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Fan F, Su B, Kolodychak A, Ekwueme E, Alderfer L, Saha S, Webber MJ, Hanjaya-Putra D. Hyaluronic Acid Hydrogels with Phototunable Supramolecular Cross-Linking for Spatially Controlled Lymphatic Tube Formation. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2023; 15:58181-58195. [PMID: 38065571 PMCID: PMC10739586 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.3c12514] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2023] [Revised: 11/23/2023] [Accepted: 11/27/2023] [Indexed: 12/22/2023]
Abstract
The dynamics of the extracellular matrix (ECM) influences stem cell differentiation and morphogenesis into complex lymphatic networks. While dynamic hydrogels with stress relaxation properties have been developed, many require detailed chemical processing to tune viscoelasticity, offering a limited opportunity for in situ and spatiotemporal control. Here, a hyaluronic acid (HA) hydrogel is reported with viscoelasticity that is controlled and spatially tunable using UV light to direct the extent of supramolecular and covalent cross-linking interactions. This is achieved using UV-mediated photodimerization of a supramolecular ternary complex of pendant trans-Brooker's Merocyanine (BM) guests and a cucurbit[8]uril (CB[8]) macrocycle. The UV-mediated conversion of this supramolecular complex to its covalent photodimerized form is catalyzed by CB[8], offering a user-directed route to spatially control hydrogel dynamics in combination with orthogonal photopatterning by UV irradiation through photomasks. This material thus achieves spatial heterogeneity of substrate dynamics, recreating features of native ECM without the need for additional chemical reagents. Moreover, these dynamic hydrogels afford spatial control of substrate mechanics to direct human lymphatic endothelial cells (LECs) to form lymphatic cord-like structures (CLS). Specifically, cells cultured on viscoelastic supramolecular hydrogels have enhanced formation of CLS, arising from increased expression of key lymphatic markers, such as LYVE-1, Podoplanin, and Prox1, compared to static elastic hydrogels prepared from fully covalent cross-linking. Viscoelastic hydrogels promote lymphatic CLS formation through the expression of Nrp2, VEGFR2, and VEGFR3 to enhance the VEGF-C stimulation. Overall, viscoelastic supramolecular hydrogels offer a facile route to spatially control lymphatic CLS formation, providing a tool for future studies of basic lymphatic biology and tissue engineering applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fei Fan
- Bioengineering
Graduate Program, Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana 46556, United States
| | - Bo Su
- Chemical
and Biomolecular Engineering, University
of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana 46556, United States
| | - Alexander Kolodychak
- Chemical
and Biomolecular Engineering, University
of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana 46556, United States
| | - Ephraim Ekwueme
- Bioengineering
Graduate Program, Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana 46556, United States
| | - Laura Alderfer
- Bioengineering
Graduate Program, Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana 46556, United States
| | - Sanjoy Saha
- Bioengineering
Graduate Program, Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana 46556, United States
| | - Matthew J. Webber
- Chemical
and Biomolecular Engineering, University
of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana 46556, United States
| | - Donny Hanjaya-Putra
- Bioengineering
Graduate Program, Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana 46556, United States
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2
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Winfree S, McNutt AT, Khochare S, Borgard TJ, Barwinska D, Sabo AR, Ferkowicz MJ, Williams JC, Lingeman JE, Gulbronson CJ, Kelly KJ, Sutton TA, Dagher PC, Eadon MT, Dunn KW, El-Achkar TM. Integrated Cytometry With Machine Learning Applied to High-Content Imaging of Human Kidney Tissue for In Situ Cell Classification and Neighborhood Analysis. J Transl Med 2023; 103:100104. [PMID: 36867975 PMCID: PMC10293106 DOI: 10.1016/j.labinv.2023.100104] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2022] [Revised: 12/12/2022] [Accepted: 01/07/2023] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
The human kidney is a complex organ with various cell types that are intricately organized to perform key physiological functions and maintain homeostasis. New imaging modalities, such as mesoscale and highly multiplexed fluorescence microscopy, are increasingly being applied to human kidney tissue to create single-cell resolution data sets that are both spatially large and multidimensional. These single-cell resolution high-content imaging data sets have great potential to uncover the complex spatial organization and cellular makeup of the human kidney. Tissue cytometry is a novel approach used for the quantitative analysis of imaging data; however, the scale and complexity of such data sets pose unique challenges for processing and analysis. We have developed the Volumetric Tissue Exploration and Analysis (VTEA) software, a unique tool that integrates image processing, segmentation, and interactive cytometry analysis into a single framework on desktop computers. Supported by an extensible and open-source framework, VTEA's integrated pipeline now includes enhanced analytical tools, such as machine learning, data visualization, and neighborhood analyses, for hyperdimensional large-scale imaging data sets. These novel capabilities enable the analysis of mesoscale 2- and 3-dimensional multiplexed human kidney imaging data sets (such as co-detection by indexing and 3-dimensional confocal multiplexed fluorescence imaging). We demonstrate the utility of this approach in identifying cell subtypes in the kidney on the basis of labels, spatial association, and their microenvironment or neighborhood membership. VTEA provides an integrated and intuitive approach to decipher the cellular and spatial complexity of the human kidney and complements other transcriptomics and epigenetic efforts to define the landscape of kidney cell types.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seth Winfree
- Division of Nephrology, Department of Medicine, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana; Department of Anatomy, Cell Biology and Physiology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana; Department of Pathology and Microbiology, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska.
| | - Andrew T McNutt
- Division of Nephrology, Department of Medicine, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana
| | - Suraj Khochare
- Division of Nephrology, Department of Medicine, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana
| | - Tyler J Borgard
- Division of Nephrology, Department of Medicine, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana
| | - Daria Barwinska
- Division of Nephrology, Department of Medicine, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana
| | - Angela R Sabo
- Division of Nephrology, Department of Medicine, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana; Department of Anatomy, Cell Biology and Physiology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana
| | - Michael J Ferkowicz
- Division of Nephrology, Department of Medicine, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana
| | - James C Williams
- Department of Anatomy, Cell Biology and Physiology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana
| | - James E Lingeman
- Department of Clinical Urology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana
| | - Connor J Gulbronson
- Division of Nephrology, Department of Medicine, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana
| | - Katherine J Kelly
- Division of Nephrology, Department of Medicine, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana
| | - Timothy A Sutton
- Division of Nephrology, Department of Medicine, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana
| | - Pierre C Dagher
- Division of Nephrology, Department of Medicine, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana
| | - Michael T Eadon
- Division of Nephrology, Department of Medicine, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana
| | - Kenneth W Dunn
- Division of Nephrology, Department of Medicine, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana
| | - Tarek M El-Achkar
- Division of Nephrology, Department of Medicine, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana; Department of Anatomy, Cell Biology and Physiology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana.
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3
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Deep Semantic Segmentation of Angiogenesis Images. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24021102. [PMID: 36674617 PMCID: PMC9866671 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24021102] [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: 12/18/2022] [Revised: 12/31/2022] [Accepted: 01/02/2023] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Angiogenesis is the development of new blood vessels from pre-existing ones. It is a complex multifaceted process that is essential for the adequate functioning of human organisms. The investigation of angiogenesis is conducted using various methods. One of the most popular and most serviceable of these methods in vitro is the short-term culture of endothelial cells on Matrigel. However, a significant disadvantage of this method is the manual analysis of a large number of microphotographs. In this regard, it is necessary to develop a technique for automating the annotation of images of capillary-like structures. Despite the increasing use of deep learning in biomedical image analysis, as far as we know, there still has not been a study on the application of this method to angiogenesis images. To the best of our knowledge, this article demonstrates the first tool based on a convolutional Unet++ encoder-decoder architecture for the semantic segmentation of in vitro angiogenesis simulation images followed by the resulting mask postprocessing for data analysis by experts. The first annotated dataset in this field, AngioCells, is also being made publicly available. To create this dataset, participants were recruited into a markup group, an annotation protocol was developed, and an interparticipant agreement study was carried out.
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4
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Jeong DP, Hall E, Neu E, Hanjaya-Putra D. Podoplanin is Responsible for the Distinct Blood and Lymphatic Capillaries. Cell Mol Bioeng 2022; 15:467-478. [PMID: 36444348 PMCID: PMC9700554 DOI: 10.1007/s12195-022-00730-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2022] [Accepted: 07/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Introduction
Controlling the formation of blood and lymphatic vasculatures is crucial for engineered tissues. Although the lymphatic vessels originate from embryonic blood vessels, the two retain functional and physiological differences even as they develop in the vicinity of each other. This suggests that there is a previously unknown molecular mechanism by which blood (BECs) and lymphatic endothelial cells (LECs) recognize each other and coordinate to generate distinct capillary networks.
Methods
We utilized Matrigel and fibrin assays to determine how cord-like structures (CLS) can be controlled by altering LEC and BEC identity through podoplanin (PDPN) and folliculin (FLCN) expressions. We generated BECΔFLCN and LECΔPDPN, and observed cell migration to characterize loss lymphatic and blood characteristics due to respective knockouts.
Results
We observed that LECs and BECs form distinct CLS in Matrigel and fibrin gels despite being cultured in close proximity with each other. We confirmed that the LECs and BECs do not recognize each other through paracrine signaling, as proliferation and migration of both cells were unaffected by paracrine signals. On the other hand, we found PDPN to be the key surface protein that is responsible for LEC-BEC recognition, and LECs lacking PDPN became pseudo-BECs and vice versa. We also found that FLCN maintains BEC identity through downregulation of PDPN.
Conclusions
Overall, these observations reveal a new molecular pathway through which LECs and BECs form distinct CLS through physical contact by PDPN which in turn is regulated by FLCN, which has important implications toward designing functional engineered tissues.
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5
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Bui L, Edwards S, Hall E, Alderfer L, Round K, Owen M, Sainaghi P, Zhang S, Nallathamby PD, Haneline LS, Hanjaya-Putra D. Engineering bioactive nanoparticles to rejuvenate vascular progenitor cells. Commun Biol 2022; 5:635. [PMID: 35768543 PMCID: PMC9243106 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-022-03578-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2021] [Accepted: 06/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Fetal exposure to gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) predisposes children to future health complications including type-2 diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and cardiovascular disease. A key mechanism by which these complications occur is through stress-induced dysfunction of endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs), including endothelial colony-forming cells (ECFCs). Although several approaches have been previously explored to restore endothelial function, their widespread adoption remains tampered by systemic side effects of adjuvant drugs and unintended immune response of gene therapies. Here, we report a strategy to rejuvenate circulating vascular progenitor cells by conjugation of drug-loaded liposomal nanoparticles directly to the surface of GDM-exposed ECFCs (GDM-ECFCs). Bioactive nanoparticles can be robustly conjugated to the surface of ECFCs without altering cell viability and key progenitor phenotypes. Moreover, controlled delivery of therapeutic drugs to GDM-ECFCs is able to normalize transgelin (TAGLN) expression and improve cell migration, which is a critical key step in establishing functional vascular networks. More importantly, sustained pseudo-autocrine stimulation with bioactive nanoparticles is able to improve in vitro and in vivo vasculogenesis of GDM-ECFCs. Collectively, these findings highlight a simple, yet promising strategy to rejuvenate GDM-ECFCs and improve their therapeutic potential. Promising results from this study warrant future investigations on the prospect of the proposed strategy to improve dysfunctional vascular progenitor cells in the context of other chronic diseases, which has broad implications for addressing various cardiovascular complications, as well as advancing tissue repair and regenerative medicine. Drug-loaded liposomal nanoparticles conjugated to endothelial colony-forming cells can improve the vasculogenic potential of vascular progenitor cells exposed to gestational diabetes mellitus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Loan Bui
- Department of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering, Bioengineering Graduate Program, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, 46556, USA
| | - Shanique Edwards
- Herman B Wells Center for Pediatric Research, Department of Pediatrics, Indiana University School of Medicine, Riley Hospital for Children at Indiana University Health, Indianapolis, IN, 46202, USA
| | - Eva Hall
- Department of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering, Bioengineering Graduate Program, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, 46556, USA
| | - Laura Alderfer
- Department of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering, Bioengineering Graduate Program, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, 46556, USA
| | - Kellen Round
- Department of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering, Bioengineering Graduate Program, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, 46556, USA
| | - Madeline Owen
- Department of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering, Bioengineering Graduate Program, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, 46556, USA
| | - Pietro Sainaghi
- Department of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering, Bioengineering Graduate Program, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, 46556, USA
| | - Siyuan Zhang
- Department of Biological Science, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, 46556, USA.,Harper Cancer Research Institute, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, 46556, USA
| | - Prakash D Nallathamby
- Department of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering, Bioengineering Graduate Program, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, 46556, USA
| | - Laura S Haneline
- Herman B Wells Center for Pediatric Research, Department of Pediatrics, Indiana University School of Medicine, Riley Hospital for Children at Indiana University Health, Indianapolis, IN, 46202, USA.,Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, 46202, USA.,Department of Anatomy, Cell Biology, and Physiology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, 46202, USA
| | - Donny Hanjaya-Putra
- Department of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering, Bioengineering Graduate Program, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, 46556, USA. .,Harper Cancer Research Institute, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, 46556, USA. .,Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, 46556, USA. .,Center for Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, 46556, USA.
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6
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Alderfer L, Russo E, Archilla A, Coe B, Hanjaya-Putra D. Matrix stiffness primes lymphatic tube formation directed by vascular endothelial growth factor-C. FASEB J 2021; 35:e21498. [PMID: 33774872 DOI: 10.1096/fj.202002426rr] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2020] [Revised: 02/17/2021] [Accepted: 02/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Dysfunction of the lymphatic system is associated with a wide range of disease phenotypes. The restoration of dysfunctional lymphatic vessels has been hypothesized as an innovative method to rescue healthy phenotypes in diseased states including neurological conditions, metabolic syndromes, and cardiovascular disease. Compared to the vascular system, little is known about the molecular regulation that controls lymphatic tube morphogenesis. Using synthetic hyaluronic acid (HA) hydrogels as a chemically and mechanically tunable system to preserve lymphatic endothelial cell (LECs) phenotypes, we demonstrate that low matrix elasticity primes lymphatic cord-like structure (CLS) formation directed by a high concentration of vascular endothelial growth factor-C (VEGF-C). Decreasing the substrate stiffness results in the upregulation of key lymphatic markers, including PROX-1, lymphatic vessel endothelial hyaluronan receptor 1 (LYVE-1), and VEGFR-3. Consequently, higher levels of VEGFR-3 enable stimulation of LECs with VEGF-C which is required to both activate matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) and facilitate LEC migration. Both of these steps are critical in establishing CLS formation in vitro. With decreases in substrate elasticity, we observe increased MMP expression and increased cellular elongation, as well as formation of intracellular vacuoles, which can further merge into coalescent vacuoles. RNAi studies demonstrate that MMP-14 is required to enable CLS formation and that LECs sense matrix stiffness through YAP/TAZ mechanosensors leading to the activation of their downstream target genes. Collectively, we show that by tuning both the matrix stiffness and VEGF-C concentration, the signaling pathways of CLS formation can be regulated in a synthetic matrix, resulting in lymphatic networks which will be useful for the study of lymphatic biology and future approaches in tissue regeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Alderfer
- Bioengineering Graduate Program, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, USA
| | - Elizabeth Russo
- Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, USA
| | - Adriana Archilla
- Notre Dame Nanoscience and Technology (NDnano), University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, USA
| | - Brian Coe
- Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, USA
| | - Donny Hanjaya-Putra
- Bioengineering Graduate Program, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, USA.,Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, USA.,Notre Dame Nanoscience and Technology (NDnano), University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, USA.,Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, USA
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7
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Varberg KM, Garretson RO, Blue EK, Chu C, Gohn CR, Tu W, Haneline LS. Transgelin induces dysfunction of fetal endothelial colony-forming cells from gestational diabetic pregnancies. Am J Physiol Cell Physiol 2018; 315:C502-C515. [PMID: 29949406 DOI: 10.1152/ajpcell.00137.2018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Fetal exposure to gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) predisposes children to future health complications including hypertension and cardiovascular disease. A key mechanism by which these complications occur is through the functional impairment of vascular progenitor cells, including endothelial colony-forming cells (ECFCs). Previously, we showed that fetal ECFCs exposed to GDM have decreased vasculogenic potential and altered gene expression. In this study, we evaluate whether transgelin (TAGLN), which is increased in GDM-exposed ECFCs, contributes to vasculogenic dysfunction. TAGLN is an actin-binding protein involved in the regulation of cytoskeletal rearrangement. We hypothesized that increased TAGLN expression in GDM-exposed fetal ECFCs decreases network formation by impairing cytoskeletal rearrangement resulting in reduced cell migration. To determine if TAGLN is required and/or sufficient to impair ECFC network formation, TAGLN was reduced and overexpressed in ECFCs from GDM and uncomplicated pregnancies, respectively. Decreasing TAGLN expression in GDM-exposed ECFCs improved network formation and stability as well as increased migration. In contrast, overexpressing TAGLN in ECFCs from uncomplicated pregnancies decreased network formation, network stability, migration, and alignment to laminar flow. Overall, these data suggest that increased TAGLN likely contributes to the vasculogenic dysfunction observed in GDM-exposed ECFCs, as it impairs ECFC migration, cell alignment, and network formation. Identifying the molecular mechanisms underlying fetal ECFC dysfunction following GDM exposure is key to ascertain mechanistically the basis for cardiovascular disease predisposition later in life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaela M Varberg
- Department of Cellular and Integrative Physiology, Indiana University School of Medicine , Indianapolis, Indiana.,Herman B. Wells Center for Pediatric Research , Indianapolis, Indiana
| | - Rashell O Garretson
- Herman B. Wells Center for Pediatric Research , Indianapolis, Indiana.,Department of Pediatrics, Indiana University School of Medicine , Indianapolis, Indiana
| | - Emily K Blue
- Herman B. Wells Center for Pediatric Research , Indianapolis, Indiana.,Department of Pediatrics, Indiana University School of Medicine , Indianapolis, Indiana
| | - Chenghao Chu
- Department of Biostatistics, Indiana University School of Medicine , Indianapolis, Indiana
| | - Cassandra R Gohn
- Department of Cellular and Integrative Physiology, Indiana University School of Medicine , Indianapolis, Indiana.,Herman B. Wells Center for Pediatric Research , Indianapolis, Indiana
| | - Wanzhu Tu
- Department of Biostatistics, Indiana University School of Medicine , Indianapolis, Indiana
| | - Laura S Haneline
- Department of Cellular and Integrative Physiology, Indiana University School of Medicine , Indianapolis, Indiana.,Herman B. Wells Center for Pediatric Research , Indianapolis, Indiana.,Department of Pediatrics, Indiana University School of Medicine , Indianapolis, Indiana.,Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Indiana University School of Medicine , Indianapolis, Indiana.,Indiana University Simon Cancer Center, Indiana University School of Medicine , Indianapolis, Indiana
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8
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Varberg KM, Winfree S, Dunn KW, Haneline LS. Kinetic Analysis of Vasculogenesis Quantifies Dynamics of Vasculogenesis and Angiogenesis In Vitro. J Vis Exp 2018. [PMID: 29443032 PMCID: PMC5912317 DOI: 10.3791/57044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Vasculogenesis is a complex process by which endothelial stem and progenitor cells undergo de novo vessel formation. Quantitative assessment of vasculogenesis has become a central readout of endothelial progenitor cell functionality, and therefore, several attempts have been made to improve both in vitro and in vivo vasculogenesis models. However, standard methods are limited in scope, with static measurements failing to capture many aspects of this highly dynamic process. Therefore, the goal of developing this novel protocol was to assess the kinetics of in vitro vasculogenesis in order to quantitate rates of network formation and stabilization, as well as provide insight into potential mechanisms underlying vascular dysfunction. Application of this protocol is demonstrated using fetal endothelial colony forming cells (ECFCs) exposed to maternal diabetes mellitus. Fetal ECFCs were derived from umbilical cord blood following birth, cultured, and plated in slides containing basement membrane matrix, where they underwent vasculogenesis. Images of the entire slide wells were acquired using time-lapse phase contrast microscopy over 15 hours. Images were analyzed for derivation of quantitative data using an analysis software called Kinetic Analysis of Vasculogenesis (KAV). KAV uses image segmentation followed by skeletonization to analyze network components from stacks of multi-time point phase contrast images to derive ten parameters (9 measured, 1 calculated) of network structure including: closed networks, network areas, nodes, branches, total branch length, average branch length, triple-branched nodes, quad-branched nodes, network structures, and the branch to node ratio. Application of this protocol identified altered rates of vasculogenesis in ECFCs obtained from pregnancies complicated by diabetes mellitus. However, this technique has broad implications beyond the scope reported here. Implementation of this approach will enhance mechanistic assessment and improve functional readouts of vasculogenesis and other biologically important branching processes in numerous cell types or disease states.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaela M Varberg
- Department of Cellular and Integrative Physiology, Indiana University School of Medicine; Herman B Wells Center for Pediatric Research, Indiana University School of Medicine
| | - Seth Winfree
- Indiana Center for Biological Microscopy, Indiana University School of Medicine; Department of Medicine, Indiana University School of Medicine
| | - Kenneth W Dunn
- Indiana Center for Biological Microscopy, Indiana University School of Medicine; Department of Medicine, Indiana University School of Medicine
| | - Laura S Haneline
- Department of Cellular and Integrative Physiology, Indiana University School of Medicine; Herman B Wells Center for Pediatric Research, Indiana University School of Medicine; Department of Pediatrics, Indiana University School of Medicine; Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Indiana University School of Medicine; Indiana University Simon Cancer Center, Indiana University School of Medicine;
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