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Tan B, Li H, Zhuo Y, Han L, Mupparapu R, Nanni D, Barathi VA, Palanker D, Schmetterer L, Ling T. Light-evoked deformations in rod photoreceptors, pigment epithelium and subretinal space revealed by prolonged and multilayered optoretinography. Nat Commun 2024; 15:5156. [PMID: 38898002 PMCID: PMC11186825 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-49014-5] [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: 11/21/2023] [Accepted: 05/21/2024] [Indexed: 06/21/2024] Open
Abstract
Phototransduction involves changes in concentration of ions and other solutes within photoreceptors and in subretinal space, which affect osmotic pressure and the associated water flow. Corresponding expansion and contraction of cellular layers can be imaged using optoretinography (ORG), based on phase-resolved optical coherence tomography (OCT). Until now, ORG could reliably detect only photoisomerization and phototransduction in photoreceptors, primarily in cones under bright stimuli. Here, by employing a phase-restoring subpixel motion correction algorithm, which enables imaging of the nanometer-scale tissue dynamics during minute-long recordings, and unsupervised learning of spatiotemporal patterns, we discover optical signatures of the other retinal structures' response to visual stimuli. These include inner and outer segments of rod photoreceptors, retinal pigment epithelium, and subretinal space in general. The high sensitivity of our technique enables detection of the retinal responses to dim stimuli: down to 0.01% bleach level, corresponding to natural levels of scotopic illumination. We also demonstrate that with a single flash, the optoretinogram can map retinal responses across a 12° field of view, potentially replacing multifocal electroretinography. This technique expands the diagnostic capabilities and practical applicability of optoretinography, providing an alternative to electroretinography, while combining structural and functional retinal imaging in the same OCT machine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bingyao Tan
- Singapore Eye Research Institute, Singapore National Eye Centre, Singapore, Singapore
- SERI-NTU Advanced Ocular Engineering (STANCE) Program, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Huakun Li
- School of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Yueming Zhuo
- Hansen Experimental Physics Laboratory, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
- Department of Electrical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Le Han
- Singapore Eye Research Institute, Singapore National Eye Centre, Singapore, Singapore
- SERI-NTU Advanced Ocular Engineering (STANCE) Program, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Rajeshkumar Mupparapu
- Singapore Eye Research Institute, Singapore National Eye Centre, Singapore, Singapore
- SERI-NTU Advanced Ocular Engineering (STANCE) Program, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Davide Nanni
- School of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Veluchamy Amutha Barathi
- Singapore Eye Research Institute, Singapore National Eye Centre, Singapore, Singapore
- Department of Ophthalmology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore and National University Health System, Singapore, Singapore
- Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences Academic Clinical Program (Eye ACP), Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Daniel Palanker
- Hansen Experimental Physics Laboratory, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA.
- Department of Ophthalmology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA.
| | - Leopold Schmetterer
- Singapore Eye Research Institute, Singapore National Eye Centre, Singapore, Singapore.
- SERI-NTU Advanced Ocular Engineering (STANCE) Program, Singapore, Singapore.
- School of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore.
- Department of Ophthalmology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore and National University Health System, Singapore, Singapore.
- Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences Academic Clinical Program (Eye ACP), Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore, Singapore.
- Department of Ophthalmology, Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore.
- Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
- Center for Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
- Institute of Molecular and Clinical Ophthalmology, Basel, Switzerland.
| | - Tong Ling
- Singapore Eye Research Institute, Singapore National Eye Centre, Singapore, Singapore.
- SERI-NTU Advanced Ocular Engineering (STANCE) Program, Singapore, Singapore.
- School of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore.
- School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore.
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Benson MD, Mukherjee S, Agather AR, Blain D, Cunningham D, Mays R, Sun X, Li T, Hufnagel RB, Brooks BP, Huryn LA, Zein WM, Cukras CA. RPGR: Deep Phenotyping and Genetic Characterization With Findings Specific to the 3'-end of ORF15. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 2023; 64:19. [PMID: 37695603 PMCID: PMC10501488 DOI: 10.1167/iovs.64.12.19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2022] [Accepted: 07/27/2023] [Indexed: 09/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Purpose To describe a group of patients with retinitis pigmentosa GTPase regulator (RPGR)-related retinopathy with a tapetal-like retinal sheen and corresponding changes in the reflectivity of the ellipsoid zone on optical coherence tomography (OCT) imaging. Methods A retrospective case series of 66 patients with a disease-causing variant in RPGR was performed. An expert examiner, masked to patient demographics, clinical evaluations, and specific RPGR variant, analyzed color fundus photographs for the presence of a tapetal-like retinal sheen and assessed OCT images for the presence of an abnormally broad hyper-reflective band in the outer retina. Longitudinal reflectivity profiles were generated and compared with healthy controls. Results Twelve patients (18.2%) had a retinal sheen on color images that cosegregated with an abnormally broad hyper-reflective ellipsoid zone band on OCT imaging. Three-fourths of these patients were male, had a cone-rod dystrophy, and had pathogenic RPGR variants located toward the 3'-end of ORF15. This group had a different longitudinal reflectivity profile signature compared with controls. After a period of prolonged dark adaptation, the abnormal hyper-reflective band on OCT became less apparent, and the outer retinal layers adopted a more normal appearance. Conclusions RPGR-related retinopathy should be considered for males presenting with retinal sheen, abnormal ellipsoid zone hyper-reflectivity, and cone or cone-rod dysfunction on ERG, and pursued with molecular testing. Our results have implications for understanding the role of the C-terminal domain encoded by RPGR ORF15 in the phototransduction cascade. Further, the findings may be important to incorporate into both inclusion criteria and outcome measure developments in future RPGR-related cone or cone-rod dystrophy clinical trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew D. Benson
- National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, United States
| | - Souvick Mukherjee
- National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, United States
| | - Aime R. Agather
- National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, United States
| | - Delphine Blain
- National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, United States
| | - Denise Cunningham
- National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, United States
| | - Robert Mays
- National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, United States
| | - Xun Sun
- National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, United States
| | - Tiansen Li
- National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, United States
| | - Robert B. Hufnagel
- National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, United States
| | - Brian P. Brooks
- National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, United States
| | - Laryssa A. Huryn
- National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, United States
| | - Wadih M. Zein
- National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, United States
| | - Catherine A. Cukras
- National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, United States
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Bell BA, Kaul C, Dunaief JL, Hollyfield JG, Bonilha VL. A comparison of optophysiological biomarkers of photoreceptor stress and phototoxicity in BALB/cJ, B6 (Cg)-Tyrc-2J/J, and C57Bl/6J mouse strains. FRONTIERS IN OPHTHALMOLOGY 2023; 3:1128311. [PMID: 38689597 PMCID: PMC11057998 DOI: 10.3389/fopht.2023.1128311] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/02/2024]
Abstract
Ophthalmic imaging instruments, including the confocal scanning laser ophthalmoscope and spectral-domain optical coherence tomography system, originally intended for revealing ocular microstructures in the human eye, have been deployed by vision researchers to evaluate the eyes of numerous small and large animal species for more than two decades. In this study, we have used these two instruments to obtain imaging data sequentially from the retinas of three prominent, widely used experimental mouse models to document changes induced by two contrasting vivarium lighting conditions. Mice studied include albino BALB/cJ and B6(Cg)-Tyrc-2J/J and pigmented C57Bl/6J. Mice were reared under dim light conditions until ~8 weeks of age where they underwent baseline imaging. Following, mice were returned to the dim vivarium or relocated to the top rack cage position in a standard vivarium. Mice were then followed for several months by ocular imaging to catalog the retinal dynamics as a function of long-term dim vs. elevated, standard vivarium lighting exposure levels. Upon exposure to elevated light levels, B6(Cg)-Tyrc-2J/J underwent similar changes as BALB/cJ in regard to photoreceptor outer segment shortening, photoreceptor layer proximal aspect hyperreflective changes, and the development of retinal infoldings and autofluorescent sub-retinal inflammatory monocyte infiltrate. Noteworthy, however, is that infoldings and infiltrate occurred at a slower rate of progression in B6(Cg)-Tyrc-2J/J vs. BALB/cJ. The photoreceptor outer nuclear layer thickness of BALB/cJ degenerated steadily following elevated light onset. In contrast, B6(Cg)-Tyrc-2J/J degeneration was unremarkable for many weeks before experiencing a noticeable change in the rate of degeneration that was concomitant with a plateau and decreasing trend in number of retinal infoldings and monocyte infiltrate. Pathological changes in C57Bl/6J mice were unremarkable for all imaging biomarkers assessed with exception to autofluorescent sub-retinal inflammatory monocyte infiltrate, which showed significant accumulation in dim vs. elevated light exposed mice following ~1 year of observation. These data were evaluated using Spearman's correlation and Predictive Power Score matrices to determine the best imaging optophysiological biomarkers for indicating vivarium light stress and light-induced photoreceptor degeneration. This study suggests that changes in proximal aspect hyperreflectivity, outer segment shortening, retinal infoldings and autofluorescent sub-retinal inflammatory monocyte infiltrate are excellent indicators of light stress and light-induced degeneration in albino B6(Cg)-Tyrc-2J/J and BALB/cJ mouse strains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brent A. Bell
- Scheie Eye Institute and Department of Ophthalmology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
- Cole Eye Institute/Ophthalmic Research, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, United States
| | - Charles Kaul
- Cole Eye Institute/Ophthalmic Research, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, United States
| | - Joshua L. Dunaief
- Scheie Eye Institute and Department of Ophthalmology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Joe G. Hollyfield
- Cole Eye Institute/Ophthalmic Research, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, United States
- Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, United States
| | - Vera L. Bonilha
- Cole Eye Institute/Ophthalmic Research, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, United States
- Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, United States
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Vedula P, Fina ME, Bell BA, Nikonov SS, Kashina A, Dong DW. β -actin is essential for structural integrity and physiological function of the retina. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.03.27.534392. [PMID: 37034790 PMCID: PMC10081178 DOI: 10.1101/2023.03.27.534392] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
Lack of non-muscle β -actin gene (Actb) leads to early embryonic lethality in mice, however mice with β - to γ -actin replacement develop normally and show no detectable phenotypes at young age. Here we investigated the effect of this replacement in the retina. During aging, these mice have accelerated de-generation of retinal structure and function, including elongated microvilli and defective mitochondria of retinal pigment epithelium (RPE), abnormally bulging photoreceptor outer segments (OS) accompanied by reduced transducin concentration and light sensitivity, and accumulation of autofluorescent microglia cells in the subretinal space between RPE and OS. These defects are accompanied by changes in the F-actin binding of several key actin interacting partners, including ezrin, myosin, talin, and vinculin known to play central roles in modulating actin cytoskeleton and cell adhesion and mediating the phagocytosis of OS. Our data show that β -actin protein is essential for maintaining normal retinal structure and function.
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Zhang P, Wahl DJ, Mocci J, Miller EB, Bonora S, Sarunic MV, Zawadzki RJ. Adaptive optics scanning laser ophthalmoscopy and optical coherence tomography (AO-SLO-OCT) system for in vivo mouse retina imaging. BIOMEDICAL OPTICS EXPRESS 2023; 14:299-314. [PMID: 36698677 PMCID: PMC9841993 DOI: 10.1364/boe.473447] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2022] [Revised: 11/22/2022] [Accepted: 11/22/2022] [Indexed: 05/02/2023]
Abstract
Optical coherence tomography (OCT) and scanning laser ophthalmoscopy (SLO) are imaging technologies invented in the 1980s that have revolutionized the field of in vivo retinal diagnostics and are now commonly used in ophthalmology clinics as well as in vision science research. Adaptive optics (AO) technology enables high-fidelity correction of ocular aberrations, resulting in improved resolution and sensitivity for both SLO and OCT systems. The potential of gathering multi-modal cellular-resolution information in a single instrument is of great interest to the ophthalmic imaging community. Although similar instruments have been developed for imaging the human retina, developing such a system for mice will benefit basic science research and should help with further dissemination of AO technology. Here, we present our work integrating OCT into an existing mouse retinal AO-SLO system, resulting in a multi-modal AO-enhanced imaging system of the living mouse eye. The new system allows either independent or simultaneous data acquisition of AO-SLO and AO-OCT, depending on the requirements of specific scientific experiments. The system allows a data acquisition speed of 200 kHz A-scans/pixel rate for OCT and SLO, respectively. It offers ∼6 µm axial resolution for AO-OCT and a ∼1 µm lateral resolution for AO-SLO-OCT imaging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pengfei Zhang
- School of Optoelectronic Engineering and Instrumentation Science, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian, China
- UC Davis EyePod Small Animals Ocular Imaging Laboratory, Department of Cell Biology and Human Anatomy, University of California Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Daniel J. Wahl
- Engineering Science, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby BC, V5A 1S6, Canada
| | - Jacopo Mocci
- Dynamic Optics srl, Piazza Zanellato 5, 35131, Padova, Italy
| | - Eric B. Miller
- Center for Neuroscience, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Stefano Bonora
- CNR-Institute for Photonics and Nanotechnology, Via Trasea 7, 35131, Padova, Italy
| | - Marinko V. Sarunic
- Engineering Science, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby BC, V5A 1S6, Canada
- Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, University College London, United Kingdom
- Institute of Ophthalmology, University College London, United Kingdom
| | - Robert J. Zawadzki
- UC Davis EyePod Small Animals Ocular Imaging Laboratory, Department of Cell Biology and Human Anatomy, University of California Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA
- UC Davis Eye Center, Dept. of Ophthalmology & Vision Science, University of California Davis, 4860 Y Street, Suite 2400, Sacramento, California 95817, USA
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Human cone elongation responses can be explained by photoactivated cone opsin and membrane swelling and osmotic response to phosphate produced by RGS9-catalyzed GTPase. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:e2202485119. [PMID: 36122241 PMCID: PMC9522364 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2202485119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Optical coherence tomography has established that human cone photoreceptor outer segments elongate in response to stimuli bleaching large fractions of their visual pigment. Elongation responses are completely described over their 200-fold bleaching range as the sum of two exponentially rising components differing 13-fold in time constants and 4-fold in light sensitivity. Bleaching measurements of individual cones with adaptive optics scanning laser ophthalmoscopy (SLO) suggest that component 2 arises from cone opsin and disk membrane swelling triggered by photoactivation. Application of a model of phototransduction suggests that component 1 corresponds to free phosphate generated by regulator of G-protein signaling 9 (RGS9)-catalyzed hydrolysis of guanosine triphosphate (GTP) in the α-subunit of G protein complexed with phosphodiesterase. Human cone outer segment (COS) length changes in response to stimuli bleaching up to 99% of L- and M-cone opsins were measured with high resolution, phase-resolved optical coherence tomography (OCT). Responses comprised a fast phase (∼5 ms), during which COSs shrink, and two slower phases (1.5 s), during which COSs elongate. The slower components saturated in amplitude (∼425 nm) and initial rate (∼3 nm ms−1) and are well described over the 200-fold bleaching range as the sum of two exponentially rising functions with time constants of 80 to 90 ms (component 1) and 1,000 to 1,250 ms (component 2). Measurements with adaptive optics reflection densitometry revealed component 2 to be linearly related to cone pigment bleaching, and the hypothesis is proposed that it arises from cone opsin and disk membrane swelling triggered by isomerization and rate-limited by chromophore hydrolysis and its reduction to membrane-localized all-trans retinol. The light sensitivity and kinetics of component 1 suggested that the underlying mechanism is an osmotic response to an amplified soluble by-product of phototransduction. The hypotheses that component 1 corresponds to G-protein subunits dissociating from the membrane, metabolites of cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) hydrolysis, or by-products of activated guanylate cyclase are rejected, while the hypothesis that it corresponds to phosphate produced by regulator of G-protein signaling 9 (RGS9)-catalyzed hydrolysis of guanosine triphosphate (GTP) in G protein–phosphodiesterase complexes was found to be consistent with the results. These results provide a basis for the assessment with optoretinography of phototransduction in individual cone photoreceptors in health and during disease progression and therapeutic interventions.
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Zhang L, Dong R, Zawadzki RJ, Zhang P. Volumetric data analysis enabled spatially resolved optoretinogram to measure the functional signals in the living retina. JOURNAL OF BIOPHOTONICS 2022; 15:e202100252. [PMID: 34817116 PMCID: PMC8901551 DOI: 10.1002/jbio.202100252] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2021] [Revised: 10/21/2021] [Accepted: 11/22/2021] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
Optoretinogram, a technique in which optical coherence tomography (OCT) is used to measure retinal functions in response to a visible light stimulus, can be a potentially useful tool to quantify retinal health alterations. Existing experimental studies on animals have focused on measuring the global retinal response by transversally averaging 3D data across the retina, which minimizes the spatial resolution of the signals, and limits the signal-to-noise ratio because only central B-scans are collected and analyzed. These problems were addressed in this study by collecting volumetric data to probe functional signals and developing an improved 3D registration approach to align such series-acquired OCT volumes. These data were then divided into small blocks and subject to a spatiotemporal analysis, whose results confirmed the spatial-dependence of functional signals. By further averaging, the overall measurement accuracies for the position and the scattering signals were estimated to be approximately 30 nm and 1.1 %, respectively. With improved accuracy, this method revealed certain novel functional signals that have not been previously reported. In conclusion, this work provides a powerful tool to monitor retinal local and global functional changes in aging, diseased, or treated rodent eyes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lijie Zhang
- School of Optoelectronic Engineering and Instrumentation Science, Dalian University of Technology, 116024, China
| | - Rongyao Dong
- School of Optoelectronic Engineering and Instrumentation Science, Dalian University of Technology, 116024, China
| | - Robert J. Zawadzki
- UC Davis Eye-Pod Small Animals Ocular Imaging Laboratory, Department of Cell Biology and Human Anatomy, University of California Davis, Davis, California, 95616, United States
- UC Davis Eye Center, Department of Ophthalmology & Vision Science, University of California Davis, Sacramento, California, 95817, United States
| | - Pengfei Zhang
- School of Optoelectronic Engineering and Instrumentation Science, Dalian University of Technology, 116024, China
- UC Davis Eye-Pod Small Animals Ocular Imaging Laboratory, Department of Cell Biology and Human Anatomy, University of California Davis, Davis, California, 95616, United States
- Correspondence: Pengfei Zhang, Dalian University of Technology, 116024, China,
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Pijewska E, Zhang P, Meina M, Meleppat RK, Szkulmowski M, Zawadzki RJ. Extraction of phase-based optoretinograms (ORG) from serial B-scans acquired over tens of seconds by mouse retinal raster scanning OCT system. BIOMEDICAL OPTICS EXPRESS 2021; 12:7849-7871. [PMID: 35003871 PMCID: PMC8713677 DOI: 10.1364/boe.439900] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2021] [Revised: 11/01/2021] [Accepted: 11/08/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Several specialized retinal optical coherence tomography (OCT) acquisition and processing methods have been recently developed to allow in vivo probing of light-evoked photoreceptors function, focusing on measurements in individual photoreceptors (rods and cones). Recent OCT investigations in humans and experimental animals have shown that the outer segments in dark-adapted rods and cones elongate in response to the visible optical stimuli that bleach fractions of their visual photopigment. We have previously successfully contributed to these developments by implementing OCT intensity-based "optoretinograms" (ORG), the paradigm of using near-infrared OCT (NIR OCT) to measure bleaching-induced back-scattering and/or elongation changes of photoreceptors in the eye in vivo. In parallel, several groups have successfully implemented phase-based ORGs, mainly in human studies, exploiting changes in the phases of back-scattered light. This allowed more sensitive observations of tiny alterations of photoreceptors structures. Applications of the phase-based ORG have been implemented primarily in high speed and cellular resolution AO-OCT systems that can visualize photoreceptor mosaic, allowing phase measurements of path length changes in outer segments of individual photoreceptors. The phase-based ORG in standard resolution OCT systems is much more demanding to implement and has not been explored extensively. This manuscript describes our efforts to implement a phase analysis framework to retinal images acquired with a standard resolution and raster scanning OCT system, which offers much lower phase stability than line-field or full-field OCT detection schemes due to the relatively slower acquisition speed. Our initial results showcase the successful extraction of phase-based ORG signal from the B-scans acquired at ∼100 Hz rate and its favorable comparison with intensity-based ORG signal extracted from the same data sets. We implemented the calculation of phase-based ORG signals using Knox-Thompson paths and modified signal recovery by adding decorrelation weights. The phase-sensitive ORG signal analysis developed here for mouse retinal raster scanning OCT systems could be in principle extended to clinical retinal raster scanning OCT systems, potentially opening doors for clinically friendly ORG probing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ewelina Pijewska
- Institute of Physics, Faculty of Physics, Astronomy and Informatics, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń, Grudziądzka 5, 87-100 Torun, Poland
| | - Pengfei Zhang
- UC Davis Eyepod Imaging Laboratory, Dept. of Cell Biology and Human Anatomy, University of California Davis, 4320 Tupper Hall, Davis, CA 95616, USA
- School of Optoelectronic Engineering and Instrumentation Science, Dalian University of Technology, No. 2 Linggong Road, Ganjingzi District, Dalian City, Liaoning Province 116024, China
| | - Michał Meina
- Institute of Physics, Faculty of Physics, Astronomy and Informatics, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń, Grudziądzka 5, 87-100 Torun, Poland
| | - Ratheesh K. Meleppat
- UC Davis Eyepod Imaging Laboratory, Dept. of Cell Biology and Human Anatomy, University of California Davis, 4320 Tupper Hall, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Maciej Szkulmowski
- Institute of Physics, Faculty of Physics, Astronomy and Informatics, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń, Grudziądzka 5, 87-100 Torun, Poland
| | - Robert J. Zawadzki
- UC Davis Eyepod Imaging Laboratory, Dept. of Cell Biology and Human Anatomy, University of California Davis, 4320 Tupper Hall, Davis, CA 95616, USA
- Department of Ophthalmology & Vision Science, University of California Davis, 4860 Y Street Suite 2400 Sacramento, CA 95817, USA
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Jonnal RS. Toward a clinical optoretinogram: a review of noninvasive, optical tests of retinal neural function. ANNALS OF TRANSLATIONAL MEDICINE 2021; 9:1270. [PMID: 34532407 PMCID: PMC8421939 DOI: 10.21037/atm-20-6440] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2020] [Accepted: 07/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
The past few years have witnessed rapid development of the optoretinogram—a noninvasive, optical measurement of neural function in the retina, and especially the photoreceptors (Ph). While its recent development has been rapid, it represents the culmination of hundreds of experiments spanning decades. Early work showed measurable and reproducible changes in the optical properties of retinal explants and suspensions of Ph, and uncovered some of the biophysical and biochemical mechanisms underlying them. That work thus provided critical motivation for more recent work based on clinical imaging platforms, whose eventual goal is the improvement of ophthalmic care and streamlining the discovery of novel therapeutics. The first part of this review consists of a selective summary of the early work, and identifies four kinds of stimulus-evoked optical signals that have emerged from it: changes in light scattered from the membranous discs of the Ph’s outer segment (OS), changes in light scattered by the front and back boundaries of the OS, rearrangement of scattering material in and near the OS, and changes in the OS length. In the past decade, all four of these signals have continued to be investigated using imaging systems already used in the clinic or intended for clinical and translational use. The second part of this review discusses these imaging modalities, their potential to detect and quantify the signals of interest, and other factors influencing their translational promise. Particular attention is paid to phase-sensitive optical coherence tomography (OCT) with adaptive optics (AO), a method in which both the amplitude and the phase of light reflected from individual Ph is monitored as visible stimuli are delivered to them. The record of the light’s phase is decoded to reveal a reproducible pattern of deformation in the OS, while the amplitude reveals changes in scattering and structural rearrangements. The method has been demonstrated in a few labs and has been used to measure responses from both rods and cones. With the ability to detect responses to stimuli isomerizing less than 0.01% of photopigment, this technique may prove to be a quick, noninvasive, and objective way to measure subtle disease-related dysfunction at the cellular level, and thus to provide an entirely new and complementary biomarker for retinal disease and recovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ravi S Jonnal
- Department of Ophthalmology and Vision Science, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
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10
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Zhang T, Kho AM, Yiu G, Srinivasan VJ. Visible Light Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) Quantifies Subcellular Contributions to Outer Retinal Band 4. Transl Vis Sci Technol 2021; 10:30. [PMID: 34003965 PMCID: PMC7998011 DOI: 10.1167/tvst.10.3.30] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Purpose To use visible light optical coherence tomography (OCT) to investigate subcellular reflectivity contributions to the outermost (4th) of the retinal hyperreflective bands visualized by current clinical near-infrared (NIR) OCT. Methods Visible light OCT, with 1.0 µm axial resolution, was performed in 28 eyes of 19 human subjects (21–57 years old) without history of ocular pathology. Two foveal and three extrafoveal hyperreflective zones were consistently depicted within band 4 in all eyes. The two outermost hyperreflective bands, occasionally visualized by NIR OCT, were presumed to be the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) and Bruch's membrane (BM). RPE thickness, BM thickness, and RPE interior reflectivity were quantified topographically across the macula. Results A method for correcting RPE multiple scattering tails was found to both improve the Gaussian goodness-of-fit for the BM intensity profile and reduce the coefficient of variation of BM thickness in vivo. No major topographical differences in macular BM thickness were noted. RPE thickness decreased with increasing eccentricity. Visible light OCT signal intensity in the RPE was weighted to the apical side and attenuated more across the RPE in the fovea than peripherally. Conclusions Morphometry of the presumed RPE and BM bands is consistent with known anatomy. Weighting of RPE reflectivity toward the apical side suggests that melanosomes are the predominant contributors to RPE backscattering and signal attenuation in young eyes. Translational Relevance By enabling morphometric analysis of the RPE and BM, visible light OCT deciphers the main reflectivity contributions to outer retinal band 4, commonly visualized by commercial OCT systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tingwei Zhang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of California Davis, Davis, California, USA
| | - Aaron M Kho
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of California Davis, Davis, California, USA
| | - Glenn Yiu
- Department of Ophthalmology and Vision Science, University of California Davis, Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, California, USA
| | - Vivek J Srinivasan
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of California Davis, Davis, California, USA.,Department of Ophthalmology and Vision Science, University of California Davis, Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, California, USA.,Department of Ophthalmology, New York University Langone Health, New York, New York, USA.,Department of Radiology, New York University Langone Health, New York, New York, USA.,Tech4Health Institute, New York University Langone Health, New York, New York, USA
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11
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Retinal and cortical visual acuity in a common inbred albino mouse. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0242394. [PMID: 34048428 PMCID: PMC8162811 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0242394] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2020] [Accepted: 05/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
While albino mice are widely used in research which includes the use of visually guided behavioral tests, information on their visual capability is scarce. We compared the spatial resolution (acuity) of albino mice (BALB/c) with that of pigmented mice (C57BL/6J). We used a high-throughput pattern electroretinogram (PERG) and pattern visual evoked potential (PVEP) method for objective assessment of retinal and cortical acuity, as well as optomotor head-tracking response/ reflex (OMR). We found that PERG, PVEP, and OMR acuities of C57BL/6J mice were all in the range of 0.5-0.6 cycles/degree (cyc/deg). BALB/c mice had PERG and PVEP acuities in the range of 0.1-0.2 cyc/deg but were unresponsive to OMR stimulus. Results indicate that retinal and cortical acuity can be reliably determined with electrophysiological methods in BALB/c mice, although PERG/PVEP acuities are lower than those of C57BL/6J mice. The reduced acuity of BALB/c mice appears to be primarily determined at retinal level.
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12
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Ma G, Son T, Kim TH, Yao X. In vivo optoretinography of phototransduction activation and energy metabolism in retinal photoreceptors. JOURNAL OF BIOPHOTONICS 2021; 14:e202000462. [PMID: 33547871 PMCID: PMC8240094 DOI: 10.1002/jbio.202000462] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2020] [Revised: 01/09/2021] [Accepted: 02/02/2021] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
The objective of this study is to verify the anatomic correlate of the second (2nd) outer retina band in optical coherence tomography (OCT), and to demonstrate the potential of using intrinsic optical signal (IOS) imaging for concurrent optoretinography (ORG) of phototransduction activation and energy metabolism in stimulus activated retinal photoreceptors. A custom-designed OCT was employed for depth-resolved IOS imaging in mouse retina activated by a visible light flicker stimulation. The spatiotemporal properties of the IOS changes at the photoreceptor outer segment (OS) and inner segment (IS) were quantitatively evaluated. Rapid IOS change was observed at the OS almost right away, and the IOS at the IS was relatively slow. Comparative analysis indicates that the OS-IOS reflects transient OS deformation caused by the phototransduction activation, and IS-IOS might reflect the energy metabolism caused by mitochondria activation in retinal photoreceptors. The consistency of the distribution of the IS-IOS and the 2nd OCT band supports the IS ellipsoid (ISe), which has abundant mitochondria, as the signal source of the 2nd OCT band of the outer retina.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guangying Ma
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Taeyoon Son
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Tae-Hoon Kim
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Xincheng Yao
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois
- Correspondence: Xincheng Yao, Department of Bioengineering, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60607, USA.
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13
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Zhang T, Kho AM, Zawadzki RJ, Jonnal RS, Yiu G, Srinivasan VJ. Visible light OCT improves imaging through a highly scattering retinal pigment epithelial wall. OPTICS LETTERS 2020; 45:5945-5948. [PMID: 33137037 PMCID: PMC7864585 DOI: 10.1364/ol.405398] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2020] [Accepted: 09/21/2020] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
Here we provide a counter-example to the conventional wisdom in biomedical optics that longer wavelengths aid deeper imaging in tissue. Specifically, we investigate visible light optical coherence tomography of Bruch's membrane (BM) in the non-pathologic eyes of humans and two mouse strains. Surprisingly, we find that shorter visible wavelengths improve the visualization of BM in pigmented eyes, where it is located behind a highly scattering layer of melanosomes in the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE). Monte Carlo simulations of radiative transport suggest that, while absorption and scattering are higher at shorter wavelengths, detected multiply scattered light from the RPE is preferentially attenuated relative to detected backscattered light from the BM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tingwei Zhang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of California Davis, Davis, California 95616, USA
| | - Aaron M. Kho
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of California Davis, Davis, California 95616, USA
| | - Robert J. Zawadzki
- Department of Ophthalmology and Vision Science, University of California Davis, Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, California 96817, USA
| | - Ravi S. Jonnal
- Department of Ophthalmology and Vision Science, University of California Davis, Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, California 96817, USA
| | - Glenn Yiu
- Department of Ophthalmology and Vision Science, University of California Davis, Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, California 96817, USA
| | - Vivek J. Srinivasan
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of California Davis, Davis, California 95616, USA
- Department of Ophthalmology and Vision Science, University of California Davis, Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, California 96817, USA
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14
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Pandiyan VP, Maloney-Bertelli A, Kuchenbecker JA, Boyle KC, Ling T, Chen ZC, Park BH, Roorda A, Palanker D, Sabesan R. The optoretinogram reveals the primary steps of phototransduction in the living human eye. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2020; 6:6/37/eabc1124. [PMID: 32917686 PMCID: PMC9222118 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abc1124] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2020] [Accepted: 07/24/2020] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
Photoreceptors initiate vision by converting photons to electrical activity. The onset of the phototransduction cascade is marked by the isomerization of photopigments upon light capture. We revealed that the onset of phototransduction is accompanied by a rapid (<5 ms), nanometer-scale electromechanical deformation in individual human cone photoreceptors. Characterizing this biophysical phenomenon associated with phototransduction in vivo was enabled by high-speed phase-resolved optical coherence tomography in a line-field configuration that allowed sufficient spatiotemporal resolution to visualize the nanometer/millisecond-scale light-induced shape change in photoreceptors. The deformation was explained as the optical manifestation of electrical activity, caused due to rapid charge displacement following isomerization, resulting in changes of electrical potential and surface tension within the photoreceptor disc membranes. These all-optical recordings of light-induced activity in the human retina constitute an optoretinogram and hold remarkable potential to reveal the biophysical correlates of neural activity in health and disease.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Kevin C Boyle
- Hansen Experimental Physics Laboratory, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
- Department of Electrical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Tong Ling
- Hansen Experimental Physics Laboratory, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
- Department of Ophthalmology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Zhijie Charles Chen
- Hansen Experimental Physics Laboratory, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
- Department of Electrical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - B Hyle Park
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, Riverside, CA 92521, USA
| | - Austin Roorda
- School of Optometry, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Daniel Palanker
- Hansen Experimental Physics Laboratory, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
- Department of Ophthalmology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Ramkumar Sabesan
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98109, USA.
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15
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Zhang P, Shibata B, Peinado G, Zawadzki RJ, FitzGerald P, Pugh EN. Measurement of Diurnal Variation in Rod Outer Segment Length In Vivo in Mice With the OCT Optoretinogram. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 2020; 61:9. [PMID: 32176260 PMCID: PMC7401691 DOI: 10.1167/iovs.61.3.9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [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: 06/19/2019] [Accepted: 11/25/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Purpose To investigate diurnal variation in the length of mouse rod outer segments in vivo. Methods The lengths of rod inner and outer segments (RIS, ROS) of dark-adapted albino mice maintained on a 12-hour dark:12-hour light cycle with light onset 7 AM were measured at prescribed times (6:30 AM, 11 AM, 3:30 PM) during the diurnal cycle with optical coherence tomography (OCT), taking advantage of increased visibility, after a brief bleaching exposure, of the bands corresponding to RIS/ROS boundaries and ROS tips (ROST). Results Deconvolution of OCT depth profiles resolved two backscatter bands located 7.4 ± 0.1 and 10.8 ± 0.2 µm (mean ± SEM) proximal to Bruch's membrane (BrM). These bands were identified with histology as arising from the apical surface of RPE and ROST, respectively. The average length of dark-adapted ROS at 6:30 AM was 17.7 ± 0.8 µm. By 11 AM, the average ROS length had decreased by 10% to 15.9 ± 0.7 µm. After 11 AM, the ROS length increased steadily at an average rate of 0.12 µm/h, returning to baseline length by 23.5 hours in the cycle. Conclusions The diurnal variation in ROS length measured in these experiments is consistent with prior histological investigations showing that rodent rod discs are phagocytosed by the RPE maximally over several hours around the time of normal light onset. The rate of recovery of ROS to baseline length before normal light onset is consistent with the hypothesis that disc membrane synthesis is fairly constant over the diurnal cycle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pengfei Zhang
- UC Davis Eye-Pod, Department of Cell Biology and Human Anatomy, University of California Davis, Davis, California, United States
| | - Bradley Shibata
- Department of Cell Biology and Human Anatomy, School of Medicine, University of California Davis, Davis, California, United States
| | - Gabriel Peinado
- Department of Cell Biology and Human Anatomy, School of Medicine, University of California Davis, Davis, California, United States
| | - Robert J. Zawadzki
- UC Davis Eye-Pod, Department of Cell Biology and Human Anatomy, University of California Davis, Davis, California, United States
- Vision Science and Advanced Retinal Imaging Laboratory (VSRI), Department of Ophthalmology & Vision Science, University of California Davis, Sacramento, California, United States
| | - Paul FitzGerald
- Department of Cell Biology and Human Anatomy, School of Medicine, University of California Davis, Davis, California, United States
| | - Edward N. Pugh
- UC Davis Eye-Pod, Department of Cell Biology and Human Anatomy, University of California Davis, Davis, California, United States
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16
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Zhang P, Miller EB, Manna SK, Meleppat RK, Pugh EN, Zawadzki RJ. Temporal speckle-averaging of optical coherence tomography volumes for in-vivo cellular resolution neuronal and vascular retinal imaging. NEUROPHOTONICS 2019; 6:041105. [PMID: 31528657 PMCID: PMC6732665 DOI: 10.1117/1.nph.6.4.041105] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2019] [Accepted: 07/31/2019] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
It has been recently demonstrated that structures corresponding to the cell bodies of highly transparent cells in the retinal ganglion cell layer could be visualized noninvasively in the living human eye by optical coherence tomography (OCT) via temporal averaging. Inspired by this development, we explored the application of volumetric temporal averaging in mice, which are important models for studying human retinal diseases and therapeutic interventions. A general framework of temporal speckle-averaging (TSA) of OCT and optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) is presented and applied to mouse retinal volumetric data. Based on the image analysis, the eyes of mice under anesthesia exhibit only minor motions, corresponding to lateral displacements of a few micrometers and rotations of a fraction of 1 deg. Moreover, due to reduced eye movements under anesthesia, there is a negligible amount of motion artifacts within the volumes that need to be corrected to achieve volume coregistration. In addition, the relatively good optical quality of the mouse ocular media allows for cellular-resolution imaging without adaptive optics (AO), greatly simplifying the experimental system, making the proposed framework feasible for large studies. The TSA OCT and TSA OCTA results provide rich information about new structures previously not visualized in living mice with non-AO-OCT. The mechanism of TSA relies on improving signal-to-noise ratio as well as efficient suppression of speckle contrast due to temporal decorrelation of the speckle patterns, enabling full utilization of the high volumetric resolution offered by OCT and OCTA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pengfei Zhang
- University of California Davis, Department of Cell Biology and Human Anatomy, UC Davis Eye-Pod Small Animal Ocular Imaging Laboratory, Davis, California, United States
| | - Eric B. Miller
- University of California Davis, Center for Neuroscience, Davis, California, United States
| | - Suman K. Manna
- University of California Davis, Department of Cell Biology and Human Anatomy, UC Davis Eye-Pod Small Animal Ocular Imaging Laboratory, Davis, California, United States
| | - Ratheesh K. Meleppat
- University of California Davis, Department of Cell Biology and Human Anatomy, UC Davis Eye-Pod Small Animal Ocular Imaging Laboratory, Davis, California, United States
| | - Edward N. Pugh
- University of California Davis, Department of Cell Biology and Human Anatomy, UC Davis Eye-Pod Small Animal Ocular Imaging Laboratory, Davis, California, United States
- University of California Davis, Department of Ophthalmology and Vision Science, Vision Science and Advanced Retinal Imaging Laboratory, Sacramento, California, United States
| | - Robert J. Zawadzki
- University of California Davis, Department of Cell Biology and Human Anatomy, UC Davis Eye-Pod Small Animal Ocular Imaging Laboratory, Davis, California, United States
- University of California Davis, Department of Ophthalmology and Vision Science, Vision Science and Advanced Retinal Imaging Laboratory, Sacramento, California, United States
- University of California Davis, UC Davis Eye Center, Department of Ophthalmology and Vision Science, Sacramento, California, United States
- Address all correspondence to Robert J. Zawadzki, E-mail:
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17
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Wahl DJ, Zhang P, Mocci J, Quintavalla M, Muradore R, Jian Y, Bonora S, Sarunic MV, Zawadzki RJ. Adaptive optics in the mouse eye: wavefront sensing based vs. image-guided aberration correction. BIOMEDICAL OPTICS EXPRESS 2019; 10:4757-4774. [PMID: 31565523 PMCID: PMC6757457 DOI: 10.1364/boe.10.004757] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2018] [Revised: 05/10/2019] [Accepted: 05/11/2019] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
Adaptive Optics (AO) is required to achieve diffraction limited resolution in many real-life imaging applications in biology and medicine. AO is essential to guarantee high fidelity visualization of cellular structures for retinal imaging by correcting ocular aberrations. Aberration correction for mouse retinal imaging by direct wavefront measurement has been demonstrated with great success. However, for mouse eyes, the performance of the wavefront sensor (WFS) based AO can be limited by several factors including non-common path errors, wavefront reconstruction errors, and an ill-defined reference plane. Image-based AO can avoid these issues at the cost of algorithmic execution time. Furthermore, image-based approaches can provide improvements to compactness, accessibility, and even the performance of AO systems. Here, we demonstrate the ability of image-based AO to provide comparable aberration correction and image resolution to the conventional Shack-Hartmann WFS-based AO approach. The residual wavefront error of the mouse eye was monitored during a wavefront sensorless optimization to allow comparison with classical AO. This also allowed us to improve the performance of our AO system for small animal retinal imaging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel J Wahl
- Engineering Science, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, Canada
- These authors contributed equally
| | - Pengfei Zhang
- Eye-Pod Small Animal Ocular Imaging Laboratory, Department of Cell Biology and Human Anatomy, University of California Davis, Davis, CA, USA
- These authors contributed equally
| | - Jacopo Mocci
- Department of Computer Science, University of Verona, Italy
| | | | | | - Yifan Jian
- Casey Eye Institute, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Stefano Bonora
- CNR-Institute for Photonics and Nanotechnology, Padova, Italy
| | | | - Robert J Zawadzki
- Eye-Pod Small Animal Ocular Imaging Laboratory, Department of Cell Biology and Human Anatomy, University of California Davis, Davis, CA, USA
- UC Davis Eye Center, Department of Ophthalmology & Vision Science, University of California Davis, Sacramento, CA, USA
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18
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In vivo imaging reveals transient microglia recruitment and functional recovery of photoreceptor signaling after injury. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2019; 116:16603-16612. [PMID: 31350349 PMCID: PMC6697899 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1903336116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Microglia, the resident macrophages of the central nervous system, are critical for synaptic pruning and maintenance and for mitigating injury and neurodegeneration. Determining whether microglia–neuron interactions are beneficial in specific instances has been difficult, largely because of the local and transient nature of the interactions. Using simultaneous optical coherence tomography/scanning laser ophthalmoscopy (SLO) and adaptive optics SLO retinal imaging in mice, we show interactions of microglia and photoreceptors over time scales from seconds to months during injury, degeneration, and repair. In vivo optical assessment of photoreceptor signaling in a large neuronal field encompassing the injured area allows us to relate the time course of these microglia movements to that of the tissue remodeling and functional recovery. Microglia respond to damage and microenvironmental changes within the central nervous system by morphologically transforming and migrating to the lesion, but the real-time behavior of populations of these resident immune cells and the neurons they support have seldom been observed simultaneously. Here, we have used in vivo high-resolution optical coherence tomography (OCT) and scanning laser ophthalmoscopy with and without adaptive optics to quantify the 3D distribution and dynamics of microglia in the living retina before and after local damage to photoreceptors. Following photoreceptor injury, microglia migrated both laterally and vertically through the retina over many hours, forming a tight cluster within the area of visible damage that resolved over 2 wk. In vivo OCT optophysiological assessment revealed that the photoreceptors occupying the damaged region lost all light-driven signaling during the period of microglia recruitment. Remarkably, photoreceptors recovered function to near-baseline levels after the microglia had departed the injury locus. These results demonstrate the spatiotemporal dynamics of microglia engagement and restoration of neuronal function during tissue remodeling and highlight the need for mechanistic studies that consider the temporal and structural dynamics of neuron–microglia interactions in vivo.
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19
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Jung H, Liu J, Liu T, George A, Smelkinson MG, Cohen S, Sharma R, Schwartz O, Maminishkis A, Bharti K, Cukras C, Huryn LA, Brooks BP, Fariss R, Tam J. Longitudinal adaptive optics fluorescence microscopy reveals cellular mosaicism in patients. JCI Insight 2019; 4:124904. [PMID: 30895942 DOI: 10.1172/jci.insight.124904] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2018] [Accepted: 02/12/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The heterogeneity of individual cells in a tissue has been well characterized, largely using ex vivo approaches that do not permit longitudinal assessments of the same tissue over long periods of time. We demonstrate a potentially novel application of adaptive optics fluorescence microscopy to visualize and track the in situ mosaicism of retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells directly in the human eye. After a short, dynamic period during which RPE cells take up i.v.-administered indocyanine green (ICG) dye, we observed a remarkably stable heterogeneity in the fluorescent pattern that gradually disappeared over a period of days. This pattern could be robustly reproduced with a new injection and follow-up imaging in the same eye out to at least 12 months, which enabled longitudinal tracking of RPE cells. Investigation of ICG uptake in primary human RPE cells and in a mouse model of ICG uptake alongside human imaging corroborated our findings that the observed mosaicism is an intrinsic property of the RPE tissue. We demonstrate a potentially novel application of fluorescence microscopy to detect subclinical changes to the RPE, a technical advance that has direct implications for improving our understanding of diseases such as oculocutaneous albinism, late-onset retinal degeneration, and Bietti crystalline dystrophy.
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Affiliation(s)
- HaeWon Jung
- National Eye Institute, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Jianfei Liu
- National Eye Institute, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Tao Liu
- National Eye Institute, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Aman George
- National Eye Institute, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Margery G Smelkinson
- National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease, Research Technologies Branch, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Sarah Cohen
- University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Ruchi Sharma
- National Eye Institute, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Owen Schwartz
- National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease, Research Technologies Branch, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | | | - Kapil Bharti
- National Eye Institute, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | | | | | | | - Robert Fariss
- National Eye Institute, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Johnny Tam
- National Eye Institute, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
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20
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Zhang P, Manna SK, Miller EB, Jian Y, Meleppat RK, Sarunic MV, Pugh EN, Zawadzki RJ. Aperture phase modulation with adaptive optics: a novel approach for speckle reduction and structure extraction in optical coherence tomography. BIOMEDICAL OPTICS EXPRESS 2019; 10:552-570. [PMID: 30800499 PMCID: PMC6377907 DOI: 10.1364/boe.10.000552] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2018] [Revised: 12/19/2018] [Accepted: 12/19/2018] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Speckle is an inevitable consequence of the use of coherent light in imaging and acts as noise that corrupts image formation in most applications. Optical coherence tomographic imaging, as a technique employing coherence time gating, suffers from speckle. We present here a novel method of suppressing speckle noise intrinsically compatible with adaptive optics (AO) for confocal coherent imaging: modulation of the phase in the system pupil aperture with a segmented deformable mirror (DM) to introduce minor perturbations in the point spread function. This approach creates uncorrelated speckle patterns in a series of images, enabling averaging to suppress speckle noise while maintaining structural detail. A method is presented that efficiently determines the optimal range of modulation of DM segments relative to their AO-optimized position so that speckle noise is reduced while image resolution and signal strength are preserved. The method is active and independent of sample properties. Its effectiveness and efficiency are quantified and demonstrated by both ex vivo non-biological and in vivo biological applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pengfei Zhang
- UC Davis Eye-Pod Small Animal Ocular Imaging Laboratory, Department of Cell Biology and Human Anatomy, University of California Davis, 4320 Tupper Hall, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Suman K Manna
- UC Davis Eye-Pod Small Animal Ocular Imaging Laboratory, Department of Cell Biology and Human Anatomy, University of California Davis, 4320 Tupper Hall, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Eric B Miller
- Center for Neuroscience, 1544 Newton Court, University of California Davis, Davis, CA 95618, USA
| | - Yifan Jian
- Casey Eye Institute, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, 97239, USA
| | - Ratheesh K Meleppat
- UC Davis Eye-Pod Small Animal Ocular Imaging Laboratory, Department of Cell Biology and Human Anatomy, University of California Davis, 4320 Tupper Hall, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Marinko V Sarunic
- Simon Fraser University, School of Engineering Science, 8888 University Drive, Burnaby, British Columbia V5A 1S6, Canada
| | - Edward N Pugh
- UC Davis Eye-Pod Small Animal Ocular Imaging Laboratory, Department of Cell Biology and Human Anatomy, University of California Davis, 4320 Tupper Hall, Davis, CA 95616, USA
- UC Davis Eye Center, Dept. of Ophthalmology & Vision Science, University of California Davis, 4860 Y Street, Suite 2400, Sacramento, CA 95817, USA
| | - Robert J Zawadzki
- UC Davis Eye-Pod Small Animal Ocular Imaging Laboratory, Department of Cell Biology and Human Anatomy, University of California Davis, 4320 Tupper Hall, Davis, CA 95616, USA
- UC Davis Eye Center, Dept. of Ophthalmology & Vision Science, University of California Davis, 4860 Y Street, Suite 2400, Sacramento, CA 95817, USA
- Vision Science and Advanced Retinal Imaging Laboratory, Dept. of Ophthalmology & Vision Science, University of California Davis, 4860 Y Street, Suite 2400, Sacramento, CA 95817, USA
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21
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Zhang P, Mocci J, Wahl DJ, Meleppat RK, Manna SK, Quintavalla M, Muradore R, Sarunic MV, Bonora S, Pugh EN, Zawadzki RJ. Effect of a contact lens on mouse retinal in vivo imaging: Effective focal length changes and monochromatic aberrations. Exp Eye Res 2018; 172:86-93. [PMID: 29604280 PMCID: PMC6417837 DOI: 10.1016/j.exer.2018.03.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2017] [Revised: 02/26/2018] [Accepted: 03/27/2018] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
For in vivo mouse retinal imaging, especially with Adaptive Optics instruments, application of a contact lens is desirable, as it allows maintenance of cornea hydration and helps to prevent cataract formation during lengthy imaging sessions. However, since the refractive elements of the eye (cornea and lens) serve as the objective for most in vivo retinal imaging systems, the use of a contact lens, even with 0 Dpt. refractive power, can alter the system’s optical properties. In this investigation we examined the effective focal length change and the aberrations that arise from use of a contact lens. First, focal length changes were simulated with a Zemax mouse eye model. Then ocular aberrations with and without a 0 Dpt. contact lens were measured with a Shack-Hartmann wavefront sensor (SHWS) in a customized AO-SLO system. Total RMS wavefront errors were measured for two groups of mice (14-month, and 2.5-month-old), decomposed into 66 Zernike aberration terms, and compared. These data revealed that vertical coma and spherical aberrations were increased with use of a contact lens in our system. Based on the ocular wavefront data we evaluated the effect of the contact lens on the imaging system performance as a function of the pupil size. Both RMS error and Strehl ratios were quantified for the two groups of mice, with and without contact lenses, and for different input beam sizes. These results provide information for determining optimum pupil size for retinal imaging without adaptive optics, and raise critical issues for design of mouse optical imaging systems that incorporate contact lenses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pengfei Zhang
- UC Davis Eye-Pod Small Animal Ocular Imaging Laboratory, Department of Cell Biology and Human Anatomy, University of California Davis, 4320 Tupper Hall, Davis, CA 95616, United States
| | - Jacopo Mocci
- CNR-Institute for Photonics and Nanotechnology, Via Trasea 7, 35131, Padova, Italy
| | - Daniel J Wahl
- Engineering Science, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby BC, V5A 1S6, Canada
| | - Ratheesh Kumar Meleppat
- UC Davis Eye-Pod Small Animal Ocular Imaging Laboratory, Department of Cell Biology and Human Anatomy, University of California Davis, 4320 Tupper Hall, Davis, CA 95616, United States
| | - Suman K Manna
- UC Davis Eye-Pod Small Animal Ocular Imaging Laboratory, Department of Cell Biology and Human Anatomy, University of California Davis, 4320 Tupper Hall, Davis, CA 95616, United States
| | - Martino Quintavalla
- CNR-Institute for Photonics and Nanotechnology, Via Trasea 7, 35131, Padova, Italy
| | | | - Marinko V Sarunic
- Engineering Science, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby BC, V5A 1S6, Canada
| | - Stefano Bonora
- CNR-Institute for Photonics and Nanotechnology, Via Trasea 7, 35131, Padova, Italy
| | - Edward N Pugh
- UC Davis Eye-Pod Small Animal Ocular Imaging Laboratory, Department of Cell Biology and Human Anatomy, University of California Davis, 4320 Tupper Hall, Davis, CA 95616, United States; UC Davis Eye Center, Dept. of Ophthalmology & Vision Science, University of California Davis, 4860 Y Street, Suite 2400, Sacramento, CA 95817, United States
| | - Robert J Zawadzki
- UC Davis Eye-Pod Small Animal Ocular Imaging Laboratory, Department of Cell Biology and Human Anatomy, University of California Davis, 4320 Tupper Hall, Davis, CA 95616, United States; UC Davis Eye Center, Dept. of Ophthalmology & Vision Science, University of California Davis, 4860 Y Street, Suite 2400, Sacramento, CA 95817, United States.
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22
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Abstract
Rods and cones mediate visual perception over 9 log units of light intensities, with both photoreceptor types contributing to a middle 3-log unit range that comprises most night-time conditions. Rod function in this mesopic range has been difficult to isolate and study in vivo because of the paucity of mutants that abolish cone signaling without causing photoreceptor degeneration. Here we describe a novel Gnat2 knockout mouse line (Gnat2−/−) ideal for dissecting rod and cone function. In this line, loss of Gnat2 expression abolished cone phototransduction, yet there was no loss of cones, disruption of the photoreceptor mosaic, nor change in general retinal morphology up to at least 9 months of age. Retinal microglia and Müller glia, which are highly sensitive to neuronal pathophysiology, were distributed normally with morphologies indistinguishable between Gnat2−/− and wildtype adult mice. ERG recordings demonstrated complete loss of cone-driven a-waves in Gnat2−/− mice; comparison to WT controls revealed that rods of both strains continue to function at light intensities exceeding 104 photoisomerizations rod−1 s−1. We conclude that the Gnat2−/− mouse is a preferred model for functional studies of rod pathways in the retina when degeneration could be an experimental confound.
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Yiu G, Vuong VS, Oltjen S, Cunefare D, Farsiu S, Garzel L, Roberts J, Thomasy SM. Effect of Uveal Melanocytes on Choroidal Morphology in Rhesus Macaques and Humans on Enhanced-Depth Imaging Optical Coherence Tomography. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 2017; 57:5764-5771. [PMID: 27792810 PMCID: PMC5089220 DOI: 10.1167/iovs.16-20070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Purpose To compare cross-sectional choroidal morphology in rhesus macaque and human eyes using enhanced-depth imaging optical coherence tomography (EDI-OCT) and histologic analysis. Methods Enhanced-depth imaging–OCT images from 25 rhesus macaque and 30 human eyes were evaluated for choriocapillaris and choroidal–scleral junction (CSJ) visibility in the central macula based on OCT reflectivity profiles, and compared with age-matched histologic sections. Semiautomated segmentation of the choriocapillaris and CSJ was used to measure choriocapillary and choroidal thickness, respectively. Multivariate regression was performed to determine the association of age, refractive error, and race with choriocapillaris and CSJ visibility. Results Rhesus macaques exhibit a distinct hyporeflective choriocapillaris layer on EDI-OCT, while the CSJ cannot be visualized. In contrast, humans show variable reflectivities of the choriocapillaris, with a distinct CSJ seen in many subjects. Histologic sections demonstrate large, darkly pigmented melanocytes that are densely distributed in the macaque choroid, while melanocytes in humans are smaller, less pigmented, and variably distributed. Optical coherence tomography reflectivity patterns of the choroid appear to correspond to the density, size, and pigmentation of choroidal melanocytes. Mean choriocapillary thickness was similar between the two species (19.3 ± 3.4 vs. 19.8 ± 3.4 μm, P = 0.615), but choroidal thickness may be lower in macaques than in humans (191.2 ± 43.0 vs. 266.8 ± 78.0 μm, P < 0.001). Racial differences in uveal pigmentation also appear to affect the visibility of the choriocapillaris and CSJ on EDI-OCT. Conclusions Pigmented uveal melanocytes affect choroidal morphology on EDI-OCT in rhesus macaque and human eyes. Racial differences in pigmentation may affect choriocapillaris and CSJ visibility, and may influence the accuracy of choroidal thickness measurements.
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Affiliation(s)
- Glenn Yiu
- Department of Ophthalmology and Vision Science, University of California-Davis, Sacramento, California, United States
| | - Vivian S Vuong
- Department of Ophthalmology and Vision Science, University of California-Davis, Sacramento, California, United States
| | - Sharon Oltjen
- Department of Ophthalmology and Vision Science, University of California-Davis, Sacramento, California, United States
| | - David Cunefare
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, United States
| | - Sina Farsiu
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, United States
| | - Laura Garzel
- California National Primate Research Center, Davis, California, United States
| | - Jeffrey Roberts
- California National Primate Research Center, Davis, California, United States 4Department of Medicine and Epidemiology, University of California-Davis, School of Veterinary Medicine, Davis, California, United States
| | - Sara M Thomasy
- Department of Surgical and Radiological Sciences, University of California-Davis, School of Veterinary Medicine, Davis, California, United States
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24
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In vivo optophysiology reveals that G-protein activation triggers osmotic swelling and increased light scattering of rod photoreceptors. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2017; 114:E2937-E2946. [PMID: 28320964 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1620572114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 77] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The light responses of rod and cone photoreceptors have been studied electrophysiologically for decades, largely with ex vivo approaches that disrupt the photoreceptors' subretinal microenvironment. Here we report the use of optical coherence tomography (OCT) to measure light-driven signals of rod photoreceptors in vivo. Visible light stimulation over a 200-fold intensity range caused correlated rod outer segment (OS) elongation and increased light scattering in wild-type mice, but not in mice lacking the rod G-protein alpha subunit, transducin (Gαt), revealing these responses to be triggered by phototransduction. For stimuli that photoactivated one rhodopsin per Gαt the rod OS swelling response reached a saturated elongation of 10.0 ± 2.1%, at a maximum rate of 0.11% s-1 Analyzing swelling as osmotically driven water influx, we find the H2O membrane permeability of the rod OS to be (2.6 ± 0.4) × 10-5 cm⋅s-1, comparable to that of other cells lacking aquaporin expression. Application of Van't Hoff's law reveals that complete activation of phototransduction generates a potentially harmful 20% increase in OS osmotic pressure. The increased backscattering from the base of the OS is explained by a model combining cytoplasmic swelling, translocation of dissociated G-protein subunits from the disc membranes into the cytoplasm, and a relatively higher H2O permeability of nascent discs in the basal rod OS. Translocation of phototransduction components out of the OS may protect rods from osmotic stress, which could be especially harmful in disease conditions that affect rod OS structural integrity.
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