1
|
Chen CC, Peng SJ, Chou YH, Lee CY, Lee PH, Hu RH, Ho MC, Chung MH, Hsiao FT, Tien YW, Tang SC. Human liver afferent and efferent nerves revealed by 3-D/Airyscan super-resolution imaging. Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab 2024; 326:E107-E123. [PMID: 38170164 DOI: 10.1152/ajpendo.00205.2023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2023] [Revised: 10/31/2023] [Accepted: 11/29/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024]
Abstract
Neural regulation of hepatic metabolism has long been recognized. However, the detailed afferent and efferent innervation of the human liver has not been systematically characterized. This is largely due to the liver's high lipid and pigment contents, causing false-negative (light scattering and absorption) and false-positive (autofluorescence) results in in-depth fluorescence imaging. Here, to avoid the artifacts in three-dimensional (3-D) liver neurohistology, we embed the bleached human liver in the high-refractive-index polymer for tissue clearing and antifade 3-D/Airyscan super-resolution imaging. Importantly, using the paired substance P (SP, sensory marker) and PGP9.5 (pan-neuronal marker) labeling, we detect the sensory nerves in the portal space, featuring the SP+ varicosities in the PGP9.5+ nerve bundles/fibers, confirming the afferent liver innervation. Also, using the tyrosine hydroxylase (TH, sympathetic marker) labeling, we identify 1) condensed TH+ sympathetic nerves in the portal space, 2) extension of sympathetic nerves from the portal to the intralobular space, in which the TH+ nerve density is 2.6 ± 0.7-fold higher than that of the intralobular space in the human pancreas, and 3) the TH+ nerve fibers and varicosities contacting the ballooning cells, implicating potential sympathetic influence on hepatocytes with macrovesicular fatty change. Finally, using the vesicular acetylcholine transporter (VAChT, parasympathetic marker), PGP9.5, and CK19 (epithelial marker) labeling with panoramic-to-Airyscan super-resolution imaging, we detect and confirm the parasympathetic innervation of the septal bile duct. Overall, our labeling and 3-D/Airyscan imaging approach reveal the hepatic sensory (afferent) and sympathetic and parasympathetic (efferent) innervation, establishing a clinically related setting for high-resolution 3-D liver neurohistology.NEW & NOTEWORTHY We embed the human liver (vs. pancreas, positive control) in the high-refractive-index polymer for tissue clearing and antifade 3-D/Airyscan super-resolution neurohistology. The pancreas-liver comparison reveals: 1) sensory nerves in the hepatoportal space; 2) intralobular sympathetic innervation, including the nerve fibers and varicosities contacting the ballooning hepatocytes; and 3) parasympathetic innervation of the septal bile duct. Our results highlight the sensitivity and resolving power of 3-D/Airyscan super-resolution imaging in human liver neurohistology.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Chien-Chia Chen
- Department of Surgery, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Shih-Jung Peng
- Department of Medical Science, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, Taiwan
- Institute of Biotechnology, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, Taiwan
| | - Ya-Hsien Chou
- Department of Medical Science, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, Taiwan
- Institute of Biotechnology, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, Taiwan
| | - Chih-Yuan Lee
- Department of Surgery, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Po-Huang Lee
- Department of Surgery, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
- Department of Surgery, E-Da Hospital, I-Shou University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
| | - Rey-Heng Hu
- Department of Surgery, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
- Department of Surgery, National Taiwan University Hospital-Yunlin Branch, Yunlin, Taiwan
| | - Ming-Chih Ho
- Department of Surgery, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
- Department of Surgery, National Taiwan University Hospital-Hsinchu Branch, Hsinchu, Taiwan
| | - Mei-Hsin Chung
- Institute of Biotechnology, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, Taiwan
- Department of Pathology, National Taiwan University Hospital-Hsinchu Branch, Hsinchu, Taiwan
| | - Fu-Ting Hsiao
- Institute of Biotechnology, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, Taiwan
| | - Yu-Wen Tien
- Department of Surgery, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Shiue-Cheng Tang
- Department of Medical Science, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, Taiwan
- Institute of Biotechnology, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, Taiwan
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Hsiao FT, Chien HJ, Chou YH, Peng SJ, Chung MH, Huang TH, Lo LW, Shen CN, Chang HP, Lee CY, Chen CC, Jeng YM, Tien YW, Tang SC. Transparent tissue in solid state for solvent-free and antifade 3D imaging. Nat Commun 2023; 14:3395. [PMID: 37296117 PMCID: PMC10256715 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-39082-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2022] [Accepted: 05/26/2023] [Indexed: 06/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Optical clearing with high-refractive-index (high-n) reagents is essential for 3D tissue imaging. However, the current liquid-based clearing condition and dye environment suffer from solvent evaporation and photobleaching, causing difficulties in maintaining the tissue optical and fluorescent features. Here, using the Gladstone-Dale equation [(n-1)/density=constant] as a design concept, we develop a solid (solvent-free) high-n acrylamide-based copolymer to embed mouse and human tissues for clearing and imaging. In the solid state, the fluorescent dye-labeled tissue matrices are filled and packed with the high-n copolymer, minimizing scattering in in-depth imaging and dye fading. This transparent, liquid-free condition provides a friendly tissue and cellular environment to facilitate high/super-resolution 3D imaging, preservation, transfer, and sharing among laboratories to investigate the morphologies of interest in experimental and clinical conditions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Fu-Ting Hsiao
- Institute of Biotechnology, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, Taiwan
| | - Hung-Jen Chien
- Institute of Biotechnology, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, Taiwan
| | - Ya-Hsien Chou
- Institute of Biotechnology, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, Taiwan
- Department of Medical Science, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, Taiwan
| | - Shih-Jung Peng
- Department of Medical Science, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, Taiwan
| | - Mei-Hsin Chung
- Institute of Biotechnology, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, Taiwan
- Department of Pathology, National Taiwan University Hospital-Hsinchu Branch, Hsinchu, Taiwan
| | - Tzu-Hui Huang
- Institute of Biotechnology, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, Taiwan
| | - Li-Wen Lo
- Biomedical Translation Research Center, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Chia-Ning Shen
- Biomedical Translation Research Center, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
- Genomics Research Center, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Hsiu-Pi Chang
- Department of Surgery, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Chih-Yuan Lee
- Department of Surgery, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Chien-Chia Chen
- Department of Surgery, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Yung-Ming Jeng
- Department of Pathology, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Yu-Wen Tien
- Department of Surgery, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Shiue-Cheng Tang
- Institute of Biotechnology, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, Taiwan.
- Department of Medical Science, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, Taiwan.
- Department of Chemical Engineering, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, Taiwan.
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Tien YW, Chien HJ, Chiang TC, Chung MH, Lee CY, Peng SJ, Chen CC, Chou YH, Hsiao FT, Jeng YM, Tang SC. Local islet remodelling associated with duct lesion-islet complex in adult human pancreas. Diabetologia 2021; 64:2266-2278. [PMID: 34272581 DOI: 10.1007/s00125-021-05504-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2021] [Accepted: 03/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
AIMS/HYPOTHESIS Islets are thought to be stably present in the adult human pancreas to maintain glucose homeostasis. However, identification of the pancreatic intraepithelial neoplasia (PanIN)-islet complex in mice and the presence of PanIN lesions in adult humans suggest that similar remodelling of islet structure and environment may occur in the human pancreas. To identify islet remodelling in a clinically related setting, we examine human donor pancreases with 3D histology to detect and characterise the human PanIN-islet complex. METHODS Cadaveric donor pancreases (26-65 years old, n = 10) were fixed and sectioned (350 μm) for tissue labelling, clearing and microscopy to detect local islet remodelling for 3D analysis of the microenvironment. The remodelled microenvironment was subsequently examined via microtome-based histology for clinical assessment. RESULTS In nine pancreases, we identified the unique peri-lobular islet aggregation associated with the PanIN lesion (16 lesion-islet complexes detected; size: 3.18 ± 1.34 mm). Important features of the lesion-islet microenvironment include: (1) formation of intra-islet ducts, (2) acinar atrophy, (3) adipocyte association, (4) inflammation (CD45+), (5) stromal accumulation (α-SMA+), (6) increase in Ki-67 proliferation index but absence of Ki-67+ alpha/beta cells and (7) in-depth and continuous duct-islet cell contacts, forming a cluster. The duct-islet cell cluster and intra-islet ducts suggest likely islet cell neogenesis but not replication. CONCLUSIONS/INTERPRETATION We identify local islet remodelling associated with PanIN-islet complex in the adult human pancreas. The tissue remodelling and the evidence of inflammation and stromal accumulation suggest that the PanIN-islet complex is derived from tissue repair after a local injury.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yu-Wen Tien
- Department of Surgery, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Hung-Jen Chien
- Institute of Biotechnology, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, Taiwan
| | - Tsai-Chen Chiang
- Department of Surgery, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Mei-Hsin Chung
- Institute of Biotechnology, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, Taiwan
- Department of Pathology, National Taiwan University Hospital - Hsinchu Branch, Hsinchu, Taiwan
| | - Chih-Yuan Lee
- Department of Surgery, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Shih-Jung Peng
- Department of Medical Science, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, Taiwan
| | - Chien-Chia Chen
- Department of Surgery, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Ya-Hsien Chou
- Institute of Biotechnology, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, Taiwan
- Department of Medical Science, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, Taiwan
| | - Fu-Ting Hsiao
- Institute of Biotechnology, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, Taiwan
| | - Yung-Ming Jeng
- Department of Pathology, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Shiue-Cheng Tang
- Institute of Biotechnology, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, Taiwan.
- Department of Medical Science, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, Taiwan.
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Hwang YH, Chao KY, Chang CW, Hsiao FT, Chang HL, Han HZ. Lip lead as an alternative measure for lead exposure assessment of lead battery assembly workers. AIHAJ 2000; 61:825-31. [PMID: 11192215 DOI: 10.1080/15298660008984593] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
This study investigated lead exposures of lead battery assembly workers in Taiwan. A special attempt was made to evaluate the use of lip lead as an alternative index for occupational lead exposure. Ninety-six of 113 workers from a lead battery plant were recruited as study subjects. Air lead; lead loadings on workers' sleeves, gloves, hands, cheeks, and lips; and blood lead were determined for exposure assessment. A questionnaire also was administered to collect information on work history, suspected exogenous lead sources, and personal behavior and activities. Geometric means of total air lead at different subareas ranged from 0.070 (2.5 geometric standard deviation [GSD]) to 0.159 (1.8 GSD) mg/m3. Geometric means of respirable air lead level for different subgroups of workers varied from 0.009 (2.0 GSD) to 0.032 (1.9 GSD) mg/m3, whereas those of the blood lead level ranged from 22.4 (1.3 GSD) to 44.5 (1.3 GSD) microg/dL. The heaviest lead loadings were found for plate-processing workers (e.g., 66.4 [1.5 GSD] on gloves, 0.80 [3.7 GSD] on cheeks, and 0.79 [3.2 GSD] microg/cm2) on bare-hands after washing. Blood lead level was significantly correlated with lead levels in air, lead loadings on lips, and bare hands after washing (r=0.24-0.30). Results of multiple regression analysis showed that only lip lead had a significant effect on the blood lead, whereas respirable air lead and personal behavior had only mild effects in this model. It was concluded that lip lead level may be used as an alternative index of lead exposure to facilitate the estimation of lead uptake through ingestion.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Y H Hwang
- Institute of Occupational Medicine and Industrial Hygiene, College of Public Health, National Taiwan University, Taipei, ROC.
| | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|