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Dullin C, Albers J, Tagat A, Lorenzon A, D'Amico L, Chiriotti S, Sodini N, Dreossi D, Alves F, Bergamaschi A, Tromba G. In vivo low-dose phase-contrast CT for quantification of functional and anatomical alterations in lungs of an experimental allergic airway disease mouse model. Front Med (Lausanne) 2024; 11:1338846. [PMID: 38410752 PMCID: PMC10894991 DOI: 10.3389/fmed.2024.1338846] [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: 11/15/2023] [Accepted: 01/22/2024] [Indexed: 02/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction Synchrotron-based propagation-based imaging (PBI) is ideally suited for lung imaging and has successfully been applied in a variety of in vivo small animal studies. Virtually all these experiments were tailored to achieve extremely high spatial resolution close to the alveolar level while delivering high x-ray doses that would not permit longitudinal studies. However, the main rationale for performing lung imaging studies in vivo in small animal models is the ability to follow disease progression or monitor treatment response in the same animal over time. Thus, an in vivo imaging strategy should ideally allow performing longitudinal studies. Methods Here, we demonstrate our findings of using PBI-based planar and CT imaging with two different detectors-MÖNCH 0.3 direct conversion detector and a complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) detector (Photonics Science)-in an Ovalbumin induced experimental allergic airway disease mouse model in comparison with healthy controls. The mice were imaged free breathing under isoflurane anesthesia. Results At x-ray dose levels below those once used by commercial small animal CT devices at similar spatial resolutions, we were able to resolve structural changes at a pixel size down to 25 μm and demonstrate the reduction in elastic recoil in the asthmatic mice in cinematic planar x-ray imaging with a frame rate of up to 100 fps. Discussion Thus, we believe that our approach will permit longitudinal small animal lung disease studies, closely following the mice over longer time spans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christian Dullin
- Institute for Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
- Translational Molecular Imaging, Max-Plank-Institute for Multidisciplinary Sciences, Göttingen, Germany
- Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Jonas Albers
- Institute for Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Hamburg Unit c/o Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron (DESY), Hamburg, Germany
| | - Aishwarya Tagat
- Department of Urology, University Hospital of Saarland, Homburg, Germany
| | | | - Lorenzo D'Amico
- Elettra-Sincrotrone Trieste S.C.p.A., Trieste, Italy
- Department of Physics, University of Trieste, Trieste, Italy
| | - Sabina Chiriotti
- PSD Detector Science and Characterization Group, Paul Scherrer Institute, Villingen, Switzerland
| | - Nicola Sodini
- Elettra-Sincrotrone Trieste S.C.p.A., Trieste, Italy
| | - Diego Dreossi
- Elettra-Sincrotrone Trieste S.C.p.A., Trieste, Italy
| | - Frauke Alves
- Institute for Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
- Translational Molecular Imaging, Max-Plank-Institute for Multidisciplinary Sciences, Göttingen, Germany
- Department of Haematology and Medical Oncology, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Anna Bergamaschi
- PSD Detector Science and Characterization Group, Paul Scherrer Institute, Villingen, Switzerland
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Albers J, Wagner WL, Fiedler MO, Rothermel A, Wünnemann F, Di Lillo F, Dreossi D, Sodini N, Baratella E, Confalonieri M, Arfelli F, Kalenka A, Lotz J, Biederer J, Wielpütz MO, Kauczor HU, Alves F, Tromba G, Dullin C. High resolution propagation-based lung imaging at clinically relevant X-ray dose levels. Sci Rep 2023; 13:4788. [PMID: 36959233 PMCID: PMC10036329 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-30870-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2022] [Accepted: 03/02/2023] [Indexed: 03/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Absorption-based clinical computed tomography (CT) is the current imaging method of choice in the diagnosis of lung diseases. Many pulmonary diseases are affecting microscopic structures of the lung, such as terminal bronchi, alveolar spaces, sublobular blood vessels or the pulmonary interstitial tissue. As spatial resolution in CT is limited by the clinically acceptable applied X-ray dose, a comprehensive diagnosis of conditions such as interstitial lung disease, idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis or the characterization of small pulmonary nodules is limited and may require additional validation by invasive lung biopsies. Propagation-based imaging (PBI) is a phase sensitive X-ray imaging technique capable of reaching high spatial resolutions at relatively low applied radiation dose levels. In this publication, we present technical refinements of PBI for the characterization of different artificial lung pathologies, mimicking clinically relevant patterns in ventilated fresh porcine lungs in a human-scale chest phantom. The combination of a very large propagation distance of 10.7 m and a photon counting detector with [Formula: see text] pixel size enabled high resolution PBI CT with significantly improved dose efficiency, measured by thermoluminescence detectors. Image quality was directly compared with state-of-the-art clinical CT. PBI with increased propagation distance was found to provide improved image quality at the same or even lower X-ray dose levels than clinical CT. By combining PBI with iodine k-edge subtraction imaging we further demonstrate that, the high quality of the calculated iodine concentration maps might be a potential tool for the analysis of lung perfusion in great detail. Our results indicate PBI to be of great value for accurate diagnosis of lung disease in patients as it allows to depict pathological lesions non-invasively at high resolution in 3D. This will especially benefit patients at high risk of complications from invasive lung biopsies such as in the setting of suspected idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF).
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonas Albers
- Department for Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, University Medical Center Goettingen, Goettingen, Germany
- Biological X-ray imaging, European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Hamburg Unit c/o DESY, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Willi L Wagner
- Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
- Translational Lung Research Center (TLRC), German Center for Lung Research (DZL), University Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Mascha O Fiedler
- Translational Lung Research Center (TLRC), German Center for Lung Research (DZL), University Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
- Department of Anaesthesiology, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Anne Rothermel
- Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
- Translational Lung Research Center (TLRC), German Center for Lung Research (DZL), University Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Felix Wünnemann
- Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
- Translational Lung Research Center (TLRC), German Center for Lung Research (DZL), University Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | | | - Diego Dreossi
- Elettra-Sincrotrone Trieste S.C.p.A., Trieste, Italy
| | - Nicola Sodini
- Elettra-Sincrotrone Trieste S.C.p.A., Trieste, Italy
| | - Elisa Baratella
- Department of Medicine, Surgery and Health Sciences, University of Trieste, Trieste, Italy
| | | | - Fulvia Arfelli
- Department of Physics, University of Trieste and INFN, Trieste, Italy
| | - Armin Kalenka
- Translational Lung Research Center (TLRC), German Center for Lung Research (DZL), University Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
- Department of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine, District Hospital Bergstrasse, Heppenheim, Germany
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Joachim Lotz
- Department for Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, University Medical Center Goettingen, Goettingen, Germany
| | - Jürgen Biederer
- Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
- Translational Lung Research Center (TLRC), German Center for Lung Research (DZL), University Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
- Faculty of Medicine, Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel, Kiel, Germany
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Latvia, Riga, Latvia
| | - Mark O Wielpütz
- Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
- Translational Lung Research Center (TLRC), German Center for Lung Research (DZL), University Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Hans-Ulrich Kauczor
- Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
- Translational Lung Research Center (TLRC), German Center for Lung Research (DZL), University Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Frauke Alves
- Department for Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, University Medical Center Goettingen, Goettingen, Germany
- Department for Haematology and Medical Oncology, University Medical Center Goettingen, Goettingen, Germany
- Translational Molecular Imaging, Max-Plank-Institute for Multidisciplinary Sciences, Goettingen, Germany
| | | | - Christian Dullin
- Department for Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, University Medical Center Goettingen, Goettingen, Germany.
- Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany.
- Translational Lung Research Center (TLRC), German Center for Lung Research (DZL), University Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany.
- Translational Molecular Imaging, Max-Plank-Institute for Multidisciplinary Sciences, Goettingen, Germany.
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Morphological and Chemical Investigation of Ovarian Structures in a Bovine Model by Contrast-Enhanced X-ray Imaging and Microscopy. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24043545. [PMID: 36834956 PMCID: PMC9963314 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24043545] [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: 12/19/2022] [Revised: 02/03/2023] [Accepted: 02/06/2023] [Indexed: 02/12/2023] Open
Abstract
An improved understanding of an ovary's structures is highly desirable to support advances in folliculogenesis knowledge and reproductive medicine, with particular attention to fertility preservation options for prepubertal girls with malignant tumors. Although currently the golden standard for structural analysis is provided by combining histological sections, staining, and visible 2D microscopic inspection, synchrotron radiation phase-contrast microtomography is becoming a new challenge for three-dimensional studies at micrometric resolution. To this aim, the proper use of contrast agents can improve the visualization of internal structures in ovary tissues, which normally present a low radiopacity. In this study, we report a comparison of four staining protocols, based on iodine or tungsten containing agents, applied to bovine ovarian tissues fixed in Bouin's solution. The microtomography (microCT) analyses at two synchrotron facilities under different set-ups were performed at different energies in order to maximize the image contrast. While tungsten-based agents allow large structures to be well identified, Iodine ones better highlight smaller features, especially when acquired above the K-edge energy of the specific metal. Further scans performed at lower energy where the setup was optimized for overall quality and sensitivity from phase-contrast still provided highly resolved visualization of follicular and intrafollicular structures at different maturation stages, independent of the staining protocol. The analyses were complemented by X-ray Fluorescence mapping on 2D sections, showing that the tungsten-based agent has a higher penetration in this type of tissues.
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Wagner W, Dullin C, Andreas S, Lizé M. Three-dimensional assessment of bronchiectasis in a mouse model of mucociliary clearance disorder. ERJ Open Res 2021; 7:00635-2020. [PMID: 33816598 PMCID: PMC8005675 DOI: 10.1183/23120541.00635-2020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2020] [Accepted: 12/07/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Bronchiectasis is a chronic pathological condition characterised by abnormal enlargement of the lung's conductive airways. It is associated with a lack of ciliary motility and restricted mucociliary clearance in diseases such as primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD) or “immotile cilia syndrome”. Recent studies have shown an increase in the prevalence of bronchiectasis, causing a significant burden on public healthcare systems [1, 2]. The mechanisms that trigger and drive the development of bronchiectasis have yet to be fully elucidated. Murine models of immotile cilia or reduced mucociliary clearance failed to display signs of bronchiectasis in multiple studies, raising questions about the suitability of murine models for non-cystic fibrosis (CF) bronchiectasis and hindering the development of targeted therapies [3]. Synchrotron-based imaging allows for detection of bronchiectasis-like phenotypes in mice with mucociliary clearance disordershttps://bit.ly/3gXGdP3
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Affiliation(s)
- Willi Wagner
- University of Heidelberg, Dept of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Translational Lung Research Center Heidelberg (TLRC), German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Heidelberg, Germany.,University Medical Center Goettingen, Institute for Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Goettingen, Germany
| | - Christian Dullin
- University Medical Center Goettingen, Institute for Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Goettingen, Germany.,Max-Planck-Institute for Experimental Medicine, Goettingen, Germany
| | - Stefan Andreas
- Bayer AG, Cardiovascular Research, Lung Diseases, Wuppertal, Germany
| | - Muriel Lizé
- Bayer AG, Cardiovascular Research, Lung Diseases, Wuppertal, Germany
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5
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Quantification of muco-obstructive lung disease variability in mice via laboratory X-ray velocimetry. Sci Rep 2020; 10:10859. [PMID: 32616726 PMCID: PMC7331693 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-67633-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2019] [Accepted: 05/29/2020] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
To effectively diagnose, monitor and treat respiratory disease clinicians should be able to accurately assess the spatial distribution of airflow across the fine structure of lung. This capability would enable any decline or improvement in health to be located and measured, allowing improved treatment options to be designed. Current lung function assessment methods have many limitations, including the inability to accurately localise the origin of global changes within the lung. However, X-ray velocimetry (XV) has recently been demonstrated to be a sophisticated and non-invasive lung function measurement tool that is able to display the full dynamics of airflow throughout the lung over the natural breathing cycle. In this study we present two developments in XV analysis. Firstly, we show the ability of laboratory-based XV to detect the patchy nature of cystic fibrosis (CF)-like disease in β-ENaC mice. Secondly, we present a technique for numerical quantification of CF-like disease in mice that can delineate between two major modes of disease symptoms. We propose this analytical model as a simple, easy-to-interpret approach, and one capable of being readily applied to large quantities of data generated in XV imaging. Together these advances show the power of XV for assessing local airflow changes. We propose that XV should be considered as a novel lung function measurement tool for lung therapeutics development in small animal models, for CF and for other muco-obstructive diseases.
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Detecting Early Markers of Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia by Analysis of Exhaled Gas. Crit Care Med 2019; 47:e234-e240. [DOI: 10.1097/ccm.0000000000003573] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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7
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Wagner WL, Wuennemann F, Pacilé S, Albers J, Arfelli F, Dreossi D, Biederer J, Konietzke P, Stiller W, Wielpütz MO, Accardo A, Confalonieri M, Cova M, Lotz J, Alves F, Kauczor HU, Tromba G, Dullin C. Towards synchrotron phase-contrast lung imaging in patients - a proof-of-concept study on porcine lungs in a human-scale chest phantom. JOURNAL OF SYNCHROTRON RADIATION 2018; 25:1827-1832. [PMID: 30407195 DOI: 10.1107/s1600577518013401] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2018] [Accepted: 09/20/2018] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
In-line free propagation phase-contrast synchrotron tomography of the lungs has been shown to provide superior image quality compared with attenuation-based computed tomography (CT) in small-animal studies. The present study was performed to prove the applicability on a human-patient scale using a chest phantom with ventilated fresh porcine lungs. Local areas of interest were imaged with a pixel size of 100 µm, yielding a high-resolution depiction of anatomical hallmarks of healthy lungs and artificial lung nodules. Details like fine spiculations into surrounding alveolar spaces were shown on a micrometre scale. Minor differences in artificial lung nodule density were detected by phase retrieval. Since we only applied a fraction of the X-ray dose used for clinical high-resolution CT scans, it is believed that this approach may become applicable to the detailed assessment of focal lung lesions in patients in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Willi L Wagner
- Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Felix Wuennemann
- Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | | | - Jonas Albers
- Institute for Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, University Medical Center Goettingen, Goettingen, Germany
| | - Fulvia Arfelli
- Department of Physics, University of Trieste and INFN, Trieste, Italy
| | | | - Jürgen Biederer
- Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Philip Konietzke
- Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Wolfram Stiller
- Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Mark O Wielpütz
- Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Agostino Accardo
- Department of Engineering and Architecture, University of Trieste, Trieste, Italy
| | | | - Maria Cova
- Department of Radiology, University of Trieste, ASUITS, Trieste, Italy
| | - Joachim Lotz
- Institute for Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, University Medical Center Goettingen, Goettingen, Germany
| | - Frauke Alves
- Institute for Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, University Medical Center Goettingen, Goettingen, Germany
| | - Hans Ulrich Kauczor
- Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
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8
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Dullin C, Albers J, Tromba G, Andrä M, Ramilli M, Bergamaschi A. MÖNCH detector enables fast and low-dose free-propagation phase-contrast computed tomography of in situ mouse lungs. JOURNAL OF SYNCHROTRON RADIATION 2018; 25:565-569. [PMID: 29488938 PMCID: PMC5829681 DOI: 10.1107/s160057751701668x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2017] [Accepted: 11/20/2017] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Due to the complexity of the underlying pathomechanism, in vivo mouse lung-disease models continue to be of great importance in preclinical respiratory research. Longitudinal studies following the cause of a disease or evaluating treatment efficacy are of particular interest but challenging due to the small size of the mouse lung and the fast breathing rate. Synchrotron-based in-line phase-contrast computed tomography imaging has been successfully applied in lung research in various applications, but mostly at dose levels that forbid longitudinal in vivo studies. Here, the novel charge-integrating hybrid detector MÖNCH is presented, which enables imaging of mouse lungs at a pixel size of 25 µm, in less than 10 s and with an entrance dose of about 70 mGy, which therefore will allow longitudinal lung disease studies to be performed in mouse models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christian Dullin
- Institute for Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, University Medical Center, Robert Koch Strasse 40, Göttingen, Lower Saxony 37075, Germany
- Elettra-Sincrotrone Trieste, Strada Statale 14, km 163.5 in AREA Science Park, Trieste, Friuli Venezia Giulia 34149, Italy
| | - Jonas Albers
- Institute for Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, University Medical Center, Robert Koch Strasse 40, Göttingen, Lower Saxony 37075, Germany
| | - Giuliana Tromba
- Elettra-Sincrotrone Trieste, Strada Statale 14, km 163.5 in AREA Science Park, Trieste, Friuli Venezia Giulia 34149, Italy
| | - Marie Andrä
- Paul Scherrer Institute, 5232 Villigen PSI, Switzerland
| | - Marco Ramilli
- Paul Scherrer Institute, 5232 Villigen PSI, Switzerland
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Markus MA, Borowik S, Reichardt M, Tromba G, Alves F, Dullin C. X-ray-based lung function measurement reveals persistent loss of lung tissue elasticity in mice recovered from allergic airway inflammation. Am J Physiol Lung Cell Mol Physiol 2017; 313:L763-L771. [PMID: 28775094 DOI: 10.1152/ajplung.00136.2017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2017] [Revised: 06/29/2017] [Accepted: 07/28/2017] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Chronic asthma patients experience difficulties even years after the inciting allergen. Although studies in small animal asthma models have enormously advanced progress in uncovering the mechanisms of inception and development of the disease, little is known about the processes involved in the persistence of asthma symptoms in the absence of allergen exposure. Long-term asthma mouse models have so far been scarce or not been able to reproduce the findings in patients. Here we used a common ovalbumin-induced acute allergic airway inflammation mouse model to study lung function and remodeling after a 4-mo recovery period. We show by X-ray-based lung function measurements that the recovered mice continue to show impaired lung function by displaying significant air trapping compared with controls. High-resolution synchrotron phase-contrast computed tomography of structural alterations and diaphragm motion analysis suggest that these changes in pulmonary function are the result of a pronounced loss in lung elasticity. Histology of lung sections confirmed that this is most likely caused by a decrease in elastic fibers, indicating that remodeling can develop or persist independent of acute inflammation and is closely related to a loss in lung function. Our findings demonstrate that this X-ray-based imaging platform has the potential to comprehensively and noninvasively unravel long-term effects in preclinical mouse models of allergic airway inflammation and thus benefits our understanding of chronic asthma.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Andrea Markus
- Max-Plank-Institute for Experimental Medicine, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Sergej Borowik
- Institute for Hematology and Medical Oncology, University Medical Center Göttingen, Germany
| | - Marius Reichardt
- Institute for Hematology and Medical Oncology, University Medical Center Göttingen, Germany
| | | | - Frauke Alves
- Max-Plank-Institute for Experimental Medicine, Göttingen, Germany.,Institute for Hematology and Medical Oncology, University Medical Center Göttingen, Germany.,Institute for Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, University Medical Center Göttingen, Germany
| | - Christian Dullin
- Synchrotron Light Source "Elettra," Trieste, Italy; and .,Institute for Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, University Medical Center Göttingen, Germany
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10
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Dullin C, Markus MA, Larsson E, Tromba G, Hülsmann S, Alves F. X-Ray based Lung Function measurement-a sensitive technique to quantify lung function in allergic airway inflammation mouse models. Sci Rep 2016; 6:36297. [PMID: 27805632 PMCID: PMC5090985 DOI: 10.1038/srep36297] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2016] [Accepted: 10/13/2016] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
In mice, along with the assessment of eosinophils, lung function measurements, most commonly carried out by plethysmography, are essential to monitor the course of allergic airway inflammation, to examine therapy efficacy and to correlate animal with patient data. To date, plethysmography techniques either use intubation and/or restraining of the mice and are thus invasive, or are limited in their sensitivity. We present a novel unrestrained lung function method based on low-dose planar cinematic x-ray imaging (X-Ray Lung Function, XLF) and demonstrate its performance in monitoring OVA induced experimental allergic airway inflammation in mice and an improved assessment of the efficacy of the common treatment dexamethasone. We further show that XLF is more sensitive than unrestrained whole body plethysmography (UWBP) and that conventional broncho-alveolar lavage and histology provide only limited information of the efficacy of a treatment when compared to XLF. Our results highlight the fact that a multi-parametric imaging approach as delivered by XLF is needed to address the combined cellular, anatomical and functional effects that occur during the course of asthma and in response to therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Dullin
- Institute for Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, University Medical Center Goettingen, Germany.,Italian Synchrotron Light Source 'Elettra' Trieste, Italy
| | - M A Markus
- Max-Plank-Institute for Experimental Medicine, Dept. of Molecular Biology of Neuronal Signals, Goettingen, Germany
| | - E Larsson
- Italian Synchrotron Light Source 'Elettra' Trieste, Italy
| | - G Tromba
- Italian Synchrotron Light Source 'Elettra' Trieste, Italy
| | - S Hülsmann
- Clinic for Anesthesiology, University Medical Center, Goettingen, Germany
| | - F Alves
- Institute for Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, University Medical Center Goettingen, Germany.,Max-Plank-Institute for Experimental Medicine, Dept. of Molecular Biology of Neuronal Signals, Goettingen, Germany.,Department of Hematology and Medical Oncology, University Medical Center, Goettingen, Germany
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11
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Pew BK, Harris RA, Sbrana E, Guaman MC, Shope C, Chen R, Meloche S, Aagaard K. Structural and transcriptomic response to antenatal corticosteroids in an Erk3-null mouse model of respiratory distress. Am J Obstet Gynecol 2016; 215:384.e1-384.e89. [PMID: 27143398 PMCID: PMC5003661 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajog.2016.04.043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2016] [Accepted: 04/22/2016] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Neonatal respiratory distress syndrome in preterm infants is a leading cause of neonatal death. Pulmonary insufficiency-related infant mortality rates have improved with antenatal glucocorticoid treatment and neonatal surfactant replacement. However, the mechanism of glucocorticoid-promoted fetal lung maturation is not understood fully, despite decades of clinical use. We previously have shown that genetic deletion of Erk3 in mice results in growth restriction, cyanosis, and early neonatal lethality because of pulmonary immaturity and respiratory distress. Recently, we demonstrated that the addition of postnatal surfactant administration to antenatal dexamethasone treatment resulted in enhanced survival of neonatal Erk3-null mice. OBJECTIVE To better understand the molecular underpinnings of corticosteroid-mediated lung maturation, we used high-throughput transcriptomic and high-resolution morphologic analysis of the murine fetal lung. We sought to examine the alterations in fetal lung structure and function that are associated with neonatal respiratory distress and antenatal glucocorticoid treatment. STUDY DESIGN Dexamethasone (0.4 mg/kg) or saline solution was administered to pregnant dams on embryonic days 16.5 and 17.5. Fetal lungs were collected and analyzed by microCT and RNA-seq for differential gene expression and pathway interactions with genotype and treatment. Results from transcriptomic analysis guided further investigation of candidate genes with the use of immunostaining in murine and human fetal lung tissue. RESULTS Erk3(-/-) mice exhibited atelectasis with decreased overall porosity and saccular space relative to wild type, which was ameliorated by glucocorticoid treatment. Of 596 differentially expressed genes (q < 0.05) that were detected by RNA-seq, pathway analysis revealed 36 genes (q < 0.05) interacting with dexamethasone, several with roles in lung development, which included corticotropin-releasing hormone and surfactant protein B. Corticotropin-releasing hormone protein was detected in wild-type and Erk3(-/-) lungs at E14.5, with significantly temporally altered expression through embryonic day 18.5. Antenatal dexamethasone attenuated corticotropin-releasing hormone at embryonic day 18.5 in both wild-type and Erk3(-/-) lungs (0.56-fold and 0.67-fold; P < .001). Wild type mice responded to glucocorticoid administration with increased pulmonary surfactant protein B (P = .003). In contrast, dexamethasone treatment in Erk3(-/-) mice resulted in decreased surfactant protein B (P = .012). In human validation studies, we confirmed that corticotropin-releasing hormone protein is present in the fetal lung at 18 weeks of gestation and increases in expression with progression towards viability (22 weeks of gestation; P < .01). CONCLUSION Characterization of whole transcriptome gene expression revealed glucocorticoid-mediated regulation of corticotropin-releasing hormone and surfactant protein B via Erk3-independent and -dependent mechanisms, respectively. We demonstrated for the first time the expression and temporal regulation of corticotropin-releasing hormone protein in midtrimester human fetal lung. This unique model allows the effects of corticosteroids on fetal pulmonary morphologic condition to be distinguished from functional gene pathway regulation. These findings implicate Erk3 as a potentially important molecular mediator of antenatal glucocorticoid action in promoting surfactant protein production in the preterm neonatal lung and expanding our understanding of key mechanisms of clinical therapy to improve neonatal survival.
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Affiliation(s)
- Braden K Pew
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX
| | - R Alan Harris
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX
| | - Elena Sbrana
- Department of Pathology, University of Texas Medical Branch-Galveston, Galveston, TX
| | - Milenka Cuevas Guaman
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Neonatology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX
| | - Cynthia Shope
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX
| | - Rui Chen
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX; Human Genome Sequencing Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX
| | - Sylvain Meloche
- Institute de Recherche en Immunologie et Cancérologie, Universite de Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Kjersti Aagaard
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX.
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Larsson E, Tromba G, Uvdal K, Accardo A, Monego SD, Biffi S, Garrovo C, Lorenzon A, Dullin C. Quantification of structural alterations in lung disease—a proposed analysis methodology of CT scans of preclinical mouse models and patients. Biomed Phys Eng Express 2015. [DOI: 10.1088/2057-1976/1/3/035201] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
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