1
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Park JW, Tian Y, Kim ST, Park C, Kim YM, Chung HK, Kim KM, Jahng GH. Oligomeric amyloid-β targeted contrast agent for MRI evaluation of Alzheimer's disease mouse models. Front Pharmacol 2024; 15:1392729. [PMID: 38895620 PMCID: PMC11184063 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2024.1392729] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2024] [Accepted: 05/06/2024] [Indexed: 06/21/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Oligomeric amyloid beta (oAβ) is a toxic factor that acts in the early stage of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and may initiate the pathologic cascade. Therefore, detecting oAβ has a crucial role in the early diagnosis, monitoring, and treatment of AD. Purpose The purpose of this study was to evaluate MRI signal changes in different mouse models and the time-dependent signal changes using our novel gadolinium (Gd)-dodecane tetraacetic acid (DOTA)- ob5 aptamer contrast agent. Methods We developed an MRI contrast agent by conjugating Gd-DOTA-DNA aptamer called ob5 to evaluate its ability to detect oAβ deposits in the brain using MRI. A total of 10 control mice, 9 3xTg AD mice, and 11 APP/PS/Tau AD mice were included in this study, with the age of each model being 16 or 36 weeks. A T1-weighted image was acquired at the time points before (0 min) and after injection of the contrast agent at 5, 10, 15, 20, and 25 min. The analyses were performed to compare MRI signal differences among the three groups and the time-dependent signal differences in different mouse models. Results Both 3xTg AD and APP/PS/Tau AD mouse models had higher signal enhancement than control mice at all scan-time points after injection of our contrast media, especially in bilateral hippocampal areas. In particular, all Tg AD mouse models aged 16 weeks showed a higher contrast enhancement than those aged 36 weeks. For 3xTg AD and APP/PS/Tau AD groups, the signal enhancement was significantly different among the five time points (0 min, 5 min, 10 min, 15 min, 20 min, and 25 min) in multiple ROI areas, typically in the bilateral hippocampus, left thalamus, and left amygdala. Conclusion The findings of this study suggest that the expression of the contrast agent in different AD models demonstrates its translational flexibility across different species. The signal enhancement peaked around 15-20 min after injection of the contrast agent. Therefore, our novel contrast agent targeting oAβ has the potential ability to diagnose early AD and monitor the progression of AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jang Woo Park
- Korea Radioisotope Center for Pharmaceuticals, Korea Institute of Radiological and Medical Sciences, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Yunan Tian
- Department of Medicine, Graduate School, Kyung Hee University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Sang-Tae Kim
- J&Pharma, Neuroscience Research Institute, Healthcare Innovation Park, Seongnam City, Republic of Korea
| | - Chanwoo Park
- Korea Radioisotope Center for Pharmaceuticals, Korea Institute of Radiological and Medical Sciences, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Yu Mi Kim
- J&Pharma, Neuroscience Research Institute, Healthcare Innovation Park, Seongnam City, Republic of Korea
| | - Hye Kyung Chung
- Korea Radioisotope Center for Pharmaceuticals, Korea Institute of Radiological and Medical Sciences, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Kyeong Min Kim
- Korea Radioisotope Center for Pharmaceuticals, Korea Institute of Radiological and Medical Sciences, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- Research Institute of Radiological and Medical Sciences, Korea Institute of Radiological and Medical Sciences, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- Radiological and Medico Oncological Sciences, University of Science and Technology (UST), Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Geon-Ho Jahng
- Department of Radiology, Kyung Hee University Hospital at Gangdong, College of Medicine, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
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2
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Piluso S, Souedet N, Jan C, Hérard AS, Clouchoux C, Delzescaux T. giRAff: an automated atlas segmentation tool adapted to single histological slices. Front Neurosci 2024; 17:1230814. [PMID: 38274499 PMCID: PMC10808556 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2023.1230814] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2023] [Accepted: 10/31/2023] [Indexed: 01/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Conventional histology of the brain remains the gold standard in the analysis of animal models. In most biological studies, standard protocols usually involve producing a limited number of histological slices to be analyzed. These slices are often selected into a specific anatomical region of interest or around a specific pathological lesion. Due to the lack of automated solutions to analyze such single slices, neurobiologists perform the segmentation of anatomical regions manually most of the time. Because the task is long, tedious, and operator-dependent, we propose an automated atlas segmentation method called giRAff, which combines rigid and affine registrations and is suitable for conventional histological protocols involving any number of single slices from a given mouse brain. In particular, the method has been tested on several routine experimental protocols involving different anatomical regions of different sizes and for several brains. For a given set of single slices, the method can automatically identify the corresponding slices in the mouse Allen atlas template with good accuracy and segmentations comparable to those of an expert. This versatile and generic method allows the segmentation of any single slice without additional anatomical context in about 1 min. Basically, our proposed giRAff method is an easy-to-use, rapid, and automated atlas segmentation tool compliant with a wide variety of standard histological protocols.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sébastien Piluso
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, MIRCen, Laboratoire des Maladies Neurodégénératives, Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
- WITSEE, Paris, France
| | - Nicolas Souedet
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, MIRCen, Laboratoire des Maladies Neurodégénératives, Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
| | - Caroline Jan
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, MIRCen, Laboratoire des Maladies Neurodégénératives, Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
| | - Anne-Sophie Hérard
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, MIRCen, Laboratoire des Maladies Neurodégénératives, Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
| | | | - Thierry Delzescaux
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, MIRCen, Laboratoire des Maladies Neurodégénératives, Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
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3
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Ulanova M, Gloag L, Bongers A, Kim CK, Duong HTK, Kim HN, Gooding JJ, Tilley RD, Biazik J, Wen W, Sachdev PS, Braidy N. Evaluation of Dimercaptosuccinic Acid-Coated Iron Nanoparticles Immunotargeted to Amyloid Beta as MRI Contrast Agents for the Diagnosis of Alzheimer's Disease. Cells 2023; 12:2279. [PMID: 37759500 PMCID: PMC10527350 DOI: 10.3390/cells12182279] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2023] [Revised: 08/28/2023] [Accepted: 09/06/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Nanoparticle-based magnetic contrast agents have opened the potential for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to be used for early non-invasive diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Accumulation of amyloid pathology in the brain has shown association with cognitive decline and tauopathy; hence, it is an effective biomarker for the early detection of AD. The aim of this study was to develop a biocompatible magnetic nanoparticle targeted to amyloid beta (Aβ) plaques to increase the sensitivity of T2-weighted MRI for imaging of amyloid pathology in AD. We presented novel iron core-iron oxide nanoparticles stabilized with a dimercaptosuccinic acid coating and functionalized with an anti-Aβ antibody. Nanoparticle biocompatibility and cellular internalization were evaluated in vitro in U-251 glioblastoma cells using cellular assays, proteomics, and transmission electron microscopy. Iron nanoparticles demonstrated no significant in vitro cytotoxicity, and electron microscopy results showed their movement through the endocytic cycle within the cell over a 24 h period. In addition, immunostaining and bio-layer interferometry confirmed the targeted nanoparticle's binding affinity to amyloid species. The iron nanoparticles demonstrated favourable MRI contrast enhancement; however, the addition of the antibody resulted in a reduction in the relaxivity of the particles. The present work shows promising preliminary results in the development of a targeted non-invasive method of early AD diagnosis using contrast-enhanced MRI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marina Ulanova
- Centre for Healthy Brain Ageing, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia; (M.U.); (C.-K.K.); (W.W.); (P.S.S.)
| | - Lucy Gloag
- Faculty of Science, School of Mathematical and Physical Science, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2007, Australia;
| | - Andre Bongers
- Mark Wainwright Analytical Centre, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia; (A.B.); (R.D.T.); (J.B.)
- Faculty of Medicine, Prince of Wales Clinical School, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
| | - Chul-Kyu Kim
- Centre for Healthy Brain Ageing, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia; (M.U.); (C.-K.K.); (W.W.); (P.S.S.)
| | - Hong Thien Kim Duong
- School of Chemistry, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia; (H.T.K.D.); (J.J.G.)
| | - Ha Na Kim
- Molecular Surface Interaction Laboratory, Mark Wainwright Analytical Centre, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia;
| | - John Justin Gooding
- School of Chemistry, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia; (H.T.K.D.); (J.J.G.)
- Australian Centre for NanoMedicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
| | - Richard D. Tilley
- Mark Wainwright Analytical Centre, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia; (A.B.); (R.D.T.); (J.B.)
- School of Chemistry, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia; (H.T.K.D.); (J.J.G.)
- Australian Centre for NanoMedicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
| | - Joanna Biazik
- Mark Wainwright Analytical Centre, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia; (A.B.); (R.D.T.); (J.B.)
| | - Wei Wen
- Centre for Healthy Brain Ageing, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia; (M.U.); (C.-K.K.); (W.W.); (P.S.S.)
| | - Perminder S. Sachdev
- Centre for Healthy Brain Ageing, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia; (M.U.); (C.-K.K.); (W.W.); (P.S.S.)
- Neuropsychiatric Institute, Euroa Centre, Prince of Wales Hospital, Sydney, NSW 2031, Australia
| | - Nady Braidy
- Centre for Healthy Brain Ageing, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia; (M.U.); (C.-K.K.); (W.W.); (P.S.S.)
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4
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Nikiforova A, Sedov I. Molecular Design of Magnetic Resonance Imaging Agents Binding to Amyloid Deposits. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:11152. [PMID: 37446329 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241311152] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2023] [Revised: 06/27/2023] [Accepted: 06/29/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023] Open
Abstract
The ability to detect and monitor amyloid deposition in the brain using non-invasive imaging techniques provides valuable insights into the early diagnosis and progression of Alzheimer's disease and helps to evaluate the efficacy of potential treatments. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a widely available technique offering high-spatial-resolution imaging. It can be used to visualize amyloid deposits with the help of amyloid-binding diagnostic agents injected into the body. In recent years, a number of amyloid-targeted MRI probes have been developed, but none of them has entered clinical practice. We review the advances in the field and deduce the requirements for the molecular structure and properties of a diagnostic probe candidate. These requirements make up the base for the rational design of MRI-active small molecules targeting amyloid deposits. Particular attention is paid to the novel cryo-EM structures of the fibril aggregates and their complexes, with known binders offering the possibility to use computational structure-based design methods. With continued research and development, MRI probes may revolutionize the diagnosis and treatment of neurodegenerative diseases, ultimately improving the lives of millions of people worldwide.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alena Nikiforova
- Chemical Institute, Kazan Federal University, Kremlevskaya 18, 420008 Kazan, Russia
| | - Igor Sedov
- Chemical Institute, Kazan Federal University, Kremlevskaya 18, 420008 Kazan, Russia
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5
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Xue LL, Huangfu LR, Du RL, Chen L, Yu CY, Xiong LL, Wang TH. The age-specific pathological changes of β-amyloid plaques in the cortex and hippocampus of APP/PS1 transgenic AD mice. Neurol Res 2022; 44:1053-1065. [PMID: 35981107 DOI: 10.1080/01616412.2022.2112368] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Numerous pathological variations and complex interactions are involved in the long period prior to cognitive decline in brains with Alzheimer's disease (AD). Thus, elucidation of the pathological disorders can facilitate early AD diagnosis. The aim of this study was to investigate the age-specific pathological changes of β-amyloid plaques in brain tissues of AD mice at different ages. METHODS We arranged the most widely available APP/PS1 transgenic AD models into six age groups: 3, 4 and 6 months (these three groups mimicked early-clinical stage AD), 9, 12 and 15 months (these three groups mimicked late-clinical stage AD). Cell morphology and arrangement in the cortex and hippocampus were observed by hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining. Congo red staining and immunohistochemical staining were performed to exhibit the distribution of β-amyloid plaques in the cortex and hippocampus of AD brains. RESULTS Our results found that as age increased, the nuclei of cortical and hippocampal cells in AD mice were severely damaged. The number and area of β-amyloid plaques increased in AD mice in correspondence with age revealed by histological experiments. Importantly, β-amyloid plaques were detected in the cortex and hippocampus of 6-month-old AD mice shown by Congo red staining while detected in the cortex and hippocampus of 4-month-old AD mice shown by immunohistochemical staining. CONCLUSIONS The current study revealed the age-related pathological changes of β-amyloid plaques in the cortex and hippocampus of AD mice and displayed a higher specificity of immunohistochemical staining than Congo red staining when detecting pathological changes of brain tissues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lu-Lu Xue
- State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Li-Ren Huangfu
- Animal Zoology Department, Institute of Neuroscience, Kunming medical University, Kunming, Yunnan, China
| | - Ruo-Lan Du
- Institute of Neurological Disease, Department of Anesthesiology, Translational Neuroscience Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Li Chen
- Institute of Neurological Disease, Department of Anesthesiology, Translational Neuroscience Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Chang-Yin Yu
- Department of Neurology, Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, Guizhou, China
| | - Liu-Lin Xiong
- Department of Anesthesiology, Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, Guizhou, China
| | - Ting-Hua Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China.,Animal Zoology Department, Institute of Neuroscience, Kunming medical University, Kunming, Yunnan, China.,Institute of Neurological Disease, Department of Anesthesiology, Translational Neuroscience Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
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6
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Zhou R, Zhu L, Zeng Z, Luo R, Zhang J, Guo R, Zhang L, Zhang Q, Bi W. Targeted brain delivery of
RVG29‐modified rifampicin‐loaded
nanoparticles for Alzheimer's disease treatment and diagnosis. Bioeng Transl Med 2022; 7:e10395. [PMID: 36176608 PMCID: PMC9472014 DOI: 10.1002/btm2.10395] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2021] [Revised: 05/19/2022] [Accepted: 06/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is an aging‐related neurodegenerative disease. The main pathological features of AD are β‐amyloid protein (Aβ) deposition and tau protein hyperphosphorylation. Currently, there are no effective drugs for the etiological treatment of AD. Rifampicin (RIF) is a semi‐synthetic broad‐spectrum antibiotic with anti‐β‐amyloid deposition, anti‐inflammatory, anti‐apoptosis, and neuroprotective effects, but its application in AD treatment has been limited for its strong hydrophobicity, high toxicity, short half‐life, low bioavailability, and blood–brain barrier hindrance. We designed a novel brain‐targeted and MRI‐characteristic nanomedicine via loading rabies virus protein 29 (RVG29), rifampicin, and Gd on poly (l‐lactide) nanoparticles (RIF@PLA‐PEG‐Gd/Mal‐RVG29). The cytotoxicity assay demonstrated that RIF@PLA‐PEG‐Gd/Mal‐RVG29 had favorable biocompatibility and security. Fluorescence imaging in vivo showed that PLA‐PEG‐Gd/Mal‐RVG29 could deliver rifampicin into the brain by enhancing cellular uptake and brain targeting performance, leading to improvement of the bioavailability of rifampicin. In in vivo study, RIF@PLA‐PEG‐Gd/Mal‐RVG29 improved the spatial learning and memory capability of APP/PS1 mice in the Morris water maze, as compared to rifampicin. Immunofluorescence, TEM, immunoblotting, and H&E staining revealed that RIF@PLA‐PEG‐Gd/Mal‐RVG29 reduced Aβ deposition in hippocampal and cortex of APP/PS1 mice, improved the damage of synaptic ultrastructure, increased the expression level of PSD95 and SYP, as well as reduced the necrosis of neurons. These findings suggest that RIF@PLA‐PEG‐Gd/Mal‐RVG29 may be an effective strategy for the treatment of AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruiyi Zhou
- Department of Neurology The First Affiliated Hospital, Jinan University Guangzhou People's Republic of China
| | - Lihong Zhu
- Department of Pathophysiology Key Laboratory of State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine of the People's Republic of China, School of Medicine, Jinan University Guangzhou People's Republic of China
| | - Zhaohao Zeng
- Department of Neurology The First Affiliated Hospital, Jinan University Guangzhou People's Republic of China
| | - Rixin Luo
- Department of Neurology The First Affiliated Hospital, Jinan University Guangzhou People's Republic of China
| | - Jiawei Zhang
- Department of Pathophysiology Key Laboratory of State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine of the People's Republic of China, School of Medicine, Jinan University Guangzhou People's Republic of China
| | - Rui Guo
- Key Laboratory of Biomaterials of Guangdong Higher Education Institutes Guangdong Provincial Engineering and Technological Research Center for Drug Carrier Development, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Jinan University Guangzhou People's Republic of China
| | - Lei Zhang
- Department of Cerebrovascular Disease The Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat‐sen University Zhuhai People's Republic of China
| | - Qunying Zhang
- Department of Cardiology The Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat‐sen University Zhuhai People's Republic of China
| | - Wei Bi
- Department of Neurology The First Affiliated Hospital, Jinan University Guangzhou People's Republic of China
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7
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Maharjan S, Tsai AP, Lin PB, Ingraham C, Jewett MR, Landreth GE, Oblak AL, Wang N. Age-dependent microstructure alterations in 5xFAD mice by high-resolution diffusion tensor imaging. Front Neurosci 2022; 16:964654. [PMID: 36061588 PMCID: PMC9428354 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2022.964654] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2022] [Accepted: 07/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Purpose To evaluate the age-dependent microstructure changes in 5xFAD mice using high-resolution diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). Methods The 5xFAD mice at 4, 7.5, and 12 months and the wild-type controls at 4 months were scanned at 9.4T using a 3D echo-planar imaging (EPI) pulse sequence with the isotropic spatial resolution of 100 μm. The b-value was 3000 s/mm2 for all the diffusion MRI scans. The samples were also acquired with a gradient echo pulse sequence at 50 μm isotropic resolution. The microstructure changes were quantified with DTI metrics, including fractional anisotropy (FA) and mean diffusivity (MD). The conventional histology was performed to validate with MRI findings. Results The FA values (p = 0.028) showed significant differences in the cortex between wild-type (WT) and 5xFAD mice at 4 months, while hippocampus, anterior commissure, corpus callosum, and fornix showed no significant differences for either FA and MD. FA values of 5xFAD mice gradually decreased in cortex (0.140 ± 0.007 at 4 months, 0.132 ± 0.008 at 7.5 months, 0.126 ± 0.013 at 12 months) and fornix (0.140 ± 0.007 at 4 months, 0.132 ± 0.008 at 7.5 months, 0.126 ± 0.013 at 12 months) with aging. Both FA (p = 0.029) and MD (p = 0.037) demonstrated significant differences in corpus callosum between 4 and 12 months age old. FA and MD were not significantly different in the hippocampus or anterior commissure. The age-dependent microstructure alterations were better captured by FA when compared to MD. Conclusion FA showed higher sensitivity to monitor amyloid deposition in 5xFAD mice. DTI may be utilized as a sensitive biomarker to monitor beta-amyloid progression for preclinical studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Surendra Maharjan
- Department of Radiology and Imaging Sciences, Indiana University, Indianapolis, IN, United States
| | - Andy P. Tsai
- Stark Neurosciences Research Institute, Indiana University, Indianapolis, IN, United States
| | - Peter B. Lin
- Stark Neurosciences Research Institute, Indiana University, Indianapolis, IN, United States
| | - Cynthia Ingraham
- Stark Neurosciences Research Institute, Indiana University, Indianapolis, IN, United States
| | - Megan R. Jewett
- Department of Radiology and Imaging Sciences, Indiana University, Indianapolis, IN, United States
| | - Gary E. Landreth
- Stark Neurosciences Research Institute, Indiana University, Indianapolis, IN, United States
- Department of Anatomy, Cell Biology and Physiology, Indiana University, Indianapolis, IN, United States
| | - Adrian L. Oblak
- Department of Radiology and Imaging Sciences, Indiana University, Indianapolis, IN, United States
- Stark Neurosciences Research Institute, Indiana University, Indianapolis, IN, United States
| | - Nian Wang
- Department of Radiology and Imaging Sciences, Indiana University, Indianapolis, IN, United States
- Stark Neurosciences Research Institute, Indiana University, Indianapolis, IN, United States
- *Correspondence: Nian Wang,
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8
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Ni R, Chen Z, Deán-Ben XL, Voigt FF, Kirschenbaum D, Shi G, Villois A, Zhou Q, Crimi A, Arosio P, Nitsch RM, Nilsson KPR, Aguzzi A, Helmchen F, Klohs J, Razansky D. Multiscale optical and optoacoustic imaging of amyloid-β deposits in mice. Nat Biomed Eng 2022; 6:1031-1044. [PMID: 35835994 DOI: 10.1038/s41551-022-00906-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2020] [Accepted: 05/27/2022] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Deposits of amyloid-β (Aβ) in the brains of rodents can be analysed by invasive intravital microscopy on a submillimetre scale, or via whole-brain images from modalities lacking the resolution or molecular specificity to accurately characterize Aβ pathologies. Here we show that large-field multifocal illumination fluorescence microscopy and panoramic volumetric multispectral optoacoustic tomography can be combined to longitudinally assess Aβ deposits in transgenic mouse models of Alzheimer's disease. We used fluorescent Aβ-targeted probes (the luminescent conjugated oligothiophene HS-169 and the oxazine-derivative AOI987) to transcranially detect Aβ deposits in the cortex of APP/PS1 and arcAβ mice with single-plaque resolution (8 μm) and across the whole brain (including the hippocampus and the thalamus, which are inaccessible by conventional intravital microscopy) at sub-150 μm resolutions. Two-photon microscopy, light-sheet microscopy and immunohistochemistry of brain-tissue sections confirmed the specificity and regional distributions of the deposits. High-resolution multiscale optical and optoacoustic imaging of Aβ deposits across the entire brain in rodents thus facilitates the in vivo study of Aβ accumulation by brain region and by animal age and strain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruiqing Ni
- Institute for Biomedical Engineering, University of Zurich and ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.,Zurich Neuroscience Center (ZNZ), University of Zurich and ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.,Institute for Regenerative Medicine, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Zhenyue Chen
- Institute for Biomedical Engineering, University of Zurich and ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.,Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Xosé Luís Deán-Ben
- Institute for Biomedical Engineering, University of Zurich and ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.,Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Fabian F Voigt
- Zurich Neuroscience Center (ZNZ), University of Zurich and ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.,Brain Research Institute, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | | | - Gloria Shi
- Institute for Biomedical Engineering, University of Zurich and ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Alessia Villois
- Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Quanyu Zhou
- Institute for Biomedical Engineering, University of Zurich and ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.,Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Alessandro Crimi
- Institute of Neuropathology, Universitätsspital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Paolo Arosio
- Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Roger M Nitsch
- Zurich Neuroscience Center (ZNZ), University of Zurich and ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.,Institute for Regenerative Medicine, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - K Peter R Nilsson
- Division of Chemistry, Department of Physics, Chemistry and Biology, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Adriano Aguzzi
- Zurich Neuroscience Center (ZNZ), University of Zurich and ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.,Institute of Neuropathology, Universitätsspital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Fritjof Helmchen
- Zurich Neuroscience Center (ZNZ), University of Zurich and ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.,Brain Research Institute, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Jan Klohs
- Institute for Biomedical Engineering, University of Zurich and ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland. .,Zurich Neuroscience Center (ZNZ), University of Zurich and ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
| | - Daniel Razansky
- Institute for Biomedical Engineering, University of Zurich and ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland. .,Zurich Neuroscience Center (ZNZ), University of Zurich and ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland. .,Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
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9
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Neuroimaging of Mouse Models of Alzheimer’s Disease. Biomedicines 2022; 10:biomedicines10020305. [PMID: 35203515 PMCID: PMC8869427 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines10020305] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2021] [Revised: 01/25/2022] [Accepted: 01/25/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and positron emission tomography (PET) have made great strides in the diagnosis and our understanding of Alzheimer’s Disease (AD). Despite the knowledge gained from human studies, mouse models have and continue to play an important role in deciphering the cellular and molecular evolution of AD. MRI and PET are now being increasingly used to investigate neuroimaging features in mouse models and provide the basis for rapid translation to the clinical setting. Here, we provide an overview of the human MRI and PET imaging landscape as a prelude to an in-depth review of preclinical imaging in mice. A broad range of mouse models recapitulate certain aspects of the human AD, but no single model simulates the human disease spectrum. We focused on the two of the most popular mouse models, the 3xTg-AD and the 5xFAD models, and we summarized all known published MRI and PET imaging data, including contrasting findings. The goal of this review is to provide the reader with broad framework to guide future studies in existing and future mouse models of AD. We also highlight aspects of MRI and PET imaging that could be improved to increase rigor and reproducibility in future imaging studies.
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10
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Ni R. Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Animal Models of Alzheimer's Disease Amyloidosis. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:12768. [PMID: 34884573 PMCID: PMC8657987 DOI: 10.3390/ijms222312768] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2021] [Revised: 11/18/2021] [Accepted: 11/23/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Amyloid-beta (Aβ) plays an important role in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease. Aberrant Aβ accumulation induces neuroinflammation, cerebrovascular alterations, and synaptic deficits, leading to cognitive impairment. Animal models recapitulating the Aβ pathology, such as transgenic, knock-in mouse and rat models, have facilitated the understanding of disease mechanisms and the development of therapeutics targeting Aβ. There is a rapid advance in high-field MRI in small animals. Versatile high-field magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) sequences, such as diffusion tensor imaging, arterial spin labeling, resting-state functional MRI, anatomical MRI, and MR spectroscopy, as well as contrast agents, have been developed for preclinical imaging in animal models. These tools have enabled high-resolution in vivo structural, functional, and molecular readouts with a whole-brain field of view. MRI has been used to visualize non-invasively the Aβ deposits, synaptic deficits, regional brain atrophy, impairment in white matter integrity, functional connectivity, and cerebrovascular and glymphatic system in animal models of Alzheimer's disease amyloidosis. Many of the readouts are translational toward clinical MRI applications in patients with Alzheimer's disease. In this review, we summarize the recent advances in MRI for visualizing the pathophysiology in amyloidosis animal models. We discuss the outstanding challenges in brain imaging using MRI in small animals and propose future outlook in visualizing Aβ-related alterations in the brains of animal models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruiqing Ni
- Institute for Biomedical Engineering, ETH Zurich & University of Zurich, 8093 Zurich, Switzerland;
- Institute for Regenerative Medicine, University of Zurich, 8952 Zurich, Switzerland
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11
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In situ identification and G4-PPI-His-Mal-dendrimer-induced reduction of early-stage amyloid aggregates in Alzheimer's disease transgenic mice using synchrotron-based infrared imaging. Sci Rep 2021; 11:18368. [PMID: 34526539 PMCID: PMC8443673 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-96379-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2021] [Accepted: 07/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Amyloid plaques composed of Aβ amyloid peptides and neurofibrillary tangles are a pathological hallmark of Alzheimer Disease. In situ identification of early-stage amyloid aggregates in Alzheimer's disease is relevant for their importance as potential targets for effective drugs. Synchrotron-based infrared imaging is here used to identify early-stage oligomeric/granular aggregated amyloid species in situ in the brain of APP/PS1 transgenic mice for the first time. Also, APP/PS1 mice show fibrillary aggregates at 6 and 12 months. A significant decreased burden of early-stage aggregates and fibrillary aggregates is obtained following treatment with poly(propylene imine) dendrimers with histidine-maltose shell (a neurodegenerative protector) in 6-month-old APP/PS1 mice, thus demonstrating their putative therapeutic properties of in AD models. Identification, localization, and characterization using infrared imaging of these non-fibrillary species in the cerebral cortex at early stages of AD progression in transgenic mice point to their relevance as putative pharmacological targets. No less important, early detection of these structures may be useful in the search for markers for non-invasive diagnostic techniques.
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12
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In vivo multi-parametric manganese-enhanced MRI for detecting amyloid plaques in rodent models of Alzheimer's disease. Sci Rep 2021; 11:12419. [PMID: 34127752 PMCID: PMC8203664 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-91899-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2021] [Accepted: 05/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Amyloid plaques are a hallmark of Alzheimer's disease (AD) that develop in its earliest stages. Thus, non-invasive detection of these plaques would be invaluable for diagnosis and the development and monitoring of treatments, but this remains a challenge due to their small size. Here, we investigated the utility of manganese-enhanced MRI (MEMRI) for visualizing plaques in transgenic rodent models of AD across two species: 5xFAD mice and TgF344-AD rats. Animals were given subcutaneous injections of MnCl2 and imaged in vivo using a 9.4 T Bruker scanner. MnCl2 improved signal-to-noise ratio but was not necessary to detect plaques in high-resolution images. Plaques were visible in all transgenic animals and no wild-types, and quantitative susceptibility mapping showed that they were more paramagnetic than the surrounding tissue. This, combined with beta-amyloid and iron staining, indicate that plaque MR visibility in both animal models was driven by plaque size and iron load. Longitudinal relaxation rate mapping revealed increased manganese uptake in brain regions of high plaque burden in transgenic animals compared to their wild-type littermates. This was limited to the rhinencephalon in the TgF344-AD rats, while it was most significantly increased in the cortex of the 5xFAD mice. Alizarin Red staining suggests that manganese bound to plaques in 5xFAD mice but not in TgF344-AD rats. Multi-parametric MEMRI is a simple, viable method for detecting amyloid plaques in rodent models of AD. Manganese-induced signal enhancement can enable higher-resolution imaging, which is key to visualizing these small amyloid deposits. We also present the first in vivo evidence of manganese as a potential targeted contrast agent for imaging plaques in the 5xFAD model of AD.
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13
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Baligand C, Barret O, Tourais A, Pérot JB, Thenadey D, Petit F, Liot G, Gaillard MC, Flament J, Dhenain M, Valette J. Zero Echo Time 17O-MRI Reveals Decreased Cerebral Metabolic Rate of Oxygen Consumption in a Murine Model of Amyloidosis. Metabolites 2021; 11:metabo11050263. [PMID: 33922384 PMCID: PMC8145383 DOI: 10.3390/metabo11050263] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2021] [Revised: 04/16/2021] [Accepted: 04/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The cerebral metabolic rate of oxygen consumption (CMRO2) is a key metric to investigate the mechanisms involved in neurodegeneration in animal models and evaluate potential new therapies. CMRO2 can be measured by direct 17O magnetic resonance imaging (17O-MRI) of H217O signal changes during inhalation of 17O-labeled oxygen gas. In this study, we built a simple gas distribution system and used 3D zero echo time (ZTE-)MRI at 11.7 T to measure CMRO2 in the APPswe/PS1dE9 mouse model of amyloidosis. We found that CMRO2 was significantly lower in the APPswe/PS1dE9 brain than in wild-type at 12-14 months. We also estimated cerebral blood flow (CBF) from the post-inhalation washout curve and found no difference between groups. These results suggest that the lower CMRO2 observed in APPswe/PS1dE9 is likely due to metabolism impairment rather than to reduced blood flow. Analysis of the 17O-MRI data using different quantification models (linear and 3-phase model) showed that the choice of the model does not affect group comparison results. However, the simplified linear model significantly underestimated the absolute CMRO2 values compared to a 3-phase model. This may become of importance when combining several metabolic fluxes measurements to study neuro-metabolic coupling.
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14
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Paulus A, Engdahl A, Yang Y, Boza-Serrano A, Bachiller S, Torres-Garcia L, Svanbergsson A, Garcia MG, Gouras GK, Li JY, Deierborg T, Klementieva O. Amyloid Structural Changes Studied by Infrared Microspectroscopy in Bigenic Cellular Models of Alzheimer's Disease. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:3430. [PMID: 33810433 PMCID: PMC8037084 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22073430] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2021] [Revised: 03/19/2021] [Accepted: 03/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease affects millions of lives worldwide. This terminal disease is characterized by the formation of amyloid aggregates, so-called amyloid oligomers. These oligomers are composed of β-sheet structures, which are believed to be neurotoxic. However, the actual secondary structure that contributes most to neurotoxicity remains unknown. This lack of knowledge is due to the challenging nature of characterizing the secondary structure of amyloids in cells. To overcome this and investigate the molecular changes in proteins directly in cells, we used synchrotron-based infrared microspectroscopy, a label-free and non-destructive technique available for in situ molecular imaging, to detect structural changes in proteins and lipids. Specifically, we evaluated the formation of β-sheet structures in different monogenic and bigenic cellular models of Alzheimer's disease that we generated for this study. We report on the possibility to discern different amyloid signatures directly in cells using infrared microspectroscopy and demonstrate that bigenic (amyloid-β, α-synuclein) and (amyloid-β, Tau) neuron-like cells display changes in β-sheet load. Altogether, our findings support the notion that different molecular mechanisms of amyloid aggregation, as opposed to a common mechanism, are triggered by the specific cellular environment and, therefore, that various mechanisms lead to the development of Alzheimer's disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Agnes Paulus
- Medical Microspectroscopy Laboratory, Department of Experimental Medical Science, Lund University, 22184 Lund, Sweden; (A.P.); (A.E.)
- Experimental Neuroinflammation Laboratory, Department of Experimental Medical Science, Lund University, 22184 Lund, Sweden; (Y.Y.); (A.B.-S.); (S.B.); (M.G.G.)
| | - Anders Engdahl
- Medical Microspectroscopy Laboratory, Department of Experimental Medical Science, Lund University, 22184 Lund, Sweden; (A.P.); (A.E.)
| | - Yiyi Yang
- Experimental Neuroinflammation Laboratory, Department of Experimental Medical Science, Lund University, 22184 Lund, Sweden; (Y.Y.); (A.B.-S.); (S.B.); (M.G.G.)
| | - Antonio Boza-Serrano
- Experimental Neuroinflammation Laboratory, Department of Experimental Medical Science, Lund University, 22184 Lund, Sweden; (Y.Y.); (A.B.-S.); (S.B.); (M.G.G.)
| | - Sara Bachiller
- Experimental Neuroinflammation Laboratory, Department of Experimental Medical Science, Lund University, 22184 Lund, Sweden; (Y.Y.); (A.B.-S.); (S.B.); (M.G.G.)
| | - Laura Torres-Garcia
- Experimental Dementia Research Unit, Department of Experimental Medical Science, Lund University, 22184 Lund, Sweden; (L.T.-G.); (G.K.G.)
- Neural Plasticity and Repair Unit, Department of Experimental Medical Science, Lund University, 22184 Lund, Sweden; (A.S.); (J.-Y.L.)
| | - Alexander Svanbergsson
- Neural Plasticity and Repair Unit, Department of Experimental Medical Science, Lund University, 22184 Lund, Sweden; (A.S.); (J.-Y.L.)
| | - Megg G. Garcia
- Experimental Neuroinflammation Laboratory, Department of Experimental Medical Science, Lund University, 22184 Lund, Sweden; (Y.Y.); (A.B.-S.); (S.B.); (M.G.G.)
- Experimental Dementia Research Unit, Department of Experimental Medical Science, Lund University, 22184 Lund, Sweden; (L.T.-G.); (G.K.G.)
| | - Gunnar K. Gouras
- Experimental Dementia Research Unit, Department of Experimental Medical Science, Lund University, 22184 Lund, Sweden; (L.T.-G.); (G.K.G.)
| | - Jia-Yi Li
- Neural Plasticity and Repair Unit, Department of Experimental Medical Science, Lund University, 22184 Lund, Sweden; (A.S.); (J.-Y.L.)
| | - Tomas Deierborg
- Experimental Neuroinflammation Laboratory, Department of Experimental Medical Science, Lund University, 22184 Lund, Sweden; (Y.Y.); (A.B.-S.); (S.B.); (M.G.G.)
| | - Oxana Klementieva
- Medical Microspectroscopy Laboratory, Department of Experimental Medical Science, Lund University, 22184 Lund, Sweden; (A.P.); (A.E.)
- Lund Institute for Advanced Neutron and X-ray Science (LINXS), 22370 Lund, Sweden
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15
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Dahal E, Ghammraoui B, Ye M, Smith JC, Badano A. Label-free X-ray estimation of brain amyloid burden. Sci Rep 2020; 10:20505. [PMID: 33239703 PMCID: PMC7689528 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-77554-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2020] [Accepted: 11/12/2020] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Amyloid plaque deposits in the brain are indicative of Alzheimer’s and other diseases. Measurements of brain amyloid burden in small animals require laborious post-mortem histological analysis or resource-intensive, contrast-enhanced imaging techniques. We describe a label-free method based on spectral small-angle X-ray scattering with a polychromatic beam for in vivo estimation of brain amyloid burden. Our findings comparing 5XFAD versus wild-type mice correlate well with histology, showing promise for a fast and practical in vivo technique.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eshan Dahal
- Division of Imaging, Diagnostics and Software Reliability, Office of Science and Engineering Laboratories, Center for Devices and Radiological Health, Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, MD, 20993, USA.,Fischell Department of Bioengineering, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, 20742, USA
| | - Bahaa Ghammraoui
- Division of Imaging, Diagnostics and Software Reliability, Office of Science and Engineering Laboratories, Center for Devices and Radiological Health, Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, MD, 20993, USA
| | - Meijun Ye
- Division of Biomedical Physics, Office of Science and Engineering Laboratories, Center for Devices and Radiological Health, Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, MD, 20993, USA
| | - J Carson Smith
- School of Public Health, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, 20742, USA
| | - Aldo Badano
- Division of Imaging, Diagnostics and Software Reliability, Office of Science and Engineering Laboratories, Center for Devices and Radiological Health, Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, MD, 20993, USA. .,Fischell Department of Bioengineering, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, 20742, USA.
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16
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Salkov VN, Khudoyerkov RM. [Changes in iron content in brain structures during aging and associated neurodegenerative diseases]. Arkh Patol 2020; 82:73-78. [PMID: 33054036 DOI: 10.17116/patol20208205173] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
The literature data on changes in the content of iron and its metabolites in brain structures during aging and neurodegenerative diseases (Parkinson's disease - PD and Alzheimer's disease - AD) are analyzed. It was revealed that with aging, the iron content in nigrostriatal formations of brain changes: the level of non-heme iron and ferritin increases and neuromelanin also accumulates in neurons of black substance. The accumulation of neuromelanin in combination with increase in ferritin content can be considered as a morphochemical sign of neuroprotective effect of nervous tissue during aging. The iron level in PD and AD compared with that during physiological aging continues to increase, and the ability of chelating agents to bind iron decreases (ferritin in neuroglia cells and neuromelanin in neurons), which activates the mechanisms of cell destruction. As a result, in PD, the aggregation of α-synuclein is disrupted, which leads to the formation of Levi bodies, and in AD, the amyloid beta precursor protein (APP) undergoes proteolysis and this leads to the formation of amyloid plaques, which triggers subsequent neurodegenerative changes, including the death of neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- V N Salkov
- Scientific Center of Neurology, Moscow, Russia
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17
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Oprić D, Stankovich AD, Nenadović A, Kovačević S, Obradović DD, de Luka S, Nešović-Ostojić J, Milašin J, Ilić AŽ, Trbovich AM. Fractal analysis tools for early assessment of liver inflammation induced by chronic consumption of linseed, palm and sunflower oils. Biomed Signal Process Control 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bspc.2020.101959] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
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18
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Lichtenegger A, Gesperger J, Niederleithner M, Ginner L, Woehrer A, Drexler W, Baumann B, Leitgeb RA, Salas M. Ex-vivo Alzheimer's disease brain tissue investigation: a multiscale approach using 1060-nm swept source optical coherence tomography for a direct correlation to histology. NEUROPHOTONICS 2020; 7:035004. [PMID: 32855993 PMCID: PMC7441220 DOI: 10.1117/1.nph.7.3.035004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2020] [Accepted: 08/04/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Significance: Amyloid-beta ( A - β ) plaques are pathological protein deposits formed in the brain of Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients upon disease progression. Further research is needed to elucidate the complex underlying mechanisms involved in their formation using label-free, tissue preserving, and volumetric techniques. Aim: The aim is to achieve a one-to-one correlation of optical coherence tomography (OCT) data to histological micrographs of brain tissue using 1060-nm swept source OCT. Approach: A - β plaques were investigated in ex-vivo AD brain tissue using OCT with the capability of switching between two magnifications. For the exact correlation to histology, a 3D-printed tool was designed to generate samples with parallel flat surfaces. Large field-of-view (FoV) and sequentially high-resolution volumes at different locations were acquired. The large FoV served to align the OCT to histology images; the high-resolution images were used to visualize fine details. Results: The instrument and the presented method enabled an accurate correlation of histological micrographs with OCT data. A - β plaques were identified as hyperscattering features in both FoV OCT modalities. The plaques identified in volumetric OCT data were in good agreement with immunohistochemically derived micrographs. Conclusion: OCT combined with the 3D-printed tool is a promising approach for label-free, nondestructive, volumetric, and fast tissue analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonia Lichtenegger
- Medical University of Vienna, Center for Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, Vienna, Austria
| | - Johanna Gesperger
- Medical University of Vienna, Center for Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, Vienna, Austria
- Medical University of Vienna, Division of Neuropathology and Neurochemistry, Department of Neurology, Vienna, Austria
| | - Michael Niederleithner
- Medical University of Vienna, Center for Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, Vienna, Austria
| | - Laurin Ginner
- Medical University of Vienna, Center for Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, Vienna, Austria
- AIT Austrian Institute of Technology GmbH, Vienna, Austria
| | - Adelheid Woehrer
- Medical University of Vienna, Division of Neuropathology and Neurochemistry, Department of Neurology, Vienna, Austria
| | - Wolfgang Drexler
- Medical University of Vienna, Center for Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, Vienna, Austria
| | - Bernhard Baumann
- Medical University of Vienna, Center for Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, Vienna, Austria
| | - Rainer A. Leitgeb
- Medical University of Vienna, Center for Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, Vienna, Austria
- Medical University of Vienna, Christian Doppler Laboratory for Innovative Optical Imaging and its Translation to Medicine, Vienna, Austria
| | - Matthias Salas
- Medical University of Vienna, Center for Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, Vienna, Austria
- Medical University of Vienna, Division of Neuropathology and Neurochemistry, Department of Neurology, Vienna, Austria
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19
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Dahal E, Ghammraoui B, Badano A. Feasibility of a label-free X-ray method to estimate brain amyloid load in small animals. J Neurosci Methods 2020; 343:108822. [PMID: 32574641 DOI: 10.1016/j.jneumeth.2020.108822] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2020] [Revised: 06/18/2020] [Accepted: 06/18/2020] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Amyloid plaque in the brain is associated with a wide range of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's and defined as aggregates of amyloid fibrils rich in β-sheet structures. NEW METHOD We report a label-free method based on small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) to estimate amyloid load in an intact mouse head with skull. The method is based on recording and analyzing the X rays elastically scattered from the β-sheets of amyloid plaques in a mouse head at angles smaller than 10° and energies between 30 and 45 keV. The method is demonstrated by acquiring the spectral SAXS data of an amyloid model and an excised head from a wild-type mouse for 600 s. RESULTS We captured the distinct scattering peaks of the amyloid plaques at momentum transfer (q) of 6 and 13 nm-1 associated with β-sheet structure. We first show linear correlation between the mass fraction of the amyloid target and the area under the peak (AUP) of the scattering curve. We report results for estimating amyloid load in a fixed mouse head by recovering the characteristic scattering signal from the amyloid target situated at various locations. The coefficient of variation in the amyloid load estimate is found to be less than 10%. COMPARISON WITH EXISTING METHODS There are no previously described label-free X-ray methods for the estimation of amyloid load in an intact head. CONCLUSIONS We demonstrated the feasibility of a label-free method based on SAXS to potentially estimate brain amyloid in small animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eshan Dahal
- Division of Imaging, Diagnostics, and Software Reliability, Office of Science and Engineering Laboratories, Center for Devices and Radiological Health, Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, MD 20993, USA; Fischell Department of Bioengineering, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA
| | - Bahaa Ghammraoui
- Division of Imaging, Diagnostics, and Software Reliability, Office of Science and Engineering Laboratories, Center for Devices and Radiological Health, Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, MD 20993, USA
| | - Aldo Badano
- Division of Imaging, Diagnostics, and Software Reliability, Office of Science and Engineering Laboratories, Center for Devices and Radiological Health, Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, MD 20993, USA; Fischell Department of Bioengineering, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA.
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20
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In situ structural characterization of early amyloid aggregates in Alzheimer's disease transgenic mice and Octodon degus. Sci Rep 2020; 10:5888. [PMID: 32246090 PMCID: PMC7125182 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-62708-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2019] [Accepted: 03/12/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Amyloid plaques composed of Aβ amyloid peptides and neurofibrillary tangles are a pathological hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease. In situ identification of early-stage amyloid aggregates in Alzheimer’s disease is relevant for their importance as potential targets for effective drugs. Synchrotron-based infrared imaging is here used to identify early-stage oligomeric/granular aggregated amyloid species in situ in the brain of APP/PS1 transgenic mice and Octodon degus for the first time. Also, APP/PS1 mice show fibrillary aggregates at 6 and 12 months whereas very little formation of fibrils is found in aged Octodon degus. Finally, significant decreased burden of early-stage aggregates and fibrillary aggregates is obtained following treatment with G4-His-Mal dendrimers (a neurodegenerative protector) in 6-month-old APP/PS1 mice, thus demonstrating putative therapeutic properties of G4-His-Mal dendrimers in AD models. Identification, localization, and characterization using infrared imaging of these non-fibrillary species in the cerebral cortex at early stages of AD progression in transgenic mice point to their relevance as putative pharmacological targets. No less important, early detection of these structures may be useful in the search for markers for non-invasive diagnostic techniques.
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21
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Harper DJ, Augustin M, Lichtenegger A, Gesperger J, Himmel T, Muck M, Merkle CW, Eugui P, Kummer S, Woehrer A, Glösmann M, Baumann B. Retinal analysis of a mouse model of Alzheimer's disease with multicontrast optical coherence tomography. NEUROPHOTONICS 2020; 7:015006. [PMID: 32042855 PMCID: PMC6999077 DOI: 10.1117/1.nph.7.1.015006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2019] [Accepted: 01/07/2020] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
Significance. Recent Alzheimer's disease (AD) patient studies have focused on retinal analysis, as the retina is the only part of the central nervous system that can be imaged noninvasively by optical methods. However, as this is a relatively new approach, the occurrence and role of retinal pathological features are still debated. Aim. The retina of an APP/PS1 mouse model was investigated using multicontrast optical coherence tomography (OCT) in order to provide a documentation of what was observed in both transgenic and wild-type mice. Approach. Both eyes of 24 APP/PS1 transgenic mice (age: 45 to 104 weeks) and 15 age-matched wild-type littermates were imaged by the custom-built OCT system. At the end of the experiment, retinas and brains were harvested from a subset of the mice (14 transgenic, 7 age-matched control) in order to compare the in vivo results to histological analysis and to quantify the cortical amyloid beta plaque load. Results. The system provided a combination of standard reflectivity data, polarization-sensitive data, and OCT angiograms. Qualitative and quantitative information from the resultant OCT images was extracted on retinal layer thickness and structure, presence of hyper-reflective foci, phase retardation abnormalities, and retinal vasculature. Conclusions. Although multicontrast OCT revealed abnormal structural properties and phase retardation signals in the retina of this APP/PS1 mouse model, the observations were very similar in transgenic and control mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danielle J. Harper
- Medical University of Vienna, Center for Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, Vienna, Austria
- Address all correspondence to Danielle J. Harper, E-mail:
| | - Marco Augustin
- Medical University of Vienna, Center for Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, Vienna, Austria
| | - Antonia Lichtenegger
- Medical University of Vienna, Center for Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, Vienna, Austria
| | - Johanna Gesperger
- Medical University of Vienna, Center for Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, Vienna, Austria
- General Hospital and Medical University of Vienna, Institute of Neurology, Vienna, Austria
| | - Tanja Himmel
- University of Veterinary Medicine, Institute of Pathology, Vienna, Austria
| | - Martina Muck
- Medical University of Vienna, Center for Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, Vienna, Austria
| | - Conrad W. Merkle
- Medical University of Vienna, Center for Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, Vienna, Austria
| | - Pablo Eugui
- Medical University of Vienna, Center for Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, Vienna, Austria
| | - Stefan Kummer
- University of Veterinary Medicine, Core Facility for Research and Technology, Vienna, Austria
| | - Adelheid Woehrer
- General Hospital and Medical University of Vienna, Institute of Neurology, Vienna, Austria
| | - Martin Glösmann
- University of Veterinary Medicine, Core Facility for Research and Technology, Vienna, Austria
| | - Bernhard Baumann
- Medical University of Vienna, Center for Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, Vienna, Austria
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22
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Nguyen D, Uhlmann V, Planchette AL, Marchand PJ, Van De Ville D, Lasser T, Radenovic A. Supervised learning to quantify amyloidosis in whole brains of an Alzheimer's disease mouse model acquired with optical projection tomography. BIOMEDICAL OPTICS EXPRESS 2019; 10:3041-3060. [PMID: 31259073 PMCID: PMC6583328 DOI: 10.1364/boe.10.003041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2019] [Revised: 05/19/2019] [Accepted: 05/19/2019] [Indexed: 05/14/2023]
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is characterized by amyloidosis of brain tissues. This phenomenon is studied with genetically-modified mouse models. We propose a method to quantify amyloidosis in whole 5xFAD mouse brains, a model of AD. We use optical projection tomography (OPT) and a random forest voxel classifier to segment and measure amyloid plaques. We validate our method in a preliminary cross-sectional study, where we measure 6136 ± 1637, 8477 ± 3438, and 17267 ± 4241 plaques (AVG ± SD) at 11, 17, and 31 weeks. Overall, this method can be used in the evaluation of new treatments against AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Nguyen
- Laboratory of Nanoscale Biology, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Vaud,
Switzerland
- Medical Image Processing Lab, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Genève, Genève,
Switzerland
- Laboratoire d’Optique Biomédicale, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Vaud,
Switzerland
| | - Virginie Uhlmann
- Biomedical Imaging Group, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Vaud,
Switzerland
- European Bioinformatics Institute, EMBL-EBI, Cambridge,
United Kingdom
| | - Arielle L. Planchette
- Laboratory of Nanoscale Biology, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Vaud,
Switzerland
- Laboratoire d’Optique Biomédicale, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Vaud,
Switzerland
| | - Paul J. Marchand
- Laboratoire d’Optique Biomédicale, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Vaud,
Switzerland
| | - Dimitri Van De Ville
- Medical Image Processing Lab, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Genève, Genève,
Switzerland
- Department of Radiology and Medical Informatics, University of Geneva, Genève, Genève,
Switzerland
| | - Theo Lasser
- Laboratoire d’Optique Biomédicale, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Vaud,
Switzerland
| | - Aleksandra Radenovic
- Laboratory of Nanoscale Biology, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Vaud,
Switzerland
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23
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Magnetic Nanoparticles Applications for Amyloidosis Study and Detection: A Review. NANOMATERIALS 2018; 8:nano8090740. [PMID: 30231587 PMCID: PMC6164038 DOI: 10.3390/nano8090740] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2018] [Revised: 09/14/2018] [Accepted: 09/16/2018] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) have great potential in biomedical and clinical applications because of their many unique properties. This contribution provides an overview of the MNPs mainly used in the field of amyloid diseases. The first part discusses their use in understanding the amyloid mechanisms of fibrillation, with emphasis on their ability to control aggregation of amyloidogenic proteins. The second part deals with the functionalization by various moieties of numerous MNPs’ surfaces (molecules, peptides, antibody fragments, or whole antibodies of MNPs) for the detection and the quantification of amyloid aggregates. The last part of this review focuses on the use of MNPs for magnetic-resonance-based amyloid imaging in biomedical fields, with particular attention to the application of gadolinium-based paramagnetic nanoparticles (AGuIX), which have been recently developed. Biocompatible AGuIX nanoparticles show favorable characteristics for in vivo use, such as nanometric and straightforward functionalization. Their properties have enabled their application in MRI. Here, we report that AGuIX nanoparticles grafted with the Pittsburgh compound B can actively target amyloid aggregates in the brain, beyond the blood–brain barrier, and remain the first step in observing amyloid plaques in a mouse model of Alzheimer’s disease.
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24
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Lichtenegger A, Muck M, Eugui P, Harper DJ, Augustin M, Leskovar K, Hitzenberger CK, Woehrer A, Baumann B. Assessment of pathological features in Alzheimer's disease brain tissue with a large field-of-view visible-light optical coherence microscope. NEUROPHOTONICS 2018; 5:035002. [PMID: 30137880 PMCID: PMC6057230 DOI: 10.1117/1.nph.5.3.035002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2018] [Accepted: 07/09/2018] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
We implemented a wide field-of-view visible-light optical coherence microscope (OCM) for investigating ex-vivo brain tissue of patients diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease (AD) and of a mouse model of AD. A submicrometer axial resolution in tissue was achieved using a broad visible light spectrum. The use of various objective lenses enabled reaching micrometer transversal resolution and the acquisition of images of microscopic brain features, such as cell structures, vessels, and white matter tracts. Amyloid-beta plaques in the range of 10 to 70 μ m were visualized. Large field-of-view images of young and old mouse brain sections were imaged using an automated x - y - z stage. The plaque load was characterized, revealing an age-related increase. Human brain tissue affected by cerebral amyloid angiopathy was investigated and hyperscattering structures resembling amyloid beta accumulations in the vessel walls were identified. All results were in good agreement with histology. A comparison of plaque features in both human and mouse brain tissue was performed, revealing an increase in plaque load and a decrease in reflectivity for mouse as compared with human brain tissue. Based on the promising outcome of our experiments, visible light OCM might be a powerful tool for investigating microscopic features in ex-vivo brain tissue.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonia Lichtenegger
- Medical University of Vienna, Center for Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, Vienna, Austria
| | - Martina Muck
- Medical University of Vienna, Center for Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, Vienna, Austria
- General Hospital and Medical University of Vienna, Institute of Neurology, Vienna, Austria
| | - Pablo Eugui
- Medical University of Vienna, Center for Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, Vienna, Austria
| | - Danielle J. Harper
- Medical University of Vienna, Center for Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, Vienna, Austria
| | - Marco Augustin
- Medical University of Vienna, Center for Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, Vienna, Austria
| | - Konrad Leskovar
- Medical University of Vienna, Center for Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, Vienna, Austria
- Vienna University of Technology, Institute of Applied Physics, Vienna, Austria
| | - Christoph K. Hitzenberger
- Medical University of Vienna, Center for Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, Vienna, Austria
| | - Adelheid Woehrer
- General Hospital and Medical University of Vienna, Institute of Neurology, Vienna, Austria
| | - Bernhard Baumann
- Medical University of Vienna, Center for Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, Vienna, Austria
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25
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Tan X, Liu Y, Li Y, Wang P, Zeng X, Yan F, Li X. Localized instance fusion of MRI data of Alzheimer's disease for classification based on instance transfer ensemble learning. Biomed Eng Online 2018; 17:49. [PMID: 29716598 PMCID: PMC5930507 DOI: 10.1186/s12938-018-0489-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2018] [Accepted: 04/23/2018] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease (AD) is very important, and MRI is an effective imaging mode of Alzheimer's disease. There are many existing studies on the diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease based on MRI data. However, there are no studies on the transfer learning between different datasets (including different subjects), thereby improving the sample size of target dataset indirectly. METHODS Therefore, a new framework method is proposed in this paper to solve this problem. First, gravity transfer is used to transfer the source domain data closer to the target data set. Secondly, the best deviation between the transferred source domain samples and the target domain samples is searched by instance transfer learning algorithm (ITL) based on wrapper mode, thereby obtaining optimal transferred domain samples. Finally, the optimal transferred domain samples and the target domain training samples are combined for classification. If the source data and the target data have different features, a feature growing algorithm is proposed to solve this problem. RESULTS The experimental results show that the proposed method is effective regardless of different kernel functions, different number of samples and different parameters. Besides, the transferred source domain samples by ITL algorithm can enlarge the target domain training samples and assist to improve the classification accuracy significantly. CONCLUSIONS Therefore, the study can enlarge the samples of AD by instance transfer learning, thereby being helpful for the small sample problems of AD. Since the proposed algorithm is a framework algorithm, the study is heuristics to the relevant researchers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoheng Tan
- College of Communication Engineering, Chongqing University, Shapingba District, Chongqing, 400044, China
| | - Yuchuan Liu
- College of Communication Engineering, Chongqing University, Shapingba District, Chongqing, 400044, China
| | - Yongming Li
- College of Communication Engineering, Chongqing University, Shapingba District, Chongqing, 400044, China. .,Department of Medical Image, College of Biomedical Engineering, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, 400038, China.
| | - Pin Wang
- College of Communication Engineering, Chongqing University, Shapingba District, Chongqing, 400044, China
| | - Xiaoping Zeng
- College of Communication Engineering, Chongqing University, Shapingba District, Chongqing, 400044, China
| | - Fang Yan
- College of Communication Engineering, Chongqing University, Shapingba District, Chongqing, 400044, China
| | - Xinke Li
- College of Communication Engineering, Chongqing University, Shapingba District, Chongqing, 400044, China
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26
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Shih AY, Hyacinth HI, Hartmann DA, van Veluw SJ. Rodent Models of Cerebral Microinfarct and Microhemorrhage. Stroke 2018; 49:803-810. [PMID: 29459393 DOI: 10.1161/strokeaha.117.016995] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2017] [Revised: 12/21/2017] [Accepted: 01/09/2018] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Andy Y Shih
- From the Department of Neuroscience (A.Y.S., D.A.H.) and Center for Biomedical Imaging (A.Y.S.), Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC; Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorder Center, Children's Healthcare of Atlanta and Emory University Department of Pediatrics, GA (H.I.H.); and Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA (S.J.v.V.).
| | - Hyacinth I Hyacinth
- From the Department of Neuroscience (A.Y.S., D.A.H.) and Center for Biomedical Imaging (A.Y.S.), Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC; Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorder Center, Children's Healthcare of Atlanta and Emory University Department of Pediatrics, GA (H.I.H.); and Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA (S.J.v.V.)
| | - David A Hartmann
- From the Department of Neuroscience (A.Y.S., D.A.H.) and Center for Biomedical Imaging (A.Y.S.), Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC; Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorder Center, Children's Healthcare of Atlanta and Emory University Department of Pediatrics, GA (H.I.H.); and Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA (S.J.v.V.)
| | - Susanne J van Veluw
- From the Department of Neuroscience (A.Y.S., D.A.H.) and Center for Biomedical Imaging (A.Y.S.), Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC; Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorder Center, Children's Healthcare of Atlanta and Emory University Department of Pediatrics, GA (H.I.H.); and Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA (S.J.v.V.)
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