinding slice was measured using a tactile length gauge with an accuracy of one micrometre. The cross-sectional images were aligned with the aid of artificial markers and by applying a feature-based, custom-made auto-registration algorithm. To determine the accuracy of the overall reconstruction procedure, a well-known reference object was used for comparison. To ensure the compatibility of the histological data with conventional clinical image data, the image stacks were finally converted into the DICOM standard.

RESULTS

The image fusion of data from temporal bone specimens' and from non-destructive flat-panel-based volume computed tomography confirmed the spatial accuracy achieved by the procedure, as did the evaluation using the reference object.

CONCLUSION

This systematic and easy-to-follow preparation technique enables the three-dimensional (3D) histological reconstruction of complex soft and bony tissue structures. It facilitates the creation of detailed and spatially correct 3D anatomical models. Such models are of great benefit for image-based segmentation and planning in the field of computer-assisted surgery as well as in finite element analysis. In the context of human inner ear surgery, three-dimensional histology will improve the experimental evaluation and determination of intra-cochlear trauma after the insertion of an electrode array of a cochlear implant system.

Volumetric in vivo imaging of intracochlear microstructures in mice by high-speed spectral domain optical coherence tomography

There is considerable interest in developing new methods for in vivo imaging of the complex anatomy of the mammalian cochlea for clinical as well as fundamental studies. In this study, we explored, the feasibility of spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) for 3-D in vivo imaging of the cochlea in mice. The SD-OCT system employed in this study used a broadband light source centered at 1300 nm, and the imaging speed of the system was 47,000 A-scans per second using the InGaAs camera. The system was capable of providing fully processed, high-resolution B-scan images [512 (axial) x 128 (lateral) pixels] at 280 frames per sec. The 3-D imaging acquisition time for a whole cochlea was approximately 0.45 sec. The traditional SD-OCT structural imaging algorithm was used to reconstruct 3-D cochlear morphology. We demonstrated that SD-OCT can be successfully used for in vivo imaging of important morphological features within the mouse cochlea, such as the otic capsule and structures within, including Reissner's membrane, the basilar membrane, tectorial membrane, organ of Corti, and modiolus of the apical and middle turns.

The development of small laboratory animal atlas

A new cryosection milling imaging system with high spatial resolution is developed to screen small laboratory animals such as mice and rats. The system hardware consists of cutting device, Image Capture and Photography device, refrigerated storage and parallel data processing system. By this system high spatial resolution (no less than 20 μm) small laboratory animal atlas can be achieved. After image registration, image segmentation and 3D reconstruction, a small laboratory animal can be visualized. This paper, taking an adult SD (Sprague-Dawley) rat as an example, describes an experimental process of cryoection milling imaging, in which SD Rat atlas was obtained(the voxels size is 20 μm × 20 μm × 20 μm, cryosection images were captured in 4,600×2,580×24-bit BMP format, 9475 pages, 314.68G). By this system 3D microstructure of small laboratory animal can be obtained accurately. Cryoection milling imaging system offers a new efficient method for small laboratory animal study.