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Farrar Z, Afshar A, Zare A, Mussin NM, Kaliyev AA, Zhilisbayeva KR, Mahdipour M, Tamadon A. Tissue clearing and three-dimensional imaging of intact tissues: a review on FACT protocol. J Histotechnol 2024; 47:126-142. [PMID: 38752929 DOI: 10.1080/01478885.2024.2352695] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2024] [Accepted: 05/03/2024] [Indexed: 08/31/2024]
Abstract
FACT is a developed technique for clearing tissues that does not use acrylamide. Since the removal of lipids is crucial for transparency and efficient antibody staining throughout the tissue, especially for microscopy and imaging, it is a harmful process that can cause the loss of important biological molecules such as proteins. The FACT technique overcomes this by chemically bonding the membrane and intracellular proteins with the extracellular matrix, creating a massive 3D hydrogel matrix and providing structural support to fortify the tissue during processing. Compared to other acrylamide-based techniques, the FACT technique requires less labor and harmful chemicals and is therefore considered a more suitable option. In this study, we describe the complete FACT protocol for antibody staining and imaging of whole-cleared tissues while preserving structure and improving image quality. The protocol includes tissue perfusion, fixation, clearing, antibody staining, refractive index matching (RIM) (), microscopy, and imaging. The timing for each step varies depending on the size, weight, and type of tissue, as well as the type of immunostaining. We provide an example of the FACT protocol using mouse brain tissue, which demonstrates its suitability for molecular interrogation analysis of large tissues. The FACT technique has been successfully performed on different types of tissues, making it a favorable choice for a variety of applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zohreh Farrar
- Student Research Committee, Bushehr University of Medical Sciences, Bushehr, Iran
| | - Alireza Afshar
- Student Research Committee, Bushehr University of Medical Sciences, Bushehr, Iran
| | - Afshin Zare
- Department of Research and Development, PerciaVista R&D Co., Shiraz, Iran
| | - Nadiar M Mussin
- Department of General Surgery, West Kazakhstan Marat Ospanov Medical University, Aktobe, Kazakhstan
| | - Asset A Kaliyev
- Department of General Surgery, West Kazakhstan Marat Ospanov Medical University, Aktobe, Kazakhstan
| | - Kulyash R Zhilisbayeva
- Department of Scientific Work, West Kazakhstan Marat Ospanov Medical University, Aktobe, Kazakhstan
| | - Mahdi Mahdipour
- Stem Cell Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
- Department of Applied Cell Sciences, Faculty of Advanced Medical Sciences, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Amin Tamadon
- Department of Research and Development, PerciaVista R&D Co., Shiraz, Iran
- Department of Natural Sciences, West Kazakhstan Marat Ospanov Medical University, Aktobe, Kazakhstan
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Karami F, Asgari Abibeiglou B, Pahlavanneshan S, Farrokhi A, Tamadon A, Basiri M, Khalooghi K, Fallahi M, Tahamtani Y. Enhanced characterization of beta cell mass in a Tg( Pdx1-GFP) mouse model. BIOIMPACTS : BI 2022; 12:463-470. [PMID: 36381631 PMCID: PMC9596880 DOI: 10.34172/bi.2022.23840] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2021] [Revised: 09/12/2021] [Accepted: 10/28/2021] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Introduction: Measurement of pancreatic beta cell mass in animal models is a common assay in diabetes researches. Novel whole-organ clearance methods in conjunction with transgenic mouse models hold tremendous promise to improve beta cell mass measurement methods. Here, we proposed a refined method to estimate the beta cell mass using a new transgenic Tg(Pdx1-GFP) mouse model and a recently developed free-of-acrylamide clearing tissue (FACT) protocol. Methods: First, we generated and evaluated a Tg(Pdx1-GFP) transgenic mouse model. Using the FACT protocol in our model, we could quantify the beta cell mass and alloxan-induced beta cell destruction in whole pancreas specimens. Results: Compiled fluorescent images of pancreas resulted in enhanced beta cell mass characterization in FACT-cleared sections (2928869±120215 AU) compared to No-FACT cleared sections (1292372±325632 AU). Additionally, the total number of detected islets with this method was significantly higher than the other clearance methods (155.7 and 109, respectively). Using this method, we showed green fluorescent protein (GFP) expression confined to beta cells in Tg(Pdx1-GFP) transgenic. This enhanced GFP expression enabled us to accurately measure beta cell loss in a beta cell destruction model. The results suggest that our proposed method can be used as a simple, and rapid assay for beta cell mass measurement in islet biology and diabetes studies. Conclusion: The Tg(Pdx1-GFP) transgenic mouse in conjunction with the FACT protocol can enhance large-scale screening studies in the field of diabetes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fatemeh Karami
- Department of Stem Cells and Developmental Biology, Cell Science Research Center, Royan Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Technology, ACECR, Tehran, Iran
- Faculty of Sciences and Advanced Technologies in Biology, University of Science and Culture, Tehran, Iran
| | - Behrouz Asgari Abibeiglou
- Department of Stem Cells and Developmental Biology, Cell Science Research Center, Royan Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Technology, ACECR, Tehran, Iran
| | - Saghar Pahlavanneshan
- Medical Nanotechnology and Tissue Engineering Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Ali Farrokhi
- Department of Stem Cells and Developmental Biology, Cell Science Research Center, Royan Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Technology, ACECR, Tehran, Iran
| | - Amin Tamadon
- Persian Gulf Marine Biotechnology Research Center, Persian Gulf Biomedical Sciences Research Institute, Bushehr University of Medical Sciences, Bushehr, Iran
| | - Mohsen Basiri
- Department of Stem Cells and Developmental Biology, Cell Science Research Center, Royan Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Technology, ACECR, Tehran, Iran
| | - Keynoosh Khalooghi
- Department of Stem Cells and Developmental Biology, Cell Science Research Center, Royan Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Technology, ACECR, Tehran, Iran
| | - Majid Fallahi
- Department of Stem Cells and Developmental Biology, Cell Science Research Center, Royan Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Technology, ACECR, Tehran, Iran
| | - Yaser Tahamtani
- Department of Stem Cells and Developmental Biology, Cell Science Research Center, Royan Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Technology, ACECR, Tehran, Iran
- Reproductive Epidemiology Research Center, Royan Institute for Reproductive Biomedicine, ACECR, Tehran, Iran
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Aryal SP, Neupane KR, Masud AA, Richards CI. Characterization of Astrocyte Morphology and Function Using a Fast and Reliable Tissue Clearing Technique. Curr Protoc 2021; 1:e279. [PMID: 34694747 PMCID: PMC8550103 DOI: 10.1002/cpz1.279] [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] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Astrocytic processes interact with synapses throughout the brain modulating neurotransmitter signaling and synaptic communication. During conditions such as exposure to drugs of abuse and neurological diseases, astrocytes respond by altering their morphological and functional properties. Reactive astrocyte phenotypes exhibit a bushy morphology with altered soma volume and an increased number of processes compared to resting astrocytes. The reactive astrocytic phenotype also overexpresses proteins one of which can be glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP). Fluorescence microscopy on thin tissue sections (<20 µm) requires reconstruction, often through multiple sections, to delineate the full astrocytic morphology. In contrast, tissue clearing methods have been developed that enable imaging of larger sections including the whole brain, providing an opportunity to see in-depth changes in single cell structure. In this article, a detailed protocol for studying astrocyte morphology using tissue clearing and subsequent imaging of whole brains as well as region-specific slices is provided. This method is ideal for understanding the effect of different physiological conditions on astrocyte morphology. A standard biochemistry laboratory has the resources to accomplish tissue clearing using this protocol and most universities have the required imaging facilities. Protocols to study brains from both genetically modified mice that contain an astrocyte-specific marker and from wild-type mice using antibody labeling steps after tissue clearing are provided. We also describe general protocols to conduct fluorescence imaging of astrocytes in cleared tissue to characterize their morphology. This protocol could be useful for researchers working in the rapidly growing field of astrocyte biology. © 2021 Wiley Periodicals LLC. Basic Protocol 1: Brain perfusion, fixation, and tissue clearing Alternate Protocol: Clearing brain tissue with passive clarity Basic Protocol 2: Antibody labeling and refractive index matching Basic Protocol 3: Fluorescence imaging and characterization of astrocyte morphology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Surya P Aryal
- Department of Chemistry, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA
| | - Khaga R Neupane
- Department of Chemistry, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA
| | - Abdullah A Masud
- Department of Chemistry, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA
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Malekpour A, Rahmanifar F. Conventional histomorphometry and fast free of acrylamide clearing tissue (FACT) visualization of sciatic nerve in chicken ( Gallus domesticus). VETERINARY RESEARCH FORUM : AN INTERNATIONAL QUARTERLY JOURNAL 2021; 12:167-173. [PMID: 34345382 PMCID: PMC8328249 DOI: 10.30466/vrf.2019.98930.2361] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2018] [Accepted: 04/17/2019] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Histomorphometry and use of the fast free of acrylamide clearing tissue (FACT) protocol were studied on the sciatic nerve in chicken (Gallus domesticus). In the first part of the study, the sciatic nerves of 20 chickens of four age groups (7, 14, 26 and 40 days) were studied (n=5 birds per age class). Their sciatic nerve samples were stained with Hematoxylin and Eosin and Masson's trichrome and were histomorphometrically evaluated. In the second part of the study, FACT protocol was applied on the sciatic nerve of a 26 days old chicken. After clearing of 1.00 mm-thick sciatic nerve sections, they were immunolabelled using Hoechst for nuclei staining and recorded by a Z-stack motorized fluorescent microscope. In the conventional histo-morphometry, the epineurium, perineurium and endoneurium were thicker and the nerve bundle diameter was bigger in the left sciatic nerve of chicken of all age groups compared to the right sciatic nerve. On the contrary, the axon diameter and the myelinated nerve fiber diameter were bigger, the myelin sheath was thicker, the nodes of Ranvier intervals were higher and the density of myelinated nerve fibers was also higher in the right sciatic nerve compared to the left one. In conclusion, histomorphometric parameters in the left and right sciatic nerve during chicken growth were significantly different. Furthermore, the FACT protocol could be used for the 3D imaging of the chicken sciatic nerve and its immunostained evaluation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abdolrasoul Malekpour
- DVM Graduate, School of Veterinary Medicine, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran.,Legal Medicine Research Center, Legal Medicine Organization, Tehran, Iran
| | - Farhad Rahmanifar
- Department of Basic Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran
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Kolesová H, Olejníčková V, Kvasilová A, Gregorovičová M, Sedmera D. Tissue clearing and imaging methods for cardiovascular development. iScience 2021; 24:102387. [PMID: 33981974 PMCID: PMC8086021 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2021.102387] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Tissue imaging in 3D using visible light is limited and various clearing techniques were developed to increase imaging depth, but none provides universal solution for all tissues at all developmental stages. In this review, we focus on different tissue clearing methods for 3D imaging of heart and vasculature, based on chemical composition (solvent-based, simple immersion, hyperhydration, and hydrogel embedding techniques). We discuss in detail compatibility of various tissue clearing techniques with visualization methods: fluorescence preservation, immunohistochemistry, nuclear staining, and fluorescent dyes vascular perfusion. We also discuss myocardium visualization using autofluorescence, tissue shrinking, and expansion. Then we overview imaging methods used to study cardiovascular system and live imaging. We discuss heart and vessels segmentation methods and image analysis. The review covers the whole process of cardiovascular system 3D imaging, starting from tissue clearing and its compatibility with various visualization methods to the types of imaging methods and resulting image analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hana Kolesová
- Institute of Anatomy, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
- Institute of Physiology, Czech Academy of Science, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Veronika Olejníčková
- Institute of Anatomy, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
- Institute of Physiology, Czech Academy of Science, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Alena Kvasilová
- Institute of Anatomy, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Martina Gregorovičová
- Institute of Anatomy, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
- Institute of Physiology, Czech Academy of Science, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - David Sedmera
- Institute of Anatomy, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
- Institute of Physiology, Czech Academy of Science, Prague, Czech Republic
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Nowzari F, Wang H, Khoradmehr A, Baghban M, Baghban N, Arandian A, Muhaddesi M, Nabipour I, Zibaii MI, Najarasl M, Taheri P, Latifi H, Tamadon A. Three-Dimensional Imaging in Stem Cell-Based Researches. Front Vet Sci 2021; 8:657525. [PMID: 33937378 PMCID: PMC8079735 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2021.657525] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2021] [Accepted: 03/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Stem cells have an important role in regenerative therapies, developmental biology studies and drug screening. Basic and translational research in stem cell technology needs more detailed imaging techniques. The possibility of cell-based therapeutic strategies has been validated in the stem cell field over recent years, a more detailed characterization of the properties of stem cells is needed for connectomics of large assemblies and structural analyses of these cells. The aim of stem cell imaging is the characterization of differentiation state, cellular function, purity and cell location. Recent progress in stem cell imaging field has included ultrasound-based technique to study living stem cells and florescence microscopy-based technique to investigate stem cell three-dimensional (3D) structures. Here, we summarized the fundamental characteristics of stem cells via 3D imaging methods and also discussed the emerging literatures on 3D imaging in stem cell research and the applications of both classical 2D imaging techniques and 3D methods on stem cells biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fariborz Nowzari
- The Persian Gulf Marine Biotechnology Research Center, The Persian Gulf Biomedical Sciences Research Institute, Bushehr University of Medical Sciences, Bushehr, Iran
| | - Huimei Wang
- Department of Integrative Medicine and Neurobiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Institute of Acupuncture and Moxibustion, Fudan Institutes of Integrative Medicine, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Arezoo Khoradmehr
- The Persian Gulf Marine Biotechnology Research Center, The Persian Gulf Biomedical Sciences Research Institute, Bushehr University of Medical Sciences, Bushehr, Iran
| | - Mandana Baghban
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, School of Medicine, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Neda Baghban
- The Persian Gulf Marine Biotechnology Research Center, The Persian Gulf Biomedical Sciences Research Institute, Bushehr University of Medical Sciences, Bushehr, Iran
| | - Alireza Arandian
- Laser and Plasma Research Institute, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mahdi Muhaddesi
- The Persian Gulf Marine Biotechnology Research Center, The Persian Gulf Biomedical Sciences Research Institute, Bushehr University of Medical Sciences, Bushehr, Iran
| | - Iraj Nabipour
- The Persian Gulf Marine Biotechnology Research Center, The Persian Gulf Biomedical Sciences Research Institute, Bushehr University of Medical Sciences, Bushehr, Iran
| | - Mohammad I. Zibaii
- Laser and Plasma Research Institute, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mostafa Najarasl
- Department of Stem Cells and Developmental Biology, Cell Science Research Center, Royan Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Technology, Academic Center for Education, Culture and Research (ACECR), Tehran, Iran
| | - Payam Taheri
- Department of Stem Cells and Developmental Biology, Cell Science Research Center, Royan Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Technology, Academic Center for Education, Culture and Research (ACECR), Tehran, Iran
| | - Hamid Latifi
- Laser and Plasma Research Institute, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran
- Department of Physics, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Amin Tamadon
- The Persian Gulf Marine Biotechnology Research Center, The Persian Gulf Biomedical Sciences Research Institute, Bushehr University of Medical Sciences, Bushehr, Iran
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Wang H, Khoradmehr A, Tamadon A. FACT or PACT: A Comparison between Free-Acrylamide and Acrylamide-Based Passive Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate Tissue Clearing for whole Tissue Imaging. CELL JOURNAL 2019; 21:103-114. [PMID: 30825283 PMCID: PMC6397597 DOI: 10.22074/cellj.2019.5989] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2018] [Accepted: 08/26/2018] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Major biological processes rely on the spatial organization of cells in complex, highly orchestrated three-dimensional (3D)
tissues. Until the recent decade, most of information on spatial neural representation primarily came from microscopic imaging
of “2D” (5-50 μm) tissue using traditional immunohistochemical techniques. However, serially sectioned and imaged tissue
sections for tissue visualization can lead to unique non-linear deformations, which dramatically hinders scientists’ insight into
the structural organization of intact organs. An emerging technique known as CLARITY renders large-scale biological tissues
transparent for 3D phenotype mapping and thereby, greatly facilitates structure-function relationships analyses. Since then,
numerous modifications and improvements have been reported to push the boundaries of knowledge on tissue clearing
techniques in research on assembled biological systems. This review aims to outline our current knowledge on next-generation
protocols of fast free-of-acrylamide clearing tissue (FACT) and passive CLARITY (PACT). The most important question is what
method we should select for tissue clearing, FACT or PACT. This review also highlights how FACT differs from PACT on
spanning multiple dimensions of the workflow. We systematically compared a number of factors including hydrogel formation,
clearing solution, and clearing temperatures between free-acrylamide and acrylamide-based passive sodium dodecyl sulfate
(SDS) tissue clearing and discussed negative effects of polyacrylamide on clearing, staining, and imaging in detail. Such
information may help to gain a perspective for interrogating neural circuits spatial interactions between molecules and cells
and provide guidance for developing novel tissue clearing strategies to probe deeply into intact organ.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huimei Wang
- Department of Integrative Medicine and Neurobiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Institute of Acupuncture and Moxibustion, Fudan Institutes of Integrative Medicine, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Arezoo Khoradmehr
- Research and Clinical Center for Infertility, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Iran
| | - Amin Tamadon
- The Persian Gulf Marine Biotechnology Research Center, The Persian Gulf Biomedical Sciences Research Institute, Bushehr University of Medical Sciences, Bushehr, Iran. Electronic Address:
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