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Stecker IR, Freeman MS, Sitaraman S, Hall CS, Niedbalski PJ, Hendricks AJ, Martin EP, Weaver TE, Cleveland ZI. Preclinical MRI to Quantify Pulmonary Disease Severity and Trajectories in Poorly Characterized Mouse Models: A Pedagogical Example Using Data from Novel Transgenic Models of Lung Fibrosis. JOURNAL OF MAGNETIC RESONANCE OPEN 2021; 6-7. [PMID: 34414381 PMCID: PMC8372031 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmro.2021.100013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
Structural remodeling in lung disease is progressive and heterogeneous, making temporally and spatially explicit information necessary to understand disease initiation and progression. While mouse models are essential to elucidate mechanistic pathways underlying disease, the experimental tools commonly available to quantify lung disease burden are typically invasive (e.g., histology). This necessitates large cross-sectional studies with terminal endpoints, which increases experimental complexity and expense. Alternatively, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) provides information noninvasively, thus permitting robust, repeated-measures statistics. Although lung MRI is challenging due to low tissue density and rapid apparent transverse relaxation (T2* <1 ms), various imaging methods have been proposed to quantify disease burden. However, there are no widely accepted strategies for preclinical lung MRI. As such, it can be difficult for researchers who lack lung imaging expertise to design experimental protocols-particularly for novel mouse models. Here, we build upon prior work from several research groups to describe a widely applicable acquisition and analysis pipeline that can be implemented without prior preclinical pulmonary MRI experience. Our approach utilizes 3D radial ultrashort echo time (UTE) MRI with retrospective gating and lung segmentation is facilitated with a deep-learning algorithm. This pipeline was deployed to assess disease dynamics over 255 days in novel, transgenic mouse models of lung fibrosis based on disease-associated, loss-of-function mutations in Surfactant Protein-C. Previously identified imaging biomarkers (tidal volume, signal coefficient of variation, etc.) were calculated semi-automatically from these data, with an objectively-defined high signal volume identified as the most robust metric. Beyond quantifying disease dynamics, we discuss common pitfalls encountered in preclinical lung MRI and present systematic approaches to identify and mitigate these challenges. While the experimental results and specific pedagogical examples are confined to lung fibrosis, the tools and approaches presented should be broadly useful to quantify structural lung disease in a wide range of mouse models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ian R Stecker
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45221
- Center for Pulmonary Imaging Research, Division of Pulmonary Medicine, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH 45229
| | - Matthew S Freeman
- Center for Pulmonary Imaging Research, Division of Pulmonary Medicine, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH 45229
| | - Sneha Sitaraman
- Division of Neonatology and Pulmonary Biology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH 45229
| | - Chase S Hall
- Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS 66160
| | - Peter J Niedbalski
- Center for Pulmonary Imaging Research, Division of Pulmonary Medicine, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH 45229
- Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS 66160
| | - Alexandra J Hendricks
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45221
- Center for Pulmonary Imaging Research, Division of Pulmonary Medicine, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH 45229
| | - Emily P Martin
- Division of Neonatology and Pulmonary Biology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH 45229
| | - Timothy E Weaver
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45221
- Division of Neonatology and Pulmonary Biology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH 45229
| | - Zackary I Cleveland
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45221
- Center for Pulmonary Imaging Research, Division of Pulmonary Medicine, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH 45229
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45221
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Mahmutovic Persson I, von Wachenfeldt K, Waterton JC, Olsson LE. Imaging Biomarkers in Animal Models of Drug-Induced Lung Injury: A Systematic Review. J Clin Med 2020; 10:jcm10010107. [PMID: 33396865 PMCID: PMC7795017 DOI: 10.3390/jcm10010107] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2020] [Accepted: 12/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
For drug-induced interstitial lung disease (DIILD) translational imaging biomarkers are needed to improve detection and management of lung injury and drug-toxicity. Literature was reviewed on animal models in which in vivo imaging was used to detect and assess lung lesions that resembled pathological changes found in DIILD, such as inflammation and fibrosis. A systematic search was carried out using three databases with key words “Animal models”, “Imaging”, “Lung disease”, and “Drugs”. A total of 5749 articles were found, and, based on inclusion criteria, 284 papers were selected for final data extraction, resulting in 182 out of the 284 papers, based on eligibility. Twelve different animal species occurred and nine various imaging modalities were used, with two-thirds of the studies being longitudinal. The inducing agents and exposure (dose and duration) differed from non-physiological to clinically relevant doses. The majority of studies reported other biomarkers and/or histological confirmation of the imaging results. Summary of radiotracers and examples of imaging biomarkers were summarized, and the types of animal models and the most used imaging modalities and applications are discussed in this review. Pathologies resembling DIILD, such as inflammation and fibrosis, were described in many papers, but only a few explicitly addressed drug-induced toxicity experiments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irma Mahmutovic Persson
- Department of Translational Medicine, Medical Radiation Physics, Lund University, 20502 Malmö, Sweden;
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +46-736839562
| | | | - John C. Waterton
- Bioxydyn Ltd., Science Park, Manchester M15 6SZ, UK;
- Manchester Academic Health Sciences Centre, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, UK
| | - Lars E. Olsson
- Department of Translational Medicine, Medical Radiation Physics, Lund University, 20502 Malmö, Sweden;
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Murray A, Gow AJ, Venosa A, Andres J, Malaviya R, Adler D, Yurkow E, Laskin JD, Laskin DL. Assessment of mustard vesicant lung injury and anti-TNF-α efficacy in rodents using live-animal imaging. Ann N Y Acad Sci 2020; 1480:246-256. [PMID: 33165947 DOI: 10.1111/nyas.14525] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2020] [Revised: 10/13/2020] [Accepted: 10/13/2020] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
Nitrogen mustard (NM) causes acute lung injury, which progresses to fibrosis. This is associated with a macrophage-dominant inflammatory response and the production of proinflammatory/profibrotic mediators, including tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α). Herein, we refined magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computed tomography (CT) imaging methodologies to track the progression of NM-induced lung injury in rodents and assess the efficacy of anti-TNF-α antibody in mitigating toxicity. Anti-TNF-α antibody was administered to rats (15 mg/kg, every 8 days, intravenously) beginning 30 min after treatment with phosphate-buffered saline control or NM (0.125 mg/kg, intratracheally). Animals were imaged by MRI and CT prior to exposure and 1-28 days postexposure. Using MRI, we characterized acute lung injury and fibrosis by quantifying high-signal lung volume, which represents edema, inflammation, and tissue consolidation; these pathologies were found to persist for 28 days following NM exposure. CT scans were used to assess structural components of the lung and to register changes in tissue radiodensities. CT scans showed that in control animals, total lung volume increased with time. Treatment of rats with NM caused loss of lung volume; anti-TNF-α antibody mitigated this decrease. These studies demonstrate that MRI and CT can be used to monitor lung disease and the impact of therapeutic intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexa Murray
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy, Rutgers University, Piscataway, New Jersey
| | - Andrew J Gow
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy, Rutgers University, Piscataway, New Jersey
| | - Alessandro Venosa
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah
| | - Jaclynn Andres
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy, Rutgers University, Piscataway, New Jersey
| | - Rama Malaviya
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy, Rutgers University, Piscataway, New Jersey
| | - Derek Adler
- Molecular Imaging Center, Rutgers University, Piscataway, New Jersey
| | - Edward Yurkow
- Molecular Imaging Center, Rutgers University, Piscataway, New Jersey
| | - Jeffrey D Laskin
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, School of Public Health, Rutgers University, Piscataway, New Jersey
| | - Debra L Laskin
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy, Rutgers University, Piscataway, New Jersey
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Horowitz JC, Tschumperlin DJ, Kim KK, Osterholzer JJ, Subbotina N, Ajayi IO, Teitz-Tennenbaum S, Virk A, Dotson M, Liu F, Sicard D, Jia S, Sisson TH. Urokinase Plasminogen Activator Overexpression Reverses Established Lung Fibrosis. Thromb Haemost 2019; 119:1968-1980. [PMID: 31705517 DOI: 10.1055/s-0039-1697953] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Impaired plasminogen activation (PA) is causally related to the development of lung fibrosis. Prior studies demonstrate that enhanced PA in the lung limits the severity of scarring following injury and in vitro studies indicate that PA promotes matrix degradation and fibroblast apoptosis. These findings led us to hypothesize that increased PA in an in vivo model would enhance the resolution of established lung fibrosis in conjunction with increased myofibroblast apoptosis. METHODS Transgenic C57BL/6 mice with doxycycline inducible lung-specific urokinase plasminogen activator (uPA) expression or littermate controls were treated (day 0) with bleomycin or saline. Doxycycline was initiated on days 1, 9, 14, or 21. Lung fibrosis, stiffness, apoptosis, epithelial barrier integrity, and inflammation were assessed. RESULTS Protection from fibrosis with uPA upregulation from day 1 through day 28 was associated with reduced parenchymal stiffness as determined by atomic force microscopy. Initiation of uPA expression beginning in the late inflammatory or the early fibrotic phase reduced stiffness and fibrosis at day 28. Induction of uPA activity in mice with established fibrosis decreased lung collagen and lung stiffness while increasing myofibroblast apoptosis. Upregulation of uPA did not alter lung inflammation but was associated with improved epithelial cell homeostasis. CONCLUSION Restoring intrapulmonary PA activity diminishes lung fibrogenesis and enhances the resolution of established lung fibrosis. This PA-mediated resolution is associated with increased myofibroblast apoptosis and improved epithelial cell homeostasis. These studies support the potential capacity of the lung to resolve existing scar in murine models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeffrey C Horowitz
- Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States
| | - Daniel J Tschumperlin
- Department of Physiology and Biomedical Engineering, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, United States
| | - Kevin K Kim
- Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States
| | - John J Osterholzer
- Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States.,Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States
| | - Natalya Subbotina
- Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States
| | - Iyabode O Ajayi
- Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States
| | - Seagal Teitz-Tennenbaum
- Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States.,Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States
| | - Ammara Virk
- Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States
| | - Megan Dotson
- Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States
| | - Fei Liu
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard School of Public Health, Harvard University, Boston, Massachusetts, United States
| | - Delphine Sicard
- Department of Physiology and Biomedical Engineering, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, United States
| | - Shijing Jia
- Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States
| | - Thomas H Sisson
- Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States
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Guo J, Hardie WD, Cleveland ZI, Davidson C, Xu X, Madala SK, Woods JC. Longitudinal free-breathing MRI measurement of murine lung physiology in a progressive model of lung fibrosis. J Appl Physiol (1985) 2019; 126:1138-1149. [PMID: 30730810 DOI: 10.1152/japplphysiol.00993.2018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
To longitudinally monitor progressive fibrosis in the transforming growth factor-α (TGF-α) transgenic mouse model of lung fibrosis, we used retrospective self-gating ultrashort echo time (UTE) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to image mouse lung at baseline and after 4 and 8 wk of fibrosis initiation via doxycycline administration. Only bitransgenic mice were used in this study and divided into two cohorts: six mice were fed doxycycline food to induce lung fibrosis (referred to as Dox cohort), and five other mice were fed normal food (referred to as control cohort). Lung mechanics, histology, and hydroxyproline were assessed after the final MRI. A linear mixed-effects model was used to analyze MRI-derived longitudinal lung-function parameters. Tidal volume decreased at a rate of -0.016 ± 0.002 ml/week [χ2(1) = 16.48, P < 0.001] for Dox cohort and increased at a rate of 0.010 ± 0.003 ml/week [χ2(1) = 6.37, P = 0.01] for control cohort. Minute ventilation decreased at a rate of -1.71 ± 0.26 ml·min-1·wk-1 [χ2(1) = 14.04, P < 0.001] for Dox cohort but did not change significantly over time for control cohort. High-density lung volume percentage increased at a rate of 3.9 ± 0.7%/wk for Dox cohort [χ2(1) = 11.47, P < 0.001] but did not change significantly over time for control cohort. MRI-derived lung structure and function parameters were strongly correlated with pleural thickness, hydroxyproline content, lung compliance, airway resistance, and airway elastance. We conclude that self-gating UTE MRI could be used to longitudinally monitor lung fibrosis in the TGF-α transgenic mouse model. NEW & NOTEWORTHY Self-gating UTE MRI was used to monitor morphology and physiology in lung fibrosis in a transforming growth factor-α transgenic mouse model. Tidal volume was shown for the first time to correlate strongly with conventional metrics of fibrosis such as hydroxyproline and pleural thickness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinbang Guo
- Center for Pulmonary Imaging Research, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center , Cincinnati, Ohio.,Department of Physics, Washington University in St. Louis , St. Louis, Missouri
| | - William D Hardie
- Division of Pulmonary Medicine, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center , Cincinnati, Ohio.,Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati , Cincinnati, Ohio
| | - Zackary I Cleveland
- Center for Pulmonary Imaging Research, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center , Cincinnati, Ohio.,Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati , Cincinnati, Ohio
| | - Cynthia Davidson
- Division of Pulmonary Medicine, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center , Cincinnati, Ohio
| | - Xuefeng Xu
- Division of Pulmonary Medicine, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center , Cincinnati, Ohio
| | - Satish K Madala
- Division of Pulmonary Medicine, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center , Cincinnati, Ohio
| | - Jason C Woods
- Center for Pulmonary Imaging Research, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center , Cincinnati, Ohio.,Department of Physics, Washington University in St. Louis , St. Louis, Missouri.,Department of Physics, University of Cincinnati , Cincinnati, Ohio.,Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati , Cincinnati, Ohio
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