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Hoops D, Yee Y, Hammill C, Wong S, Manitt C, Bedell BJ, Cahill L, Lerch JP, Flores C, Sled JG. Disproportionate neuroanatomical effects of DCC haploinsufficiency in adolescence compared with adulthood: links to dopamine, connectivity, covariance, and gene expression brain maps in mice. J Psychiatry Neurosci 2024; 49:E157-E171. [PMID: 38692693 PMCID: PMC11068426 DOI: 10.1503/jpn.230106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2023] [Revised: 01/23/2024] [Accepted: 03/06/2024] [Indexed: 05/03/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Critical adolescent neural refinement is controlled by the DCC (deleted in colorectal cancer) protein, a receptor for the netrin-1 guidance cue. We sought to describe the effects of reduced DCC on neuroanatomy in the adolescent and adult mouse brain. METHODS We examined neuronal connectivity, structural covariance, and molecular processes in a DCC-haploinsufficient mouse model, compared with wild-type mice, using new, custom analytical tools designed to leverage publicly available databases from the Allen Institute. RESULTS We included 11 DCC-haploinsufficient mice and 16 wild-type littermates. Neuroanatomical effects of DCC haploinsufficiency were more severe in adolescence than adulthood and were largely restricted to the mesocorticolimbic dopamine system. The latter finding was consistent whether we identified the regions of the mesocorticolimbic dopamine system a priori or used connectivity data from the Allen Brain Atlas to determine de novo where these dopamine axons terminated. Covariance analyses found that DCC haploinsufficiency disrupted the coordinated development of the brain regions that make up the mesocorticolimbic dopamine system. Gene expression maps pointed to molecular processes involving the expression of DCC, UNC5C (encoding DCC's co-receptor), and NTN1 (encoding its ligand, netrin-1) as underlying our structural findings. LIMITATIONS Our study involved a single sex (males) at only 2 ages. CONCLUSION The neuroanatomical phenotype of DCC haploinsufficiency described in mice parallels that observed in DCC-haploinsufficient humans. It is critical to understand the DCC-haploinsufficient mouse as a clinically relevant model system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Hoops
- From the Mouse Imaging Centre, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ont. (Hoops, Yee, Hammill, Wong, Lerch, Sled); the Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Ont. (Hoops, Yee, Lerch, Sled); the Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montréal, Que. (Hoops, Flores); the Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Montréal, Que. (Hoops, Manitt, Flores); the Department of Chemistry, Memorial University, St. John's, N.L. (Hoops, Cahill); the Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, McGill University, Montréal, Que. (Bedell, Flores); the Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, Centre for Functional MRI of the Brain, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neuroscience, University of Oxford, U.K. (Lerch); the Ludmer Centre for Neuroinformatics & Mental Health, McGill University, Montréal, Que. (Flores)
| | - Yohan Yee
- From the Mouse Imaging Centre, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ont. (Hoops, Yee, Hammill, Wong, Lerch, Sled); the Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Ont. (Hoops, Yee, Lerch, Sled); the Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montréal, Que. (Hoops, Flores); the Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Montréal, Que. (Hoops, Manitt, Flores); the Department of Chemistry, Memorial University, St. John's, N.L. (Hoops, Cahill); the Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, McGill University, Montréal, Que. (Bedell, Flores); the Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, Centre for Functional MRI of the Brain, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neuroscience, University of Oxford, U.K. (Lerch); the Ludmer Centre for Neuroinformatics & Mental Health, McGill University, Montréal, Que. (Flores)
| | - Christopher Hammill
- From the Mouse Imaging Centre, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ont. (Hoops, Yee, Hammill, Wong, Lerch, Sled); the Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Ont. (Hoops, Yee, Lerch, Sled); the Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montréal, Que. (Hoops, Flores); the Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Montréal, Que. (Hoops, Manitt, Flores); the Department of Chemistry, Memorial University, St. John's, N.L. (Hoops, Cahill); the Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, McGill University, Montréal, Que. (Bedell, Flores); the Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, Centre for Functional MRI of the Brain, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neuroscience, University of Oxford, U.K. (Lerch); the Ludmer Centre for Neuroinformatics & Mental Health, McGill University, Montréal, Que. (Flores)
| | - Sammi Wong
- From the Mouse Imaging Centre, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ont. (Hoops, Yee, Hammill, Wong, Lerch, Sled); the Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Ont. (Hoops, Yee, Lerch, Sled); the Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montréal, Que. (Hoops, Flores); the Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Montréal, Que. (Hoops, Manitt, Flores); the Department of Chemistry, Memorial University, St. John's, N.L. (Hoops, Cahill); the Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, McGill University, Montréal, Que. (Bedell, Flores); the Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, Centre for Functional MRI of the Brain, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neuroscience, University of Oxford, U.K. (Lerch); the Ludmer Centre for Neuroinformatics & Mental Health, McGill University, Montréal, Que. (Flores)
| | - Colleen Manitt
- From the Mouse Imaging Centre, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ont. (Hoops, Yee, Hammill, Wong, Lerch, Sled); the Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Ont. (Hoops, Yee, Lerch, Sled); the Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montréal, Que. (Hoops, Flores); the Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Montréal, Que. (Hoops, Manitt, Flores); the Department of Chemistry, Memorial University, St. John's, N.L. (Hoops, Cahill); the Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, McGill University, Montréal, Que. (Bedell, Flores); the Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, Centre for Functional MRI of the Brain, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neuroscience, University of Oxford, U.K. (Lerch); the Ludmer Centre for Neuroinformatics & Mental Health, McGill University, Montréal, Que. (Flores)
| | - Barry J Bedell
- From the Mouse Imaging Centre, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ont. (Hoops, Yee, Hammill, Wong, Lerch, Sled); the Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Ont. (Hoops, Yee, Lerch, Sled); the Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montréal, Que. (Hoops, Flores); the Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Montréal, Que. (Hoops, Manitt, Flores); the Department of Chemistry, Memorial University, St. John's, N.L. (Hoops, Cahill); the Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, McGill University, Montréal, Que. (Bedell, Flores); the Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, Centre for Functional MRI of the Brain, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neuroscience, University of Oxford, U.K. (Lerch); the Ludmer Centre for Neuroinformatics & Mental Health, McGill University, Montréal, Que. (Flores)
| | - Lindsay Cahill
- From the Mouse Imaging Centre, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ont. (Hoops, Yee, Hammill, Wong, Lerch, Sled); the Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Ont. (Hoops, Yee, Lerch, Sled); the Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montréal, Que. (Hoops, Flores); the Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Montréal, Que. (Hoops, Manitt, Flores); the Department of Chemistry, Memorial University, St. John's, N.L. (Hoops, Cahill); the Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, McGill University, Montréal, Que. (Bedell, Flores); the Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, Centre for Functional MRI of the Brain, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neuroscience, University of Oxford, U.K. (Lerch); the Ludmer Centre for Neuroinformatics & Mental Health, McGill University, Montréal, Que. (Flores)
| | - Jason P Lerch
- From the Mouse Imaging Centre, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ont. (Hoops, Yee, Hammill, Wong, Lerch, Sled); the Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Ont. (Hoops, Yee, Lerch, Sled); the Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montréal, Que. (Hoops, Flores); the Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Montréal, Que. (Hoops, Manitt, Flores); the Department of Chemistry, Memorial University, St. John's, N.L. (Hoops, Cahill); the Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, McGill University, Montréal, Que. (Bedell, Flores); the Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, Centre for Functional MRI of the Brain, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neuroscience, University of Oxford, U.K. (Lerch); the Ludmer Centre for Neuroinformatics & Mental Health, McGill University, Montréal, Que. (Flores)
| | - Cecilia Flores
- From the Mouse Imaging Centre, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ont. (Hoops, Yee, Hammill, Wong, Lerch, Sled); the Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Ont. (Hoops, Yee, Lerch, Sled); the Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montréal, Que. (Hoops, Flores); the Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Montréal, Que. (Hoops, Manitt, Flores); the Department of Chemistry, Memorial University, St. John's, N.L. (Hoops, Cahill); the Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, McGill University, Montréal, Que. (Bedell, Flores); the Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, Centre for Functional MRI of the Brain, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neuroscience, University of Oxford, U.K. (Lerch); the Ludmer Centre for Neuroinformatics & Mental Health, McGill University, Montréal, Que. (Flores)
| | - John G Sled
- From the Mouse Imaging Centre, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ont. (Hoops, Yee, Hammill, Wong, Lerch, Sled); the Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Ont. (Hoops, Yee, Lerch, Sled); the Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montréal, Que. (Hoops, Flores); the Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Montréal, Que. (Hoops, Manitt, Flores); the Department of Chemistry, Memorial University, St. John's, N.L. (Hoops, Cahill); the Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, McGill University, Montréal, Que. (Bedell, Flores); the Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, Centre for Functional MRI of the Brain, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neuroscience, University of Oxford, U.K. (Lerch); the Ludmer Centre for Neuroinformatics & Mental Health, McGill University, Montréal, Que. (Flores)
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Dhume SH, Balogun K, Sarkar A, Acosta S, Mount HTJ, Cahill LS, Sled JG, Serghides L. Perinatal exposure to atazanavir-based antiretroviral regimens in a mouse model leads to differential long-term motor and cognitive deficits dependent on the NRTI backbone. Front Mol Neurosci 2024; 17:1376681. [PMID: 38646101 PMCID: PMC11027900 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2024.1376681] [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] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2024] [Accepted: 03/19/2024] [Indexed: 04/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Combination antiretroviral therapy (ART) use in pregnancy has been pivotal in improving maternal health and reducing perinatal HIV transmission. However, children born HIV-exposed uninfected fall behind their unexposed peers in several areas including neurodevelopment. The contribution of in utero ART exposure to these deficits is not clear. Here we present our findings of neurocognitive outcomes in adult mice exposed in utero to ART. Methods Dams were treated with a combination of ritonavir-boosted atazanavir with either abacavir plus lamivudine (ABC/3TC + ATV/r) or tenofovir disoproxil fumarate plus emtricitabine (TDF/FTC + ATV/r), or water as a control, administered daily from day of plug detection to birth. Offspring underwent a battery of behavioral tests that investigated motor performance and cognition starting at 6-weeks of age and ending at 8 months. Changes in brain structure were assessed using magnetic resonance imaging and immunohistochemistry. Expression of genes involved in neural circuitry and synaptic transmission were assessed in the hippocampus, a region strongly associated with memory formation, using qPCR. Findings Pups exposed to TDF/FTC + ATV/r showed increased motor activity and exploratory drive, and deficits in hippocampal-dependent working memory and social interaction, while pups exposed to ABC/3TC + ATV/r showed increased grooming, and deficits in working memory and social interaction. Significant volumetric reductions in the brain were seen only in the ABC/3TC + ATV/r group and were associated with reduced neuronal counts in the hippocampus. Altered neurotransmitter receptor mRNA expression as well as changes in expression of the neurotrophic factor BDNF and its receptors were observed in both ART-exposed groups in a sex-dependent manner. Interpretation In our model, in utero ART exposure had long-term effects on brain development and cognitive and motor outcomes in adulthood. Our data show that neurological outcomes can be influenced by the type of nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor backbone of the regimen and not just the base drug, and display sex differences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shreya H. Dhume
- Toronto General Hospital Research Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Kayode Balogun
- Department of Pathology, Montefiore Medical Center and Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, United States
| | - Ambalika Sarkar
- Toronto General Hospital Research Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Sebastian Acosta
- Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Howard T. J. Mount
- Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases, Department of Psychiatry and Physiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Lindsay S. Cahill
- Department of Chemistry, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John’s, NL, Canada
- Mouse Imaging Centre, Toronto Centre for Phenogenomics, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - John G. Sled
- Mouse Imaging Centre, Toronto Centre for Phenogenomics, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Lena Serghides
- Toronto General Hospital Research Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Women’s College Research Institute, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Immunology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
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3
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Mester JR, Rozak MW, Dorr A, Goubran M, Sled JG, Stefanovic B. Network response of brain microvasculature to neuronal stimulation. Neuroimage 2024; 287:120512. [PMID: 38199427 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2024.120512] [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] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2023] [Revised: 12/21/2023] [Accepted: 01/04/2024] [Indexed: 01/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Neurovascular coupling (NVC), or the adjustment of blood flow in response to local increases in neuronal activity is a hallmark of healthy brain function, and the physiological foundation for functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). However, it remains only partly understood due to the high complexity of the structure and function of the cerebrovascular network. Here we set out to understand NVC at the network level, i.e. map cerebrovascular network reactivity to activation of neighbouring neurons within a 500×500×500 μm3 cortical volume (∼30 high-resolution 3-nL fMRI voxels). Using 3D two-photon fluorescence microscopy data, we quantified blood volume and flow changes in the brain vessels in response to spatially targeted optogenetic activation of cortical pyramidal neurons. We registered the vessels in a series of image stacks acquired before and after stimulations and applied a deep learning pipeline to segment the microvascular network from each time frame acquired. We then performed image analysis to extract the microvascular graphs, and graph analysis to identify the branch order of each vessel in the network, enabling the stratification of vessels by their branch order, designating branches 1-3 as precapillary arterioles and branches 4+ as capillaries. Forty-five percent of all vessels showed significant calibre changes; with 85 % of responses being dilations. The largest absolute CBV change was in the capillaries; the smallest, in the venules. Capillary CBV change was also the largest fraction of the total CBV change, but normalized to the baseline volume, arterioles and precapillary arterioles showed the biggest relative CBV change. From linescans along arteriole-venule microvascular paths, we measured red blood cell velocities and hematocrit, allowing for estimation of pressure and local resistance along these paths. While diameter changes following neuronal activation gradually declined along the paths; the pressure drops from arterioles to venules increased despite decreasing resistance: blood flow thus increased more than local resistance decreases would predict. By leveraging functional volumetric imaging and high throughput deep learning-based analysis, our study revealed distinct hemodynamic responses across the vessel types comprising the microvascular network. Our findings underscore the need for large, dense sampling of brain vessels for characterization of neurovascular coupling at the network level in health and disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- James R Mester
- University of Toronto, Department of Medical Biophysics, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Physical Sciences, Sunnybrook Research Institute, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Matthew W Rozak
- University of Toronto, Department of Medical Biophysics, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Physical Sciences, Sunnybrook Research Institute, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Adrienne Dorr
- Physical Sciences, Sunnybrook Research Institute, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Maged Goubran
- University of Toronto, Department of Medical Biophysics, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Physical Sciences, Sunnybrook Research Institute, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - John G Sled
- University of Toronto, Department of Medical Biophysics, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Mouse Imaging Centre, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Bojana Stefanovic
- University of Toronto, Department of Medical Biophysics, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Physical Sciences, Sunnybrook Research Institute, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
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4
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Dibbon KC, Mercer GV, Maekawa AS, Hanrahan J, Steeves KL, Ringer LCM, Simpson AJ, Simpson MJ, Baschat AA, Kingdom JC, Macgowan CK, Sled JG, Jobst KJ, Cahill LS. Polystyrene micro- and nanoplastics cause placental dysfunction in mice†. Biol Reprod 2024; 110:211-218. [PMID: 37724921 DOI: 10.1093/biolre/ioad126] [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] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2023] [Revised: 08/22/2023] [Accepted: 09/13/2023] [Indexed: 09/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Maternal exposure to microplastics and nanoplastics has been shown to result in fetal growth restriction in mice. In this study, we investigated the placental and fetal hemodynamic responses to plastics exposure in mice using high-frequency ultrasound. Healthy, pregnant CD-1 dams were given either 106 ng/L of 5 μm polystyrene microplastics or 106 ng/L of 50 nm polystyrene nanoplastics in drinking water throughout gestation and were compared with controls. Maternal exposure to both microplastics and nanoplastics resulted in evidence of placental dysfunction that was highly dependent on the particle size. The umbilical artery blood flow increased by 48% in the microplastic-exposed group and decreased by 25% in the nanoplastic-exposed group compared to controls (p < 0.05). The microplastic- and nanoplastic-exposed fetuses showed a significant decrease in the middle cerebral artery pulsatility index of 10% and 13%, respectively, compared to controls (p < 0.05), indicating vasodilation of the cerebral circulation, a fetal adaptation that is part of the brain sparing response to preserve oxygen delivery. Hemodynamic markers of placental dysfunction and fetal hypoxia were more pronounced in the group exposed to polystyrene nanoplastics, suggesting nanoplastic exposure during human pregnancy has the potential to disrupt fetal brain development, which in turn may cause suboptimal neurodevelopmental outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherine C Dibbon
- Department of Chemistry, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada
| | - Grace V Mercer
- Department of Chemistry, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada
| | - Alexandre S Maekawa
- Department of Chemistry, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada
| | - Jenna Hanrahan
- Department of Chemistry, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada
| | - Katherine L Steeves
- Department of Chemistry, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada
| | - Lauren C M Ringer
- Department of Chemistry, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada
| | - André J Simpson
- Environmental NMR Centre and Department of Physical and Environmental Sciences, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Myrna J Simpson
- Environmental NMR Centre and Department of Physical and Environmental Sciences, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Ahmet A Baschat
- Department of Gynecology & Obstetrics, Johns Hopkins Center for Fetal Therapy, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - John C Kingdom
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Maternal-Fetal Medicine Division, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Christopher K Macgowan
- Translational Medicine, Hospital for Sick Children , Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - John G Sled
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Translational Medicine, Hospital for Sick Children , Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Mouse Imaging Centre, Hospital for Sick Children , Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Karl J Jobst
- Department of Chemistry, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada
| | - Lindsay S Cahill
- Department of Chemistry, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada
- Discipline of Radiology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada
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Hanrahan J, Steeves KL, Locke DP, O'Brien TM, Maekawa AS, Amiri R, Macgowan CK, Baschat AA, Kingdom JC, Simpson AJ, Simpson MJ, Sled JG, Jobst KJ, Cahill LS. Maternal exposure to polyethylene micro- and nanoplastics impairs umbilical blood flow but not fetal growth in pregnant mice. Sci Rep 2024; 14:399. [PMID: 38172192 PMCID: PMC10764924 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-50781-2] [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: 10/27/2023] [Accepted: 12/25/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024] Open
Abstract
While microplastics have been recently detected in human blood and the placenta, their impact on human health is not well understood. Using a mouse model of environmental exposure during pregnancy, our group has previously reported that exposure to polystyrene micro- and nanoplastics throughout gestation results in fetal growth restriction. While polystyrene is environmentally relevant, polyethylene is the most widely produced plastic and amongst the most commonly detected microplastic in drinking water and human blood. In this study, we investigated the effect of maternal exposure to polyethylene micro- and nanoplastics on fetal growth and placental function. Healthy, pregnant CD-1 dams were divided into three groups: 106 ng/L of 740-4990 nm polyethylene with surfactant in drinking water (n = 12), surfactant alone in drinking water (n = 12) or regular filtered drinking water (n = 11). At embryonic day 17.5, high-frequency ultrasound was used to investigate the placental and fetal hemodynamic responses following exposure. While maternal exposure to polyethylene did not impact fetal growth, there was a significant effect on placental function with a 43% increase in umbilical artery blood flow in the polyethylene group compared to controls (p < 0.01). These results suggest polyethylene has the potential to cause adverse pregnancy outcomes through abnormal placental function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jenna Hanrahan
- Department of Chemistry, Memorial University of Newfoundland, Arctic Avenue, St. John's, NL, A1C 5S7, Canada
| | - Katherine L Steeves
- Department of Chemistry, Memorial University of Newfoundland, Arctic Avenue, St. John's, NL, A1C 5S7, Canada
| | - Drew P Locke
- Department of Chemistry, Memorial University of Newfoundland, Arctic Avenue, St. John's, NL, A1C 5S7, Canada
| | - Thomas M O'Brien
- Department of Chemistry, Memorial University of Newfoundland, Arctic Avenue, St. John's, NL, A1C 5S7, Canada
| | - Alexandre S Maekawa
- Department of Chemistry, Memorial University of Newfoundland, Arctic Avenue, St. John's, NL, A1C 5S7, Canada
| | - Roshanak Amiri
- Department of Chemistry, Memorial University of Newfoundland, Arctic Avenue, St. John's, NL, A1C 5S7, Canada
| | - Christopher K Macgowan
- Translational Medicine, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, M5G 1X8, Canada
- Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5G 1L7, Canada
| | - Ahmet A Baschat
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Johns Hopkins Center for Fetal Therapy, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, 21287, USA
| | - John C Kingdom
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5G 1E2, Canada
- Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, ON, M5G 1X5, Canada
| | - André J Simpson
- Environmental NMR Centre and Department of Physical and Environmental Sciences, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M1C 1A4, Canada
| | - Myrna J Simpson
- Environmental NMR Centre and Department of Physical and Environmental Sciences, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M1C 1A4, Canada
| | - John G Sled
- Translational Medicine, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, M5G 1X8, Canada
- Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5G 1L7, Canada
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5G 1E2, Canada
- Mouse Imaging Centre, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, M5T 3H7, Canada
| | - Karl J Jobst
- Department of Chemistry, Memorial University of Newfoundland, Arctic Avenue, St. John's, NL, A1C 5S7, Canada
| | - Lindsay S Cahill
- Department of Chemistry, Memorial University of Newfoundland, Arctic Avenue, St. John's, NL, A1C 5S7, Canada.
- Discipline of Radiology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, NL, A1C 5S7, Canada.
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6
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Mercer GV, Harvey NE, Steeves KL, Schneider CM, Sled JG, Macgowan CK, Baschat AA, Kingdom JC, Simpson AJ, Simpson MJ, Jobst KJ, Cahill LS. Maternal exposure to polystyrene nanoplastics alters fetal brain metabolism in mice. Metabolomics 2023; 19:96. [PMID: 37989919 DOI: 10.1007/s11306-023-02061-3] [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] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2023] [Accepted: 10/31/2023] [Indexed: 11/23/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Plastics used in everyday materials accumulate as waste in the environment and degrade over time. The impacts of the resulting particulate micro- and nanoplastics on human health remain largely unknown. In pregnant mice, we recently demonstrated that exposure to nanoplastics throughout gestation and during lactation resulted in changes in brain structure detected on MRI. One possible explanation for this abnormal postnatal brain development is altered fetal brain metabolism. OBJECTIVES To determine the effect of maternal exposure to nanoplastics on fetal brain metabolism. METHODS Healthy pregnant CD-1 mice were exposed to 50 nm polystyrene nanoplastics at a concentration of 106 ng/L through drinking water during gestation. Fetal brain samples were collected at embryonic day 17.5 (n = 18-21 per group per sex) and snap-frozen in liquid nitrogen. Magic angle spinning nuclear magnetic resonance was used to determine metabolite profiles and their relative concentrations in the fetal brain. RESULTS The relative concentrations of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), creatine and glucose were found to decrease by 40%, 21% and 30% respectively following maternal nanoplastic exposure when compared to the controls (p < 0.05). The change in relative concentration of asparagine with nanoplastic exposure was dependent on fetal sex (p < 0.005). CONCLUSION Maternal exposure to polystyrene nanoplastics caused abnormal fetal brain metabolism in mice. The present study demonstrates the potential impacts of nanoplastic exposure during fetal development and motivates further studies to evaluate the risk to human pregnancies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Grace V Mercer
- Department of Chemistry, Memorial University of Newfoundland, Arctic Avenue St. John's, St. John's, Newfoundland, NL, A1C 5S7, Canada
| | - Nikita E Harvey
- Department of Chemistry, Memorial University of Newfoundland, Arctic Avenue St. John's, St. John's, Newfoundland, NL, A1C 5S7, Canada
| | - Katherine L Steeves
- Department of Chemistry, Memorial University of Newfoundland, Arctic Avenue St. John's, St. John's, Newfoundland, NL, A1C 5S7, Canada
| | - Céline M Schneider
- Department of Chemistry, Memorial University of Newfoundland, Arctic Avenue St. John's, St. John's, Newfoundland, NL, A1C 5S7, Canada
| | - John G Sled
- Mouse Imaging Centre, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Translational Medicine, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Christopher K Macgowan
- Translational Medicine, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Ahmet A Baschat
- Department of Gynecology & Obstetrics, Johns Hopkins Center for Fetal Therapy, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - John C Kingdom
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - André J Simpson
- Environmental NMR Centre, Department of Physical and Environmental Sciences, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Myrna J Simpson
- Environmental NMR Centre, Department of Physical and Environmental Sciences, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Karl J Jobst
- Department of Chemistry, Memorial University of Newfoundland, Arctic Avenue St. John's, St. John's, Newfoundland, NL, A1C 5S7, Canada
| | - Lindsay S Cahill
- Department of Chemistry, Memorial University of Newfoundland, Arctic Avenue St. John's, St. John's, Newfoundland, NL, A1C 5S7, Canada.
- Discipline of Radiology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada.
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7
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Mohan H, Nguyen J, MacKenzie B, Yee A, Laurette EY, Sanghvi T, Tejada O, Dontsova V, Leung KY, Goddard C, De Young T, Sled JG, Greene NDE, Copp AJ, Serghides L. Folate deficiency increases the incidence of dolutegravir-associated foetal defects in a mouse pregnancy model. EBioMedicine 2023; 95:104762. [PMID: 37586112 PMCID: PMC10450420 DOI: 10.1016/j.ebiom.2023.104762] [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: 04/26/2023] [Revised: 07/26/2023] [Accepted: 08/03/2023] [Indexed: 08/18/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Dolutegravir (DTG) is a recommended first-line regimen for all people with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) infection. Initial findings from Botswana, a country with no folate fortification program, showed an elevated prevalence of neural tube defects (NTDs) with peri-conceptional exposure to DTG. Here we explore whether a low folate diet influences the risk of DTG-associated foetal anomalies in a mouse model. METHODS C57BL/6 mice fed a folate-deficient diet for 2 weeks, were mated and then randomly allocated to control (water), or 1xDTG (2.5 mg/kg), or 5xDTG (12.5 mg/kg) both administered orally with 50 mg/kg tenofovir disoproxil fumarate 33.3 mg/kg emtricitabine. Treatment was administered once daily from gestational day (GD) 0.5 to sacrifice (GD15.5). Foetuses were assessed for gross anomalies. Maternal and foetal folate levels were quantified. FINDINGS 313 litters (103 control, 106 1xDTG, 104 5xDTG) were assessed. Viability, placental weight, and foetal weight did not differ between groups. NTDs were only observed in the DTG groups (litter rate: 0% control; 1.0% 1xDTG; 1.3% 5xDTG). Tail, abdominal wall, limb, craniofacial, and bleeding defects all occurred at higher rates in the DTG groups versus control. Compared with our previous findings on DTG usage in folate-replete mouse pregnancies, folate deficiency was associated with higher rates of several defects, including NTDs, but in the DTG groups only. We observed a severe left-right asymmetry phenotype that was more frequent in DTG groups than controls. INTERPRETATION Maternal folate deficiency may increase the risk for DTG-associated foetal defects. Periconceptional folic acid supplementation could be considered for women with HIV taking DTG during pregnancy, particularly in countries lacking folate fortification programs. FUNDING This project has been funded by Federal funds from the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, under Contract No. HHSN275201800001I and award #R01HD104553. LS is supported by a Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Maternal-Child Health and HIV. HM is supported by a Junior Investigator award from the Ontario HIV Treatment Network.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haneesha Mohan
- Toronto General Hospital Research Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Jessica Nguyen
- Toronto General Hospital Research Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Ben MacKenzie
- Toronto General Hospital Research Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Audrey Yee
- Toronto General Hospital Research Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Evelyn Yukino Laurette
- Toronto General Hospital Research Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Tanvi Sanghvi
- Toronto General Hospital Research Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Oscar Tejada
- Toronto General Hospital Research Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Valeriya Dontsova
- Toronto General Hospital Research Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Kit-Yi Leung
- Developmental Biology & Cancer Department, UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, London, UK
| | - Cameron Goddard
- Mouse Imaging Center, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Taylor De Young
- Mouse Imaging Center, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - John G Sled
- Mouse Imaging Center, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Translational Medicine, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Nicholas D E Greene
- Developmental Biology & Cancer Department, UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, London, UK
| | - Andrew J Copp
- Developmental Biology & Cancer Department, UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, London, UK
| | - Lena Serghides
- Toronto General Hospital Research Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Department of Immunology and Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
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8
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Stapleton D, Darmonkow A, Ravi Chandran A, Milligan N, Saghian R, Shinar S, Whitehead CL, Hobson SR, Serghides L, Macgowan CK, Sled JG, Kingdom JC, Baschat AA, Parks WT, Cahill LS. Peripheral cord insertion is associated with adverse pregnancy outcome only when accompanied by clinically significant placental pathology. Ultrasound Obstet Gynecol 2023; 62:248-254. [PMID: 36971026 DOI: 10.1002/uog.26206] [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] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2022] [Revised: 02/17/2023] [Accepted: 03/08/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To examine the relationship between umbilical cord insertion site, placental pathology and adverse pregnancy outcome in a cohort of normal and complicated pregnancies. METHODS Sonographic measurement of the cord insertion and detailed placental pathology were performed in 309 participants. Associations between cord insertion site, placental pathology and adverse pregnancy outcome (pre-eclampsia, preterm birth, small-for-gestational age) were examined. RESULTS A total of 93 (30%) participants were identified by pathological examination to have a peripheral cord insertion site. Only 41 of the 93 (44%) peripheral cords were detected by prenatal ultrasound. Peripherally inserted cords were associated significantly (P < 0.0001) with diagnostic placental pathology (most commonly with maternal vascular malperfusion (MVM)); of which 85% had an adverse pregnancy outcome. In cases of isolated peripheral cords, without placental pathology, the incidence of adverse outcome was not statistically different when compared to those with central cord insertion and no placental pathology (31% vs 18%; P = 0.3). A peripheral cord with an abnormal umbilical artery (UA) pulsatility index (PI) corresponded to an adverse outcome in 96% of cases compared to 29% when the UA-PI was normal. CONCLUSIONS This study demonstrates that peripheral cord insertion is often part of the spectrum of findings of MVM disease and is associated with adverse pregnancy outcome. However, adverse outcome was uncommon when there was an isolated peripheral cord insertion and no placental pathology. Therefore, additional sonographic and biochemical features of MVM should be sought when a peripheral cord is observed. © 2023 International Society of Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology.
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Affiliation(s)
- D Stapleton
- Department of Chemistry, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St John's, NL, Canada
| | - A Darmonkow
- Department of Chemistry, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St John's, NL, Canada
| | - A Ravi Chandran
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - N Milligan
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Paediatrics, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - R Saghian
- Mouse Imaging Centre, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - S Shinar
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - C L Whitehead
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Pregnancy Research Centre, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Royal Women's Hospital, Parkville, Australia
| | - S R Hobson
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - L Serghides
- Toronto General Hospital Research Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Immunology and Institutes of Medical Sciences, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Women's College Research Institute, Women's College Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - C K Macgowan
- Translational Medicine, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - J G Sled
- Mouse Imaging Centre, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Translational Medicine, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - J C Kingdom
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - A A Baschat
- Center for Fetal Therapy, Johns Hopkins Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - W T Parks
- Department of Pathology, Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - L S Cahill
- Department of Chemistry, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St John's, NL, Canada
- Discipline of Radiology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St John's, NL, Canada
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9
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Tillotson R, Yan K, Ruston J, DeYoung T, Córdova A, Turcotte-Cardin V, Yee Y, Taylor C, Visuvanathan S, Babbs C, Ivakine EA, Sled JG, Nieman BJ, Picketts DJ, Justice MJ. A new mouse model of ATR-X syndrome carrying a common patient mutation exhibits neurological and morphological defects. Hum Mol Genet 2023; 32:2485-2501. [PMID: 37171606 PMCID: PMC10360390 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddad075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2023] [Revised: 03/18/2023] [Accepted: 05/05/2023] [Indexed: 05/13/2023] Open
Abstract
ATRX is a chromatin remodelling ATPase that is involved in transcriptional regulation, DNA damage repair and heterochromatin maintenance. It has been widely studied for its role in ALT-positive cancers, but its role in neurological function remains elusive. Hypomorphic mutations in the X-linked ATRX gene cause a rare form of intellectual disability combined with alpha-thalassemia called ATR-X syndrome in hemizygous males. Clinical features also include facial dysmorphism, microcephaly, short stature, musculoskeletal defects and genital abnormalities. As complete deletion of ATRX in mice results in early embryonic lethality, the field has largely relied on conditional knockout models to assess the role of ATRX in multiple tissues. Given that null alleles are not found in patients, a more patient-relevant model was needed. Here, we have produced and characterized the first patient mutation knock-in model of ATR-X syndrome, carrying the most common causative mutation, R246C. This is one of a cluster of missense mutations located in the chromatin-binding domain and disrupts its function. The knock-in mice recapitulate several aspects of the patient disorder, including craniofacial defects, microcephaly, reduced body size and impaired neurological function. They provide a powerful model for understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying ATR-X syndrome and testing potential therapeutic strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebekah Tillotson
- Genetics and Genome Biology Program, The Hospital for Sick Children, The Peter Gilgan Centre for Research and Learning, Toronto, ON M5G 0A4, Canada
- MRC Molecular Haematology Unit, Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, John Radcliffe Hospital/Headley Way, Oxford OX3 9DS, UK
| | - Keqin Yan
- Regenerative Medicine Program, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, ON K1H 8L6, Canada
| | - Julie Ruston
- Genetics and Genome Biology Program, The Hospital for Sick Children, The Peter Gilgan Centre for Research and Learning, Toronto, ON M5G 0A4, Canada
| | - Taylor DeYoung
- Mouse Imaging Centre, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5T 3H7, Canada
| | - Alex Córdova
- Regenerative Medicine Program, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, ON K1H 8L6, Canada
| | - Valérie Turcotte-Cardin
- Regenerative Medicine Program, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, ON K1H 8L6, Canada
- Cellular & Molecular Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON K1H 8M5, Canada
| | - Yohan Yee
- Mouse Imaging Centre, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5T 3H7, Canada
- Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5G 1L7, Canada
| | - Christine Taylor
- Genetics and Genome Biology Program, The Hospital for Sick Children, The Peter Gilgan Centre for Research and Learning, Toronto, ON M5G 0A4, Canada
| | - Shagana Visuvanathan
- Genetics and Genome Biology Program, The Hospital for Sick Children, The Peter Gilgan Centre for Research and Learning, Toronto, ON M5G 0A4, Canada
| | - Christian Babbs
- MRC Molecular Haematology Unit, Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, John Radcliffe Hospital/Headley Way, Oxford OX3 9DS, UK
| | - Evgueni A Ivakine
- Genetics and Genome Biology Program, The Hospital for Sick Children, The Peter Gilgan Centre for Research and Learning, Toronto, ON M5G 0A4, Canada
- Department of Physiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada
| | - John G Sled
- Mouse Imaging Centre, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5T 3H7, Canada
- Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5G 1L7, Canada
- Translational Medicine Program, The Hospital for Sick Children, The Peter Gilgan Centre for Research and Learning, Toronto, ON M5G 0A4, Canada
| | - Brian J Nieman
- Mouse Imaging Centre, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5T 3H7, Canada
- Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5G 1L7, Canada
- Translational Medicine Program, The Hospital for Sick Children, The Peter Gilgan Centre for Research and Learning, Toronto, ON M5G 0A4, Canada
- Ontario Institute for Cancer Research, Toronto, ON M5G 0A3, Canada
| | - David J Picketts
- Regenerative Medicine Program, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, ON K1H 8L6, Canada
- Cellular & Molecular Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON K1H 8M5, Canada
| | - Monica J Justice
- Genetics and Genome Biology Program, The Hospital for Sick Children, The Peter Gilgan Centre for Research and Learning, Toronto, ON M5G 0A4, Canada
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1A1, Canada
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10
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Fakhari N, Aguet J, Nguyen M, Mertens L, Barron D, Haller C, Sled JG, Villemain O, Baranger J. Longitudinal assessment of cerebral blood volume variation in human neonates using ultrafast power Doppler and diverging waves. IEEE Trans Med Imaging 2023; PP:1-1. [PMID: 37027649 DOI: 10.1109/tmi.2023.3246920] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
Longitudinal assessment of brain perfusion is a critical parameter for neurodevelopmental outcome of neonates undergoing cardiopulmonary bypass procedure. In this study, we aim to measure the variations of cerebral blood volume (CBV) in human neonates during cardiac surgery, using Ultrafast Power Doppler and freehand scanning. To be clinically relevant, this method must satisfy three criteria: being able to image a wide field of view in the brain, show significant longitudinal CBV variations, and present reproducible results. To address the first point, we performed for the first time transfontanellar Ultrafast Power Doppler using a hand-held phased-array transducer with diverging waves. This increased the field of view more than threefold compared to previous studies using linear transducers and plane waves. We were able to image vessels in the cortical areas as well as the deep grey matter and temporal lobes. Second, we measured the longitudinal variations of CBV on human neonates undergoing cardiopulmonary bypass. When compared to a pre-operative baseline acquisition, the CBV exhibited significant variation during bypass: on average, +20±3% in the mid-sagittal full sector (p<0.0001), -11±3% in the cortical regions (p<0.01) and -10±4% in the basal ganglia (p<0.01). Third, a trained operator performing identical scans was able to reproduce CBV estimates with a variability of 4% to 7.5% depending on the regions considered. We also investigated whether vessel segmentation could further improve reproducibility, but found that it actually introduced greater variability in the results. Overall, this study demonstrates the clinical translation of ultrafast power Doppler with diverging-waves and freehand scanning.
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11
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Longoni G, Martinez Chavez E, Young K, Brown RA, Bells S, Fetco D, Kim L, Grover SA, Costello F, Reginald A, Bar-Or A, Marrie RA, Arnold DL, Narayanan S, Branson HM, Banwell BL, Sled JG, Mabbott DJ, Yeh EA. Magnetization transfer saturation reveals subclinical optic nerve injury in pediatric-onset multiple sclerosis. Mult Scler 2023; 29:212-220. [PMID: 36545918 PMCID: PMC9925884 DOI: 10.1177/13524585221137500] [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] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The presence of subclinical optic nerve (ON) injury in youth living with pediatric-onset MS has not been fully elucidated. Magnetization transfer saturation (MTsat) is an advanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) parameter sensitive to myelin density and microstructural integrity, which can be applied to the study of the ON. OBJECTIVE The objective of this study was to investigate the presence of subclinical ON abnormalities in pediatric-onset MS by means of magnetization transfer saturation and evaluate their association with other structural and functional parameters of visual pathway integrity. METHODS Eleven youth living with pediatric-onset MS (ylPOMS) and no previous history of optic neuritis and 18 controls underwent standardized brain MRI, optical coherence tomography (OCT), Magnetoencephalography (MEG)-Visual Evoked Potentials (VEPs), and visual battery. Data were analyzed with mixed effect models. RESULTS While ON volume, OCT parameters, occipital MEG-VEPs outcomes, and visual function did not differ significantly between ylPOMS and controls, ylPOMS had lower MTsat in the supratentorial normal appearing white matter (-0.26 nU, p = 0.0023), and in both in the ON (-0.62 nU, p < 0.001) and in the normal appearing white matter of the optic radiation (-0.56 nU, p = 0.00071), with these being positively correlated (+0.57 nU, p = 0.00037). CONCLUSIONS Subclinical microstructural injury affects the ON of ylPOMS. This may appear as MTsat changes before being detectable by other currently available testing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giulia Longoni
- Division of Neurology, Department of Pediatrics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada/Department of Neurosciences and Mental Health, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Edgar Martinez Chavez
- Department of Neurosciences and Mental Health, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Kimberly Young
- Division of Neurology, Department of Pediatrics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | | | - Sonya Bells
- Department of Neurosciences and Mental Health, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Dumitru Fetco
- McConnell Brain Imaging Centre, Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Laura Kim
- Department of Neurosciences and Mental Health, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Stephanie A Grover
- Division of Neurology, Department of Pediatrics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Fiona Costello
- Departments of Clinical Neurosciences and Surgery, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Arun Reginald
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, The University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Amit Bar-Or
- Department of Neurology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Ruth Ann Marrie
- Departments of Internal Medicine and Community Health Sciences, Max Rady College of Medicine, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
| | - Douglas L Arnold
- McConnell Brain Imaging Centre, Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada/Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Sridar Narayanan
- McConnell Brain Imaging Centre, Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Helen M Branson
- Department of Diagnostic Imaging, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Brenda L Banwell
- Division of Neurology, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - John G Sled
- Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Donald J Mabbott
- Department of Neurosciences and Mental Health, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - E Ann Yeh
- Division of Neurology, Department of Pediatrics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada/Department of Neurosciences and Mental Health, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada
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12
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Aghaei Z, Mercer GV, Schneider CM, Sled JG, Macgowan CK, Baschat AA, Kingdom JC, Helm PA, Simpson AJ, Simpson MJ, Jobst KJ, Cahill LS. Maternal exposure to polystyrene microplastics alters placental metabolism in mice. Metabolomics 2022; 19:1. [PMID: 36538272 DOI: 10.1007/s11306-022-01967-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [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: 05/11/2022] [Accepted: 12/05/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The rapid growth in the worldwide use of plastics has resulted in a vast accumulation of microplastics in the air, soil and water. The impact of these microplastics on pregnancy and fetal development remains largely unknown. In pregnant mice, we recently demonstrated that exposure to micro- and nanoplastics throughout gestation resulted in significant fetal growth restriction. One possible explanation for reduced fetal growth is abnormal placental metabolism. OBJECTIVES To evaluate the effect of maternal exposure to microplastics on placental metabolism. METHODS In the present study, CD-1 pregnant mice were exposed to 5 μm polystyrene microplastics in filtered drinking water at one of four concentrations (0 ng/L (controls), 102 ng/L, 104 ng/L, 106 ng/L) throughout gestation (n = 7-11/group). At embryonic day 17.5, placental tissue samples were collected (n = 28-44/group). Metabolite profiles were determined using 1 H high-resolution magic angle spinning magnetic resonance spectroscopy. RESULTS The relative concentration of lysine (p = 0.003) and glucose (p < 0.0001) in the placenta were found to decrease with increasing microplastic concentrations, with a significant reduction at the highest exposure concentration. Multivariate analysis identified shifts in the metabolic profile with MP exposure and pathway analysis identified perturbations in the biotin metabolism, lysine degradation, and glycolysis/gluconeogenesis pathways. CONCLUSION Maternal exposure to microplastics resulted in significant alterations in placental metabolism. This study highlights the potential impact of microplastic exposure on pregnancy outcomes and that efforts should be made to minimize exposure to plastics, particularly during pregnancy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zahra Aghaei
- Department of Chemistry, Memorial University of Newfoundland, Arctic Avenue St. John's, A1C 5S7, Newfoundland, NL, Canada
| | - Grace V Mercer
- Department of Chemistry, Memorial University of Newfoundland, Arctic Avenue St. John's, A1C 5S7, Newfoundland, NL, Canada
| | - Céline M Schneider
- Department of Chemistry, Memorial University of Newfoundland, Arctic Avenue St. John's, A1C 5S7, Newfoundland, NL, Canada
| | - John G Sled
- Mouse Imaging Centre, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Translational Medicine, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Christopher K Macgowan
- Translational Medicine, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Ahmet A Baschat
- Department of Gynecology & Obstetrics, Johns Hopkins Center for Fetal Therapy, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - John C Kingdom
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Paul A Helm
- School of the Environment, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - André J Simpson
- Environmental NMR Centre, Department of Physical and Environmental Sciences, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Myrna J Simpson
- Environmental NMR Centre, Department of Physical and Environmental Sciences, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Karl J Jobst
- Department of Chemistry, Memorial University of Newfoundland, Arctic Avenue St. John's, A1C 5S7, Newfoundland, NL, Canada
| | - Lindsay S Cahill
- Department of Chemistry, Memorial University of Newfoundland, Arctic Avenue St. John's, A1C 5S7, Newfoundland, NL, Canada.
- Discipline of Radiology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada.
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13
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George H, Mercer GV, Stapleton D, Dawson L, MacCallum PE, Spring S, Sled JG, Blundell J, Cahill LS. Structural brain abnormalities in endothelial nitric oxide synthase-deficient mice revealed by high-resolution magnetic resonance imaging. Brain Behav 2022; 12:e2801. [PMID: 36259950 PMCID: PMC9660425 DOI: 10.1002/brb3.2801] [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] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2022] [Revised: 08/23/2022] [Accepted: 10/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) produces nitric oxide, which is essential for a variety of physiological functions in the brain. Previous work has demonstrated the detrimental effects of eNOS deficiency on brain function in male eNOS knockout (eNOS KO) mice. However, the effect of eNOS deficiency on brain structure and any association between these effects and sex is unknown. METHODS This study used three-dimensional high-resolution ex vivo magnetic resonance imaging and behavioral tests of anxiety and cognitive performance to investigate structure-function relationships in the brain of female and male eNOS KO mice in young adulthood. RESULTS While there were no differences in anxiety-like behavior or locomotion, there was a sex-specific deficit in contextual fear memory retention in male, but not in female, eNOS mice compared to wild-type controls. Moreover, we found that eNOS deficiency induced changes in multiple brain regions that are involved in learning and fear memory including the hippocampus, amygdala, hypothalamus, and areas of the cortex. Several of these MRI-detectable neuroanatomical changes were dependent on sex. CONCLUSION The observation that eNOS deficiency impacts brain structure at an early age demonstrates the importance of eNOS for healthy brain development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannah George
- Department of Chemistry, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, Canada
| | - Grace V Mercer
- Department of Chemistry, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, Canada
| | - Darcie Stapleton
- Department of Chemistry, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, Canada
| | - Laura Dawson
- Department of Psychology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, Canada
| | - Phillip E MacCallum
- Department of Psychology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, Canada
| | - Shoshana Spring
- Mouse Imaging Centre, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Canada
| | - John G Sled
- Mouse Imaging Centre, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Canada.,Translational Medicine, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Canada.,Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Jacqueline Blundell
- Department of Psychology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, Canada
| | - Lindsay S Cahill
- Department of Chemistry, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, Canada.,Discipline of Radiology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, Canada
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14
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Saghian R, Cahill LS, Debebe SK, Rahman A, Serghides L, McDonald CR, Weckman AM, Kain KC, Sled JG. Allometric scaling relationships in mouse placenta. J R Soc Interface 2022; 19:20220579. [PMID: 36349448 PMCID: PMC9653247 DOI: 10.1098/rsif.2022.0579] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [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: 08/09/2022] [Accepted: 10/19/2022] [Indexed: 08/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Fetal growth and maturation are highly intertwined with placental development during pregnancy. Here we used placental vascular morphology measurements (depth and span) as well as the umbilical artery (UA) diameter of previously published studies on three different mouse strains (C57BL6/J, CD-1 and BALB/c), which were exposed to different conditions (combination antiretroviral therapy, chronic maternal hypoxia and malaria infection) at different embryonic days, to test the hypothesis that placental vascularization and specifically the UA size affect conceptus weight. Interaction of each study parameter with embryonic day, strain and exposure to treatments are studied to investigate the stability of the scaling relationships across and/or within strains and conditions. In addition, the effect of UA diameter on the placental growth measurements (depth and span) is studied. These results show that the power-law scaling relationship of conceptus weight and placental depth with the UA diameter is conserved across strains and conditions with the scaling exponent of approximately 3/8 and 5/8, respectively. By contrast, the relationship between conceptus weight and either the placental span or depth is different between strains and conditions, suggesting multiple mechanisms of vascular adaptation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rojan Saghian
- Mouse Imaging Centre, 25 Orde Street, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Translational Medicine, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Lindsay S. Cahill
- Mouse Imaging Centre, 25 Orde Street, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Chemistry, Memorial University of Newfoundland, Newfoundland and Labrador, St John’s, Canada
| | - Sarah K. Debebe
- Mouse Imaging Centre, 25 Orde Street, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Translational Medicine, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Medical Biophysics, University Health Network-Toronto General Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Anum Rahman
- Mouse Imaging Centre, 25 Orde Street, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Translational Medicine, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Medical Biophysics, University Health Network-Toronto General Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Lena Serghides
- Department of Immunology and Institute of Medical Sciences, University Health Network-Toronto General Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Toronto General Hospital Research Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Women’s College Research Institute, Women’s College Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Chloe R. McDonald
- Institute of Medical Science, University Health Network-Toronto General Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Sandra A. Rotman Laboratories, Sandra Rotman Centre for Global Health, University Health Network-Toronto General Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Andrea M. Weckman
- Sandra A. Rotman Laboratories, Sandra Rotman Centre for Global Health, University Health Network-Toronto General Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Kevin C. Kain
- Institute of Medical Science, University Health Network-Toronto General Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Sandra A. Rotman Laboratories, Sandra Rotman Centre for Global Health, University Health Network-Toronto General Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Tropical Disease Unit, Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - John G. Sled
- Mouse Imaging Centre, 25 Orde Street, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Translational Medicine, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Medical Biophysics, University Health Network-Toronto General Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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15
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Goolaub DS, Xu J, Schrauben EM, Marini D, Kingdom JC, Sled JG, Seed M, Macgowan CK. Volumetric Fetal Flow Imaging With Magnetic Resonance Imaging. IEEE Trans Med Imaging 2022; 41:2941-2952. [PMID: 35604966 DOI: 10.1109/tmi.2022.3176814] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Fetal development relies on a complex circulatory network. Accurate assessment of flow distribution is important for understanding pathologies and potential therapies. In this paper, we demonstrate a method for volumetric imaging of fetal flow with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Fetal MRI faces challenges: small vascular structures, unpredictable motion, and inadequate traditional cardiac gating methods. Here, orthogonal multislice stacks are acquired with accelerated multidimensional radial phase contrast (PC) MRI. Slices are reconstructed into flow sensitive time-series images with motion correction and image-based cardiac gating. They are then combined into a dynamic volume using slice-to-volume reconstruction (SVR) while resolving interslice spatiotemporal coregistration. Compared to prior methods, this approach achieves higher spatiotemporal resolution ( 1×1×1 mm3, ~30 ms) with reduced scan time - important features for the quantification of flow through small fetal structures. Validation is demonstrated in adults by comparing SVR with 4D radial PCMRI (flow bias and limits of agreement: -1.1 ml/s and [-11.8 9.6] ml/s). Feasibility is demonstrated in late gestation fetuses by comparing SVR with 2D Cartesian PCMRI (flow bias and limits of agreement: -0.9 ml/min/kg and [-39.7 37.8] ml/min/kg). With SVR, we demonstrate complex flow pathways (such as parallel flow streams in the proximal inferior vena cava, preferential shunting of blood from the ductus venosus into the left atrium, and blood from the brain leaving the heart through the main pulmonary artery) for the first time in human fetal circulation. This method allows for comprehensive evaluation of the fetal circulation and enables future studies of fetal physiology.
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16
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Zuo M, Fettig NM, Bernier LP, Pössnecker E, Spring S, Pu A, Ma XI, Lee DS, Ward LA, Sharma A, Kuhle J, Sled JG, Pröbstel AK, MacVicar BA, Osborne LC, Gommerman JL, Ramaglia V. Age-dependent grey matter demyelination is associated with leptomeningeal neutrophil accumulation. JCI Insight 2022; 7:158144. [PMID: 35536649 PMCID: PMC9309059 DOI: 10.1172/jci.insight.158144] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2022] [Accepted: 05/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
People living with multiple sclerosis (MS) experience episodic CNS white matter lesions instigated by autoreactive T cells. With age, patients with MS show evidence of gray matter demyelination and experience devastating nonremitting symptomology. What drives progression is unclear and studying this has been hampered by the lack of suitable animal models. Here, we show that passive experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) induced by an adoptive transfer of young Th17 cells induced a nonremitting clinical phenotype that was associated with persistent leptomeningeal inflammation and cortical pathology in old, but not young, SJL/J mice. Although the quantity and quality of T cells did not differ in the brains of old versus young EAE mice, an increase in neutrophils and a decrease in B cells were observed in the brains of old mice. Neutrophils were also found in the leptomeninges of a subset of progressive MS patient brains that showed evidence of leptomeningeal inflammation and subpial cortical demyelination. Taken together, our data show that while Th17 cells initiate CNS inflammation, subsequent clinical symptoms and gray matter pathology are dictated by age and associated with other immune cells, such as neutrophils.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michelle Zuo
- Department of Immunology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Naomi M Fettig
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | | | - Elisabeth Pössnecker
- Department of Biomedicine, University Hospital and University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Shoshana Spring
- Mouse Imaging Centre, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Canada
| | - Annie Pu
- Department of Immunology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Xianjie I Ma
- Department of Immunology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Dennis Sw Lee
- Department of Immunology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Lesley A Ward
- Department of Immunology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Anshu Sharma
- Department of Immunology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Jens Kuhle
- Department of Biomedicine, University Hospital and University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - John G Sled
- Mouse Imaging Centre, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Canada
| | - Anne-Katrin Pröbstel
- Department of Biomedicine, University Hospital and University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Brian A MacVicar
- Department of Psychiatry, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Lisa C Osborne
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | | | - Valeria Ramaglia
- Department of Immunology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
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17
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Assimopoulos S, Hammill C, Fernandes DJ, Spencer Noakes TL, Zhou YQ, Nutter LMJ, Ellegood J, Anagnostou E, Sled JG, Lerch JP. Genetic mouse models of autism spectrum disorder present subtle heterogenous cardiac abnormalities. Autism Res 2022; 15:1189-1208. [PMID: 35445787 PMCID: PMC9325472 DOI: 10.1002/aur.2728] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2021] [Revised: 03/16/2022] [Accepted: 03/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and congenital heart disease (CHD) are linked on a functional and genetic level. Most work has investigated CHD‐related neurodevelopmental abnormalities. Cardiac abnormalities in ASD have been less studied. We investigated the prevalence of cardiac comorbidities relative to ASD genetic contributors. Using high frequency ultrasound imaging, we screened 9 ASD‐related genetic mouse models (Arid1b(+/−), Chd8(+/−), 16p11.2 (deletion), Sgsh(+/−), Sgsh(−/−), Shank3 Δexon 4–9(+/−), Shank3 Δexon 4–9(−/−), Fmr1(−/−), Vps13b(+/−)), and pooled wild‐type littermates (WTs). We measured heart rate (HR), aorta diameter (AoD), thickness and thickening of the left‐ventricular (LV) anterior and posterior walls, LV chamber diameter, fractional shortening, stroke volume and cardiac output, mitral inflow Peak E and A velocity ratio, ascending aorta velocity time integral (VTI). Mutant groups presented small‐scale alterations in cardiac structure and function compared to WTs (LV anterior wall thickness and thickening, chamber diameter and fractional shortening, HR). A greater number of significant differences was observed among mutant groups than between mutant groups and WTs. Mutant groups differed primarily in structural measures (LV chamber diameter and anterior wall thickness, HR, AoD). The mutant groups with most differences to WTs were 16p11.2 (deletion), Fmr1(−/−), Arid1b(+/−). The mutant groups with most differences from other mutant groups were 16p11.2 (deletion), Sgsh(+/−), Fmr1(−/−). Our results recapitulate the associated clinical findings. The characteristic ASD heterogeneity was recapitulated in the cardiac phenotype. The type of abnormal measures (morphological, functional) can highlight common underlying mechanisms. Clinically, knowledge of cardiac abnormalities in ASD can be essential as even non‐lethal abnormalities impact normal development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephania Assimopoulos
- Mouse Imaging Centre, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,Sickkids Research Institute, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Christopher Hammill
- Mouse Imaging Centre, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,Sickkids Research Institute, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Darren J Fernandes
- Mouse Imaging Centre, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,Sickkids Research Institute, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Tara Leigh Spencer Noakes
- Mouse Imaging Centre, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,Sickkids Research Institute, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Yu-Qing Zhou
- Mouse Imaging Centre, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Lauryl M J Nutter
- Sickkids Research Institute, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,The Centre for Phenogenomics, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Jacob Ellegood
- Mouse Imaging Centre, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,Sickkids Research Institute, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Evdokia Anagnostou
- Bloorview Research Institute, Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - John G Sled
- Mouse Imaging Centre, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,Sickkids Research Institute, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Jason P Lerch
- Mouse Imaging Centre, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,Sickkids Research Institute, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, The University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
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18
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Cahill LS, Mercer GV, Jagota D, Ravi Chandran A, Milligan N, Shinar S, Whitehead CL, Hobson SR, Serghides L, Parks WT, Macgowan CK, Kingdom JC, Sled JG, Baschat AA. Doppler Ultrasound of the Fetal Descending Aorta: An Objective Tool to Assess Placental Blood Flow Resistance in Pregnancies With Discordant Umbilical Arteries. J Ultrasound Med 2022; 41:899-905. [PMID: 34228375 PMCID: PMC8733057 DOI: 10.1002/jum.15773] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2021] [Revised: 06/10/2021] [Accepted: 06/20/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES To determine the relationship between blood flow in the fetal descending aorta and discordant umbilical arteries (UAs). METHODS Pulsed wave Doppler of both UAs and the descending aorta was performed at 4-weekly intervals between 14 and 40 weeks of gestation in 209 pregnant women. In datasets with discordant UAs, a linear mixed effects model was used to determine the categorical relationship between the UA pulsatility index (PI) (high, low and average) and the descending aorta PI. RESULTS Of the 209 cases, 81 had a discordance of greater than 25% in UA PI during one of their visits. There were no differences in birth outcomes between the groups with concordant and discordant UA PIs. In the cases with discordant UA PIs, the descending aorta PI was most strongly associated with both the average UA PI (P = .008), and with the UA with the lower PI (P = .008). CONCLUSIONS The relationship between blood flow in the descending aorta and UAs is consistent with the law for combining resistances in parallel. Measurements of the descending aorta PI, particularly in a scenario with discordant UAs, may inform the stability of the feto-placental circulation where discordant UA PIs are found.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lindsay S Cahill
- Department of Chemistry, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada
| | - Grace V Mercer
- Department of Chemistry, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada
| | - Dakshita Jagota
- Department of Chemistry, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada
| | | | - Natasha Milligan
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Paediatrics, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | | | - Clare L Whitehead
- Pregnancy Research Centre, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Royal Women's Hospital, Parkville, Australia
| | | | - Lena Serghides
- Toronto General Hospital Research Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Immunology and Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Women's College Research Institute, Women's College Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - W Tony Parks
- Department of Pathology, Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Christopher K Macgowan
- Translational Medicine, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - John C Kingdom
- Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - John G Sled
- Translational Medicine, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Mouse Imaging Centre, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Ahmet A Baschat
- Centre for Fetal Therapy, Johns Hopkins Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
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19
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Arbabi A, Spencer Noakes L, Vousden D, Dazai J, Spring S, Botelho O, Keshavarzian T, Mattingly M, Ellegood JE, Nutter LMJ, Wissmann R, Sled JG, Lerch JP, Henkelman RM, Nieman BJ. Multiple-mouse magnetic resonance imaging with cryogenic radiofrequency probes for evaluation of brain development. Neuroimage 2022; 252:119008. [PMID: 35245675 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2022.119008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2022] [Revised: 02/09/2022] [Accepted: 02/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Multiple-mouse magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) increases scan throughput by imaging several mice simultaneously in the same magnet bore, enabling multiple images to be obtained in the same time as a single scan. This increase in throughput enables larger studies than otherwise feasible and is particularly advantageous in longitudinal study designs where frequent imaging time points result in high demand for MRI resources. Cryogenically-cooled radiofrequency probes (CryoProbes) have been demonstrated to have significant signal-to-noise ratio benefits over comparable room temperature coils for in vivo mouse imaging. In this work, we demonstrate implementation of a multiple-mouse MRI system using CryoProbes, achieved by mounting four such coils in a 30-cm, 7-Tesla magnet bore. The approach is demonstrated for longitudinal quantification of brain structure from infancy to early adulthood in a mouse model of Sanfilippo syndrome (mucopolysaccharidosis type III), generated by knockout of the Hgsnat gene. We find that Hgsnat-/- mice have regionally increased growth rates compared to Hgsnat+/+ mice in a number of brain regions, notably including the ventricles, amygdala and superior colliculus. A strong sex dependence was also noted, with the lateral ventricle volume growing at an accelerated rate in males, but several structures in the brain parenchyma growing faster in females. This approach is broadly applicable to other mouse models of human disease and the increased throughput may be particularly beneficial in studying mouse models of neurodevelopmental disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Arbabi
- Mouse Imaging Centre, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada; Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Nijmegen, Netherlands
| | - L Spencer Noakes
- Mouse Imaging Centre, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada; Pre-Therapeutic Target Discovery, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Tarrytown, NY, United States
| | - D Vousden
- Mouse Imaging Centre, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada; DataKind UK, London, UK
| | - J Dazai
- Mouse Imaging Centre, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - S Spring
- Mouse Imaging Centre, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - O Botelho
- Mouse Imaging Centre, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - T Keshavarzian
- Mouse Imaging Centre, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada; Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - M Mattingly
- Bruker BioSpin Corporation, Billerica, MA, United States
| | - J E Ellegood
- Mouse Imaging Centre, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - L M J Nutter
- The Centre for Phenogenomics, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - R Wissmann
- Bruker BioSpin Corporation, Ettlingen, Germany
| | - J G Sled
- Mouse Imaging Centre, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada; Translational Medicine, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada; Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - J P Lerch
- Mouse Imaging Centre, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada; Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada; Neuroscience and Mental Health, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada; Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, FMRIB, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - R M Henkelman
- Mouse Imaging Centre, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada; Translational Medicine, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada; Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - B J Nieman
- Mouse Imaging Centre, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada; Translational Medicine, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada; Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada; Ontario Institute for Cancer Research, Toronto, ON, Canada.
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20
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Lu L, Liu X, Bian K, Sled JG, Monson K, Brown A, Mao H. The Effect of 3D Whole, Major, and Small Vasculature On Mouse Brain Strain Under Both Diffuse and Focal Brain Injury Loading. J Biomech Eng 2022; 144:1133338. [PMID: 35079765 DOI: 10.1115/1.4053664] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2020] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Blood vessels are much stiffer than brain parenchyma and their effects in finite element (FE) brain models need to be investigated. Despite the publication of some comprehensive three-dimensional (3D) brain vasculature models, no mechanical model exists for the mouse brain vasculature. Moreover, how the vasculature affects the mechanical behavior of brain tissue remains controversial. Therefore, we developed FE mouse brain models with detailed 3D vasculature to investigate the effect of the vasculature on brain strains under both diffuse (closed-head impact) and focal injury (controlled cortical impact (CCI)) loading, two commonly laboratory models of traumatic brain injury. The effect of the vasculature was examined by comparing maximum principal strain in mouse brain FE models with and without the vasculature. On average, modeling comprehensive vasculature under diffuse injury loading reduced average brain strain predictions by 32% with non-linear elastic properties. Nearly three-fourths of the 32% strain reduction was attributable to the effects of the major branches of the vasculature. Meanwhile, during focal open-skull CCI injury loading, the contribution of the vasculature was limited, producing a less than 5% reduction in all cases. Overall, the vasculature, especially the major branches, increased the load-bearing capacity of the brain FE model and thus reduced brain strain predictions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lihong Lu
- Mechanical and Materials Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Western University, London ON Canada
| | - Xingyu Liu
- Mechanical and Materials Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Western University, London ON Canada
| | - Kewei Bian
- Mechanical and Materials Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Western University, London ON Canada
| | - John G Sled
- Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto Canada; Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Canada
| | - Ken Monson
- Mechanical Engineering, The University of Utah, Salt Lake City UT USA; Biomedical Engineering, University of Utah, Salt Lake City UT USA
| | - Arthur Brown
- Robarts Research Institute, Western University, London ON Canada
| | - Haojie Mao
- Mechanical and Materials Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Western University, London ON Canada; School of Biomedical Engineering, Western University, London ON Canada
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21
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Trigiani LJ, Bourourou M, Lacalle-Aurioles M, Lecrux C, Hynes A, Spring S, Fernandes DJ, Sled JG, Lesage F, Schwaninger M, Hamel E. A functional cerebral endothelium is necessary to protect against cognitive decline. J Cereb Blood Flow Metab 2022; 42:74-89. [PMID: 34515549 PMCID: PMC8721775 DOI: 10.1177/0271678x211045438] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
A vascular insult occurring early in disease onset may initiate cognitive decline leading to dementia, while pharmacological and lifestyle interventions can prevent this progression. Mice with a selective, tamoxifen-inducible deletion of NF-κB essential modulator (Nemo) in brain endothelial cells were studied as a model of vascular cognitive impairment. Groups included NemoFl controls and three NemobeKO groups: One untreated, and two treated with simvastatin or exercise. Social preference and nesting were impaired in NemobeKO mice and were not countered by treatments. Cerebrovascular function was compromised in NemobeKO groups regardless of treatment, with decreased changes in sensory-evoked cerebral blood flow and total hemoglobin levels, and impaired endothelium-dependent vasodilation. NemobeKO mice had increased string vessel pathology, blood-brain barrier disruption, neuroinflammation, and reduced cortical somatostatin-containing interneurons. These alterations were reversed when endothelial function was recovered. Findings strongly suggest that damage to the cerebral endothelium can trigger pathologies associated with dementia and its functional integrity should be an effective target in future therapeutic efforts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lianne J Trigiani
- Laboratory of Cerebrovascular Research, Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montréal, Canada
| | - Miled Bourourou
- Laboratory of Cerebrovascular Research, Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montréal, Canada
| | - María Lacalle-Aurioles
- Laboratory of Cerebrovascular Research, Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montréal, Canada
| | - Clotilde Lecrux
- Laboratory of Cerebrovascular Research, Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montréal, Canada
| | - Amy Hynes
- Laboratory of Cerebrovascular Research, Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montréal, Canada
| | - Shoshana Spring
- Mouse Imaging Centre (MICe), Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Canada
| | - Darren J Fernandes
- Mouse Imaging Centre (MICe), Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Canada
| | - John G Sled
- Mouse Imaging Centre (MICe), Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Canada
| | - Frédéric Lesage
- Biomedical Engineering Institute, École Polytechnique de Montréal, Montréal, Canada
| | - Markus Schwaninger
- Institute for Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany
| | - Edith Hamel
- Laboratory of Cerebrovascular Research, Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montréal, Canada
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22
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Tran V, Weckman AM, Crowley VM, Cahill LS, Zhong K, Cabrera A, Elphinstone RE, Pearce V, Madanitsa M, Kalilani-Phiri L, Mwapasa V, Khairallah C, Conroy AL, Ter Kuile FO, Sled JG, Kain KC. The Angiopoietin-Tie2 axis contributes to placental vascular disruption and adverse birth outcomes in malaria in pregnancy. EBioMedicine 2021; 73:103683. [PMID: 34758414 PMCID: PMC8590041 DOI: 10.1016/j.ebiom.2021.103683] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2021] [Revised: 09/28/2021] [Accepted: 10/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Malaria during pregnancy is a major contributor to the global burden of adverse birth outcomes including fetal growth restriction, preterm birth, and fetal loss. Recent evidence supports a role for angiogenic dysregulation and perturbations to placental vascular development in the pathobiology of malaria in pregnancy. The Angiopoietin-Tie2 axis is critical for placental vascularization and remodeling. We hypothesized that disruption of this pathway would contribute to malaria-induced adverse birth outcomes. Methods Using samples from a previously conducted prospective cohort study of pregnant women in Malawi, we measured circulating levels of angiopoietin-1 (Angpt-1) and Angpt-2 by Luminex (n=1392). We used a preclinical model of malaria in pregnancy (Plasmodium berghei ANKA [PbA] in pregnant BALB/c mice), genetic disruption of Angpt-1 (Angpt1+/− mice), and micro-CT analysis of placental vasculature to test the hypothesis that disruptions to the Angpt-Tie2 axis by malaria during pregnancy would result in aberrant placental vasculature and adverse birth outcomes. Findings Decreased circulating levels of Angpt-1 and an increased ratio of Angpt-2/Angpt-1 across pregnancy were associated with malaria in pregnancy. In the preclinical model, PbA infection recapitulated disruptions to the Angiopoietin-Tie2 axis resulting in reduced fetal growth and viability. Malaria decreased placental Angpt-1 and Tie2 expression and acted synergistically with reduced Angpt-1 in heterozygous dams (Angpt1+/−), to worsen birth outcomes by impeding vascular remodeling required for placental function. Interpretation Collectively, these data support a mechanistic role for the Angpt-Tie2 axis in malaria in pregnancy, including a potential protective role for Angpt-1 in mitigating infection-associated adverse birth outcomes. Funding This work was supported by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), Canada Research Chair, and Toronto General Research Institute Postdoctoral Fellowship Award. The parent trial was supported by the European & Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership and the Malaria in Pregnancy Consortium, which was funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The funders had no role in design, analysis, or reporting of these studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vanessa Tran
- SAR Laboratories, Sandra Rotman Centre for Global Health, University Health Network-Toronto General Hospital Research Institute, Toronto, Canada; Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Canada
| | - Andrea M Weckman
- SAR Laboratories, Sandra Rotman Centre for Global Health, University Health Network-Toronto General Hospital Research Institute, Toronto, Canada; Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Canada
| | - Valerie M Crowley
- SAR Laboratories, Sandra Rotman Centre for Global Health, University Health Network-Toronto General Hospital Research Institute, Toronto, Canada
| | - Lindsay S Cahill
- Mouse Imaging Centre, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Canada
| | - Kathleen Zhong
- SAR Laboratories, Sandra Rotman Centre for Global Health, University Health Network-Toronto General Hospital Research Institute, Toronto, Canada
| | - Ana Cabrera
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, Western University, London, Canada
| | - Robyn E Elphinstone
- SAR Laboratories, Sandra Rotman Centre for Global Health, University Health Network-Toronto General Hospital Research Institute, Toronto, Canada; Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Canada
| | - Victoria Pearce
- SAR Laboratories, Sandra Rotman Centre for Global Health, University Health Network-Toronto General Hospital Research Institute, Toronto, Canada
| | - Mwayiwawo Madanitsa
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Academy of Medical Sciences, Malawi University of Science and Technology, Thyolo, Malawi
| | | | - Victor Mwapasa
- College of Medicine, University of Malawi, Blantyre, Malawi
| | - Carole Khairallah
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Andrea L Conroy
- Department of Pediatrics, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, United States
| | - Feiko O Ter Kuile
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - John G Sled
- Mouse Imaging Centre, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Canada
| | - Kevin C Kain
- SAR Laboratories, Sandra Rotman Centre for Global Health, University Health Network-Toronto General Hospital Research Institute, Toronto, Canada; Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Canada; Tropical Disease Unit, Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada.
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23
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Rahman A, DeYoung T, Cahill LS, Yee Y, Debebe SK, Botelho O, Seed M, Chaturvedi RR, Sled JG. A mouse model of hypoplastic left heart syndrome demonstrating left heart hypoplasia and retrograde aortic arch flow. Dis Model Mech 2021; 14:dmm049077. [PMID: 34514502 PMCID: PMC8592017 DOI: 10.1242/dmm.049077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2021] [Accepted: 09/03/2021] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
In hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS), the mechanisms leading to left heart hypoplasia and their associated fetal abnormalities are largely unknown. Current animal models have limited utility in resolving these questions as they either do not fully reproduce the cardiac phenotype, do not survive to term and/or have very low disease penetrance. Here, we report the development of a surgically induced mouse model of HLHS that overcomes these limitations. Briefly, we microinjected the fetal left atrium of embryonic day (E)14.5 mice with an embolizing agent under high-frequency ultrasound guidance, which partially blocks blood flow into the left heart and induces hypoplasia. At term (E18.5), all positively embolized mice exhibit retrograde aortic arch flow, non-apex-forming left ventricles and hypoplastic ascending aortas. We thus report the development of the first mouse model of isolated HLHS with a fully penetrant cardiac phenotype and survival to term. Our method allows for the interrogation of previously intractable questions, such as determining the mechanisms of cardiac hypoplasia and fetal abnormalities observed in HLHS, as well as testing of mechanism-based therapies, which are urgently lacking.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anum Rahman
- Mouse Imaging Centre, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5T 3H7, Canada
- Translational Medicine, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 1X8, Canada
- Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5G 1L7, Canada
| | - Taylor DeYoung
- Mouse Imaging Centre, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5T 3H7, Canada
| | - Lindsay S. Cahill
- Mouse Imaging Centre, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5T 3H7, Canada
- Department of Chemistry, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St John's, NL A1B 3X7, Canada
| | - Yohan Yee
- Mouse Imaging Centre, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5T 3H7, Canada
- Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5G 1L7, Canada
| | - Sarah K. Debebe
- Mouse Imaging Centre, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5T 3H7, Canada
- Translational Medicine, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 1X8, Canada
- Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5G 1L7, Canada
| | - Owen Botelho
- Mouse Imaging Centre, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5T 3H7, Canada
| | - Mike Seed
- Division of Pediatric Cardiology, Department of Pediatrics, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 1X8, Canada
| | - Rajiv R. Chaturvedi
- Division of Pediatric Cardiology, Department of Pediatrics, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 1X8, Canada
| | - John G. Sled
- Mouse Imaging Centre, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5T 3H7, Canada
- Translational Medicine, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 1X8, Canada
- Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5G 1L7, Canada
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5G 1E2, Canada
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24
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Mester JR, Bazzigaluppi P, Dorr A, Beckett T, Burke M, McLaurin J, Sled JG, Stefanovic B. Attenuation of tonic inhibition prevents chronic neurovascular impairments in a Thy1-ChR2 mouse model of repeated, mild traumatic brain injury. Am J Cancer Res 2021; 11:7685-7699. [PMID: 34335958 PMCID: PMC8315057 DOI: 10.7150/thno.60190] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2021] [Accepted: 06/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Rationale: Mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI), the most common type of brain trauma, frequently leads to chronic cognitive and neurobehavioral deficits. Intervening effectively is impeded by our poor understanding of its pathophysiological sequelae. Methods: To elucidate the long-term neurovascular sequelae of mTBI, we combined optogenetics, two-photon fluorescence microscopy, and intracortical electrophysiological recordings in mice to selectively stimulate peri-contusional neurons weeks following repeated closed-head injury and probe individual vessel's function and local neuronal reactivity. Results: Compared to sham-operated animals, mTBI mice showed doubled cortical venular speeds (115 ± 25%) and strongly elevated cortical venular reactivity (53 ± 17%). Concomitantly, the pericontusional neurons exhibited attenuated spontaneous activity (-57 ± 79%) and decreased reactivity (-47 ± 28%). Post-mortem immunofluorescence revealed signs of peri-contusional senescence and DNA damage, in the absence of neuronal loss or gliosis. Alteration of neuronal and vascular functioning was largely prevented by chronic, low dose, systemic administration of a GABA-A receptor inverse agonist (L-655,708), commencing 3 days following the third impact. Conclusions: Our findings indicate that repeated mTBI leads to dramatic changes in the neurovascular unit function and that attenuation of tonic inhibition can prevent these alterations. The sustained disruption of the neurovascular function may underlie the concussed brain's long-term susceptibility to injury, and calls for development of better functional assays as well as of neurovascularly targeted interventions.
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25
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Shreeve N, Traherne JA, Sovio U, Hawkes D, Depierreux D, Huhn O, Jayaraman J, Horowitz A, Ghadially H, Perry JRB, Moffett A, Sled JG, Sharkey AM, Colucci F. NKG2A educates uterine NK cells to optimise pregnancy outcomes in humans and mice. The Journal of Immunology 2021. [DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.206.supp.55.05] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/09/2023]
Abstract
Abstract
The conserved CD94/NKG2A receptor binds HLA-E in humans and Qa-1 in mice. Besides inhibiting natural killer (NK) cell activation, NKG2A drives NK-cell education, a process influenced by HLA-B alleles that promotes NK cell function. In human populations some individuals are genetically programmed to favour NKG2A education and have more robust NK cell function. NKG2A is expressed by nearly all human and roughly half mouse uterine NK cells (uNK), but the importance of NK-cell education in physiology is unknown.
Here we show that NKG2A was required for uNK cell-education in dams. Genetic ablation of NKG2A caused sub-optimal vascular responses in pregnancy, increased rate of smaller fetuses, which grew asymmetrically with abnormal brain development, and changes in placental gene expression consistent with stress. These are features of the human syndrome pre-eclampsia. In a genome-wide association study of 7,219 cases and 155,660 control pregnancies, we found that the maternal HLA-B allele that does not favour NKG2A education, was associated with a 7% greater relative risk of pre-eclampsia (P=0.005, OR= 1.07).
These results establish the relevance of NK cell education in physiology and show that the maternal HLA-B –> HLA-E –> NKG2A pathway contributes to healthy pregnancy and may influence offspring health.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - U Sovio
- 1University of Cambridge, UK
| | | | | | - O Huhn
- 1University of Cambridge, UK
- 2AstraZeneca, Cambridge, UK
| | | | - A Horowitz
- 3Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, USA
| | | | | | | | - JG Sled
- 4University Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Canada
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26
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Shreeve N, Depierreux D, Hawkes D, Traherne JA, Sovio U, Huhn O, Jayaraman J, Horowitz A, Ghadially H, Perry JRB, Moffett A, Sled JG, Sharkey AM, Colucci F. The CD94/NKG2A inhibitory receptor educates uterine NK cells to optimize pregnancy outcomes in humans and mice. Immunity 2021; 54:1231-1244.e4. [PMID: 33887202 PMCID: PMC8211638 DOI: 10.1016/j.immuni.2021.03.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2019] [Revised: 12/13/2020] [Accepted: 03/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The conserved CD94/NKG2A inhibitory receptor is expressed by nearly all human and ∼50% of mouse uterine natural killer (uNK) cells. Binding human HLA-E and mouse Qa-1, NKG2A drives NK cell education, a process of unknown physiological importance influenced by HLA-B alleles. Here, we show that NKG2A genetic ablation in dams mated with wild-type males caused suboptimal maternal vascular responses in pregnancy, accompanied by perturbed placental gene expression, reduced fetal weight, greater rates of smaller fetuses with asymmetric growth, and abnormal brain development. These are features of the human syndrome pre-eclampsia. In a genome-wide association study of 7,219 pre-eclampsia cases, we found a 7% greater relative risk associated with the maternal HLA-B allele that does not favor NKG2A education. These results show that the maternal HLA-B→HLA-E→NKG2A pathway contributes to healthy pregnancy and may have repercussions on offspring health, thus establishing the physiological relevance for NK cell education. Video Abstract
CD94/NKG2A educates uterine NK cells NKG2A-deficient dams display reduced utero-placental hemodynamic adaptations Asymmetric growth restriction and abnormal brain development in NKG2A-deficient dams Non-functional HLA-B→HLA-E→NKG2A pathway exposes women to greater pre-eclampsia risk
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Affiliation(s)
- Norman Shreeve
- Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology, University of Cambridge, National Institute for Health Research Cambridge Biomedical Research Centre, Cambridge CB2 0SW, UK; University of Cambridge Centre for Trophoblast Research, Cambridge, UK
| | - Delphine Depierreux
- Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology, University of Cambridge, National Institute for Health Research Cambridge Biomedical Research Centre, Cambridge CB2 0SW, UK; University of Cambridge Centre for Trophoblast Research, Cambridge, UK
| | - Delia Hawkes
- Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology, University of Cambridge, National Institute for Health Research Cambridge Biomedical Research Centre, Cambridge CB2 0SW, UK
| | | | - Ulla Sovio
- Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology, University of Cambridge, National Institute for Health Research Cambridge Biomedical Research Centre, Cambridge CB2 0SW, UK; University of Cambridge Centre for Trophoblast Research, Cambridge, UK
| | - Oisin Huhn
- Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology, University of Cambridge, National Institute for Health Research Cambridge Biomedical Research Centre, Cambridge CB2 0SW, UK; University of Cambridge Centre for Trophoblast Research, Cambridge, UK; Department of Pathology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK; AstraZeneca, Granta Park, Cambridge CB21 6GH, UK
| | - Jyothi Jayaraman
- University of Cambridge Centre for Trophoblast Research, Cambridge, UK; Department of Pathology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK; Department of Physiology, Development and Neurobiology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Amir Horowitz
- Department of Oncological Sciences, Precision Immunology Institute and Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | | | - John R B Perry
- MRC Epidemiology Unit, University of Cambridge, Cambridge UK
| | - Ashley Moffett
- University of Cambridge Centre for Trophoblast Research, Cambridge, UK; Department of Pathology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - John G Sled
- Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada; Translational Medicine, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Canada
| | - Andrew M Sharkey
- University of Cambridge Centre for Trophoblast Research, Cambridge, UK; Department of Pathology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Francesco Colucci
- Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology, University of Cambridge, National Institute for Health Research Cambridge Biomedical Research Centre, Cambridge CB2 0SW, UK; University of Cambridge Centre for Trophoblast Research, Cambridge, UK.
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27
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Mohan H, Guzman Lenis M, Laurette EY, Tejada O, Sanghvi T, Leung KY, Cahill LS, Sled JG, Delgado-Olguín P, Greene NDE, Copp AJ, Serghides L. In response to the Letter to the Editor by Romach et al. re our publication "Dolutegravir in pregnant mice is associated with increased rates of fetal defects at therapeutic but not at supratherapeutic levels". EBioMedicine 2021; 66:103334. [PMID: 33862586 PMCID: PMC8054139 DOI: 10.1016/j.ebiom.2021.103334] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2021] [Accepted: 03/24/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- H Mohan
- Toronto General Hospital Research Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, Canada
| | - M Guzman Lenis
- Toronto General Hospital Research Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, Canada
| | - E Y Laurette
- Toronto General Hospital Research Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, Canada
| | - O Tejada
- Toronto General Hospital Research Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, Canada
| | - T Sanghvi
- Toronto General Hospital Research Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, Canada
| | - K-Y Leung
- Developmental Biology & Cancer Department, UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, London, UK
| | - L S Cahill
- Mouse Imaging Centre, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Department of Chemistry, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada
| | - J G Sled
- Mouse Imaging Centre, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Translational Medicine, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario M5G 0A4, Canada
| | - P Delgado-Olguín
- Translational Medicine, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario M5G 0A4, Canada; Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 1A8, Canada; Heart & Stroke Richard Lewar Centre of Excellence, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3H2, Canada
| | - N D E Greene
- Developmental Biology & Cancer Department, UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, London, UK
| | - A J Copp
- Developmental Biology & Cancer Department, UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, London, UK
| | - L Serghides
- Toronto General Hospital Research Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, Canada; Department of Immunology and Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Women's College Research Institute, Women's College Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
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28
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Jagota D, George H, Walker M, Ravi Chandran A, Milligan N, Shinar S, Whitehead CL, Hobson SR, Serghides L, Parks WT, Baschat AA, Macgowan CK, Sled JG, Kingdom JC, Cahill LS. Sex differences in fetal Doppler parameters during gestation. Biol Sex Differ 2021; 12:26. [PMID: 33691774 PMCID: PMC7944891 DOI: 10.1186/s13293-021-00370-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2021] [Accepted: 03/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Fetal sex is known to affect pregnancy outcomes. In current clinical practice, monitoring of fetal well-being is based on Doppler ultrasound measurements of major placental and fetal vessels. The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of fetal sex on Doppler parameters throughout gestation in healthy pregnancy. METHODS A prospective study was conducted in 240 pregnant women with ultrasound examinations at a 4-weekly interval between 12 and 38 weeks of gestation. Pulsed Doppler spectra were collected for the umbilical arteries (UAs), middle cerebral artery (MCA), descending abdominal aorta (DAo), and ductus venosus (DV). Linear mixed effects models were used to determine if the pulsatility indices (PIs) of these vessels depended on gestational age and fetal sex. RESULTS While there were no differences in the MCA PI and DV PIV over gestation between female and male fetuses, the trajectory of the UA and DAo PIs differed by fetal sex (p = 0.02 and p = 0.01, respectively). CONCLUSIONS Doppler ultrasound parameters were found to be dependent on fetal sex for some vessels and not for others in healthy pregnancies. Further investigations are needed to understand the physiological mechanisms for these sex differences and the relevance for disease processes in pregnancy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dakshita Jagota
- Department of Chemistry, Memorial University of Newfoundland, 283 Prince Philip Drive, St. John's, NL, A1B 3X7, Canada
| | - Hannah George
- Department of Chemistry, Memorial University of Newfoundland, 283 Prince Philip Drive, St. John's, NL, A1B 3X7, Canada
| | - Melissa Walker
- Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | | | - Natasha Milligan
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Paediatrics, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | | | - Clare L Whitehead
- Pregnancy Research Centre, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Royal Women's Hospital, Parkville, Australia
| | | | - Lena Serghides
- Toronto General Hospital Research Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Immunology and Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Women's College Research Institute, Women's College Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - W Tony Parks
- Department of Pathology, Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Ahmet A Baschat
- Centre for Fetal Therapy, Johns Hopkins Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Christopher K Macgowan
- Translational Medicine, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - John G Sled
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Translational Medicine, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Mouse Imaging Centre, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - John C Kingdom
- Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Lindsay S Cahill
- Department of Chemistry, Memorial University of Newfoundland, 283 Prince Philip Drive, St. John's, NL, A1B 3X7, Canada.
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29
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Chatterjee A, Saghian R, Dorogin A, Cahill LS, Sled JG, Lye S, Shynlova O. Combination of histochemical analyses and micro-MRI reveals regional changes of the murine cervix in preparation for labor. Sci Rep 2021; 11:4903. [PMID: 33649420 PMCID: PMC7921561 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-84036-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2020] [Accepted: 01/29/2021] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
The cervix is responsible for maintaining pregnancy, and its timely remodeling is essential for the proper delivery of a baby. Cervical insufficiency, or "weakness", may lead to preterm birth, which causes infant morbidities and mortalities worldwide. We used a mouse model of pregnancy and term labor, to examine the cervical structure by histology (Masson Trichome and Picrosirius Red staining), immunohistochemistry (Hyaluronic Acid Binding Protein/HABP), and ex-vivo MRI (T2-weighted and diffusion tensor imaging), focusing on two regions of the cervix (i.e., endocervix and ectocervix). Our results show that mouse endocervix has a higher proportion of smooth muscle cells and collagen fibers per area, with more compact tissue structure, than the ectocervix. With advanced gestation, endocervical changes, indicative of impending delivery, are manifested in fewer smooth muscle cells, expansion of the extracellular space, and lower presence of collagen fibers. MRI detected three distinctive zones in pregnant mouse endocervix: (1) inner collagenous layer, (2) middle circular muscular layer, and (3) outer longitudinal muscular layer. Diffusion MRI images detected changes in tissue organization as gestation progressed suggesting the potential application of this technique to non-invasively monitor cervical changes that precede the onset of labor in women at risk for preterm delivery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antara Chatterjee
- Physiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
- Sinai Health System, Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Rojan Saghian
- Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
- Mouse Imaging Centre, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Canada
| | - Anna Dorogin
- Sinai Health System, Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Lindsay S Cahill
- Mouse Imaging Centre, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Canada
| | - John G Sled
- Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
- Mouse Imaging Centre, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Canada
- Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Stephen Lye
- Physiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
- Sinai Health System, Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Oksana Shynlova
- Physiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada.
- Sinai Health System, Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, Toronto, ON, Canada.
- Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada.
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30
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Doroshenko ER, Drohomyrecky PC, Gower A, Whetstone H, Cahill LS, Ganguly M, Spring S, Yi TJ, Sled JG, Dunn SE. Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor-δ Deficiency in Microglia Results in Exacerbated Axonal Injury and Tissue Loss in Experimental Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis. Front Immunol 2021; 12:570425. [PMID: 33732230 PMCID: PMC7959796 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.570425] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2020] [Accepted: 01/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR)-δ is a nuclear receptor that functions to maintain metabolic homeostasis, regulate cell growth, and limit the development of excessive inflammation during immune responses. Previously, we reported that PPAR-δ-deficient mice develop a more severe clinical course of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE); however, it was difficult to delineate the role that microglia played in this disease phenotype since PPAR-δ-deficient mice exhibited a number of immune defects that enhanced CNS inflammation upstream of microglia activation. Here, we specifically investigated the role of PPAR-δ in microglia during EAE by using mice where excision of a floxed Ppard allele was driven by expression of a tamoxifen (TAM)-inducible CX3C chemokine receptor 1 promoter-Cre recombinase transgene (Cx3cr1CreERT2: Ppardfl/fl). We observed that by 30 days of TAM treatment, Cx3cr1CreERT2: Ppardfl/fl mice exhibited Cre-mediated deletion primarily in microglia and this was accompanied by efficient knockdown of Ppard expression in these cells. Upon induction of EAE, TAM-treated Cx3cr1CreERT2: Ppardfl/fl mice presented with an exacerbated course of disease compared to TAM-treated Ppardfl/fl controls. Histopathological and magnetic resonance (MR) studies on the spinal cord and brains of EAE mice revealed increased Iba-1 immunoreactivity, axonal injury and CNS tissue loss in the TAM-treated Cx3cr1CreERT2: Ppardfl/fl group compared to controls. In early EAE, a time when clinical scores and the infiltration of CD45+ leukocytes was equivalent between Cx3cr1CreERT2: Ppardfl/fl and Ppardfl/fl mice, Ppard-deficient microglia exhibited a more reactive phenotype as evidenced by a shorter maximum process length and lower expression of genes associated with a homeostatic microglia gene signature. In addition, Ppard-deficient microglia exhibited increased expression of genes associated with reactive oxygen species generation, phagocytosis and lipid clearance, M2-activation, and promotion of inflammation. Our results therefore suggest that PPAR-δ has an important role in microglia in limiting bystander tissue damage during neuroinflammation.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Annette Gower
- Keenan Research Centre for Biomedical Science of St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Heather Whetstone
- Peter Gilgan Centre for Research and Learning, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Lindsay S Cahill
- Mouse Imaging Centre, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Milan Ganguly
- Histology Core, The Centre for Phenogenomics, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Shoshana Spring
- Mouse Imaging Centre, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Tae Joon Yi
- Department of Immunology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Keenan Research Centre for Biomedical Science of St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - John G Sled
- Mouse Imaging Centre, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Shannon E Dunn
- Department of Immunology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Keenan Research Centre for Biomedical Science of St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Women's College Research Institute, Women's College Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada
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Paranavitana L, Walker M, Chandran AR, Milligan N, Shinar S, Whitehead CL, Hobson SR, Serghides L, Parks WT, Baschat AA, Macgowan CK, Sled JG, Kingdom JC, Cahill LS. Sex differences in uterine artery Doppler during gestation in pregnancies complicated by placental dysfunction. Biol Sex Differ 2021; 12:19. [PMID: 33531040 PMCID: PMC7852081 DOI: 10.1186/s13293-021-00362-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [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] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2020] [Accepted: 01/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND There is growing evidence of sex differences in placental vascular development. The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of fetal sex on uterine artery pulsatility index (PI) throughout gestation in a cohort of normal and complicated pregnancies. METHODS A prospective longitudinal study was conducted in 240 pregnant women. Pulsed wave Doppler ultrasound of the proximal uterine arteries was performed at a 4-weekly interval between 14 and 40 weeks of gestation. The patients were classified retrospectively as normal or complicated (one or more of maternal preeclampsia, preterm birth, or small for gestational age). To assess if the change in uterine artery PI during gestation differed between normal and complicated pregnancies and between fetal sexes, the uterine artery PI was modeled using a linear function of gestational age and the rate of change was estimated from the slope. RESULTS While the uterine artery PI did not differ over gestation between females and males for normal pregnancies, the trajectory of this index differed by fetal sex for pregnancies complicated by either preeclampsia, preterm birth, or fetal growth restriction (p < 0.0001). The male fetuses in the complicated pregnancy group had an elevated slope compared to the other groups (p < 0.0001), suggesting a more progressive deterioration in uteroplacental perfusion over gestation. CONCLUSIONS The uterine artery PI is widely used to assess uteroplacental function in clinical settings. The observation that this metric changes more rapidly in complicated pregnancies where the fetus was male highlights the importance of sex when interpreting hemodynamic markers of placental maturation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leah Paranavitana
- Department of Chemistry, Memorial University of Newfoundland, 283 Prince Philip Drive, St John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, A1B 3X7, Canada
| | - Melissa Walker
- Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | | | - Natasha Milligan
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Paediatrics, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | | | - Clare L Whitehead
- Pregnancy Research Centre, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Royal Women's Hospital, Parkville, Australia
| | | | - Lena Serghides
- Toronto General Hospital Research Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Immunology and Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Women's College Research Institute, Women's College Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - W Tony Parks
- Department of Pathology, Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Ahmet A Baschat
- Centre for Fetal Therapy, Johns Hopkins Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Christopher K Macgowan
- Translational Medicine, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - John G Sled
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Translational Medicine, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Mouse Imaging Centre, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - John C Kingdom
- Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Lindsay S Cahill
- Department of Chemistry, Memorial University of Newfoundland, 283 Prince Philip Drive, St John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, A1B 3X7, Canada.
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Cahill LS, Stortz G, Chandran AR, Milligan N, Shinar S, Whitehead CL, Hobson SR, Millard S, Macgowan CK, Kingdom JC, Sled JG, Baschat AA. Determination of fetal heart rate short-term variation from umbilical artery Doppler waveforms. Ultrasound Obstet Gynecol 2021; 57:70-74. [PMID: 33030756 PMCID: PMC7779755 DOI: 10.1002/uog.23145] [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] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2020] [Revised: 09/22/2020] [Accepted: 09/24/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To evaluate the feasibility of using umbilical artery (UA) Doppler waveforms to measure fetal heart rate (FHR) short-term variation (STV) across gestation. METHODS This was a prospective longitudinal study, conducted at two study sites, of 195 pregnancies considered low risk. Pulsed-wave Doppler of the UAs was performed at 4-weekly intervals, between 14 and 40 weeks of gestation, using a standardized imaging protocol. Up to 12 consecutive UA Doppler waveforms were analyzed using offline processing software. FHR STV was calculated using average R-R intervals extracted from the waveforms and baseline corrected for FHR. RESULTS Baseline-corrected FHR STV increased significantly with gestational age (conditional R2 = 0.37; P < 0.0001) and was correlated inversely with FHR (conditional R2 = 0.54; P < 0.0001). The STV ranged (median (interquartile range)) from 3.5 (2.9-4.1) ms at 14-20 weeks' gestation to 6.3 (4.8-7.7) ms at 34-40 weeks' gestation. The change in heart rate STV did not differ between study sites or individual sonographers. CONCLUSIONS UA Doppler waveforms offer a robust and feasible method to derive STV of the FHR. It should be emphasized that the UA Doppler-derived STV is not interchangeable with measurements derived with computerized cardiotocography. Accordingly, further investigations are needed to validate associations with outcome, in order to determine the value of concurrent fetal cardiovascular and heart rate evaluations that are possible with the technique described here. © 2020 International Society of Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lindsay S. Cahill
- Mouse Imaging Centre, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Chemistry, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada
| | - Greg Stortz
- Translational Medicine, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Anjana Ravi Chandran
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Natasha Milligan
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Paediatrics, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Shiri Shinar
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Clare L. Whitehead
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Pregnancy Research Centre, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Royal Women’s Hospital, Parkville, Australia
| | - Sebastian R. Hobson
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Sarah Millard
- Centre for Fetal Therapy, Johns Hopkins Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Christopher K. Macgowan
- Translational Medicine, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - John C. Kingdom
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - John G. Sled
- Mouse Imaging Centre, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Translational Medicine, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Ahmet A. Baschat
- Centre for Fetal Therapy, Johns Hopkins Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
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Mohan H, Lenis MG, Laurette EY, Tejada O, Sanghvi T, Leung KY, Cahill LS, Sled JG, Delgado-Olguín P, Greene NDE, Copp AJ, Serghides L. Dolutegravir in pregnant mice is associated with increased rates of fetal defects at therapeutic but not at supratherapeutic levels. EBioMedicine 2020; 63:103167. [PMID: 33341441 PMCID: PMC7753150 DOI: 10.1016/j.ebiom.2020.103167] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2020] [Revised: 11/02/2020] [Accepted: 11/25/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Dolutegravir (DTG) is a preferred regimen for all people with HIV including pregnant women, but its effects on the fetus are not fully understood. Periconceptional exposure to DTG has been associated with increased rates of neural tube defects (NTDs), although it is unknown whether this is a causal relationship. This has led to uncertainty around the use of DTG in women of reproductive potential. Methods Pregnant C57BL/6J mice were randomly allocated to control (water), 1x-DTG (2.5 mg/kg-peak plasma concentration ~3000 ng/ml – therapeutic level), or 5x-DTG (12.5 mg/kg-peak plasma concentration ~12,000 ng/ml – supratherapeutic level), once daily from gestational day 0.5 until sacrifice. DTG was administered with 50 mg/kg tenofovir+33.3 mg/kg emtricitabine. Fetal phenotypes were determined, and maternal and fetal folate levels were quantified by mass-spectrometry. Findings 352 litters (91 control, 150 1x-DTG, 111 5x-DTG) yielding 2776 fetuses (747 control, 1174 1x-DTG, 855 5x-DTG) were assessed. Litter size and viability rates were similar between groups. Fetal and placenta weights were lower in the 1x-DTG vs. control. Placental weight was higher in the 5x-DTG vs. control. Five NTDs were observed, all in the 1x-DTG group. Fetal defects, including microphthalmia, severe edema, and vascular/bleeding defects were more frequent in the 1x-DTG group. In contrast, defect rates in the 5x-DTG were similar to control. Fetal folate levels were similar between control and 1x-DTG, but were significantly higher in the 5x-DTG group. Interpretation Our findings support a causal relationship of DTG at therapeutic doses with increased risk for fetal defects, including NTDs at a rate that is similar that reported in the Tsepamo study for women exposed to DTG-based ART from conception. The non-monotonic dose-response relationship between DTG and fetal anomalies could explain the previous lack of fetal toxicity findings from pre-clinical DTG studies. The fetal folate levels suggest that DTG is unlikely to be an inhibitor of folate uptake. Funding This project has been funded with Federal funds from the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, under Contract No. HHSN275201800001I.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haneesha Mohan
- Toronto General Hospital Research Institute, Princess Margaret Cancer Research Tower (PMCRT), University Health Network, 101 College Street, 10th Floor, Room 359, Toronto, Ontario M5G 1L7, Canada
| | - Monica Guzman Lenis
- Toronto General Hospital Research Institute, Princess Margaret Cancer Research Tower (PMCRT), University Health Network, 101 College Street, 10th Floor, Room 359, Toronto, Ontario M5G 1L7, Canada
| | - Evelyn Y Laurette
- Toronto General Hospital Research Institute, Princess Margaret Cancer Research Tower (PMCRT), University Health Network, 101 College Street, 10th Floor, Room 359, Toronto, Ontario M5G 1L7, Canada
| | - Oscar Tejada
- Toronto General Hospital Research Institute, Princess Margaret Cancer Research Tower (PMCRT), University Health Network, 101 College Street, 10th Floor, Room 359, Toronto, Ontario M5G 1L7, Canada
| | - Tanvi Sanghvi
- Toronto General Hospital Research Institute, Princess Margaret Cancer Research Tower (PMCRT), University Health Network, 101 College Street, 10th Floor, Room 359, Toronto, Ontario M5G 1L7, Canada
| | - Kit-Yi Leung
- Developmental Biology & Cancer Department, UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, London, UK
| | - Lindsay S Cahill
- Mouse Imaging Centre, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Department of Chemistry, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada
| | - John G Sled
- Mouse Imaging Centre, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Translational Medicine, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario M5G 0A4, Canada
| | - Paul Delgado-Olguín
- Translational Medicine, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario M5G 0A4, Canada; Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 1A8, Canada; Heart & Stroke Richard Lewar Centre of Excellence, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3H2, Canada
| | - Nicholas D E Greene
- Developmental Biology & Cancer Department, UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, London, UK
| | - Andrew J Copp
- Developmental Biology & Cancer Department, UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, London, UK
| | - Lena Serghides
- Toronto General Hospital Research Institute, Princess Margaret Cancer Research Tower (PMCRT), University Health Network, 101 College Street, 10th Floor, Room 359, Toronto, Ontario M5G 1L7, Canada; Department of Immunology and Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Women's College Research Institute, Women's College Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
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Stortz G, Cahill LS, Chandran AR, Baschat A, Sled JG, Macgowan CK. Quantification of Wave Reflection in the Human Umbilical Artery From Asynchronous Doppler Ultrasound Measurements. IEEE Trans Med Imaging 2020; 39:3749-3757. [PMID: 32746120 PMCID: PMC7606782 DOI: 10.1109/tmi.2020.3004511] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
Elevated umbilical artery pulsatility is a widely used biomarker for placental pathology leading to intra-uterine growth restriction and, in severe cases, still-birth. It has been hypothesized that placental pathology modifies umbilical artery pulsatility by altering the degree to which the pulse pressure wave, which originates from the fetal heart, is reflected from the placental vasculature to interfere with the incident wave. Here we present a method for estimating the reflected pulse wave in the umbilical artery of human fetuses using asynchronously acquired Doppler ultrasound measurements from the two ends of the umbilical cord. This approach assumes non-dispersive and loss-less propagation of the waves along the artery and models the reflection process as a linear system with a parameterized impulse response. Model parameters are determined from the measured Doppler waveforms by constrained optimization. Velocity waveforms were obtained from 142 pregnant volunteers where 123 met data quality criteria in at least one umbilical artery. The reflection model was consistent with the measured waveforms in 183 of 212 arteries that were analyzed. The analysis method was validated by applying it to simulated datasets and comparing solutions to ground-truth. With measurement noise levels typical of clinical ultrasound, parameters describing the reflected wave were accurately determined.
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Cahill LS, Shinar S, Whitehead CL, Hobson SR, Stortz G, Ayyathurai V, Ravi Chandran A, Rahman A, Kingdom JC, Baschat A, Murphy KE, Serghides L, Macgowan CK, Sled JG. Sex differences in modulation of fetoplacental vascular resistance in growth-restricted mouse fetuses following betamethasone administration: comparisons with human fetuses. Am J Obstet Gynecol MFM 2020; 3:100251. [PMID: 33451599 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajogmf.2020.100251] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [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: 09/12/2020] [Accepted: 09/26/2020] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Maternally administered corticosteroids are routinely used to accelerate fetal lung maturation in pregnancies at risk of early preterm delivery. Although, among the subgroup with growth restriction, a majority show a temporary improvement in umbilical artery Doppler waveforms that may be sustained up to 7 days, a minority will acutely decompensate in response to corticosteroids in association with deteriorating umbilical and fetal Doppler waveforms. The basis for such acute Doppler changes is presently unknown. Our group has developed a noninvasive ultrasound methodology to measure wave reflections in the umbilical artery and have established that wave reflection metrics are sensitive to structural changes in the placental vasculature and to acute changes in vascular tone. Using this approach, we demonstrated in healthy pregnant mice that fetoplacental vascular resistance decreased in betamethasone-treated mice compared with saline-treated controls. OBJECTIVE This study aimed to investigate the effects of betamethasone administration on the wave reflection metrics in a mouse model of fetal growth restriction and to compare these findings with equivalent measurements in human fetuses. STUDY DESIGN Pregnant CD-1 mice were housed from embryonic day 14.5 to embryonic day 17.5 in either a normoxic (21% O2, n=24) or hypoxic environment (11% O2, n=22), the latter being an established mouse model of fetal growth restriction. To investigate the effect of maternally administered betamethasone on the fetoplacental vasculature, ultrasound imaging was performed at baseline and 4 hours after treatment (either betamethasone or sterile saline). Umbilical artery wave reflection metrics were compared between the groups and for the effect of fetal sex. In addition, a cohort of 10 pregnant women with elevated umbilical artery pulsatility index and evidence of fetal growth restriction and 6 controls were imaged before and after corticosteroid administration. RESULTS In the mouse model, after betamethasone administration, the female fetuses from the hypoxia group showed a 15% increase in umbilical artery diameter, a 98% increase in umbilical artery blood flow, and a 27% decrease in umbilical artery reflection coefficient, whereas the males from the hypoxia group showed no substantial changes. In agreement with our mouse findings, umbilical artery reflections were found to be larger in human growth-restricted fetuses than controls in women at risk of preterm birth. CONCLUSION Our studies provide insight into the mechanism whereby the human growth-restricted fetus may exhibit a temporary favorable fetoplacental vascular response to maternally administered corticosteroids. Further investigations are needed to understand why the male growth-restricted fetus seems unable to mount this favorable vascular response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lindsay S Cahill
- Mouse Imaging Centre, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Department of Chemistry, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada.
| | - Shiri Shinar
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Clare L Whitehead
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Pregnancy Research Centre, Department of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, The Royal Women's Hospital, Parkville, Victoria Australia
| | - Sebastian R Hobson
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Greg Stortz
- Translational Medicine, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Viji Ayyathurai
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Anjana Ravi Chandran
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Anum Rahman
- Translational Medicine, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - John C Kingdom
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Ahmet Baschat
- The Johns Hopkins Center for Fetal Therapy, Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, The Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, MD
| | - Kellie E Murphy
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Lena Serghides
- Department of Immunology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Toronto General Hospital Research Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Women's College Research Institute, Women's College Hospital, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Christopher K Macgowan
- Translational Medicine, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - John G Sled
- Mouse Imaging Centre, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Translational Medicine, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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Cahill LS, Whitehead CL, Hobson SR, Stortz G, Kingdom JC, Baschat A, Murphy KE, Serghides L, Macgowan CK, Sled JG. Effect of maternal betamethasone administration on feto-placental vascular resistance in the mouse†. Biol Reprod 2020; 101:823-831. [PMID: 31318405 DOI: 10.1093/biolre/ioz128] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2019] [Revised: 05/10/2019] [Accepted: 05/15/2019] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Antenatal corticosteroids are often administered to women at risk of preterm birth to accelerate fetal lung development; however, there is evidence that this treatment may adversely affect placental function in some fetuses. Our group has recently demonstrated that wave reflections in the umbilical artery (UA), measured using high-frequency ultrasound, are sensitive to placental vascular abnormalities. In the present study, we used this approach to investigate the effect of maternal administration of betamethasone, a clinically relevant corticosteroid, on the feto-placental vasculature of the mouse. Fetuses were assessed at embryonic day (E)15.5 and E17.5 in C57BL6/J mice. At both gestational ages, the UA diameter, UA blood flow, and the wave reflection coefficient were significantly elevated in the betamethasone-treated mice compared to vehicle-treated controls. These observations support the interpretation that placental vascular resistance dropped with betamethasone treatment to an extent that could not be explained by vasodilation of the UA alone. Consistent with clinical studies, the effect of betamethasone on UA end-diastolic velocity was heterogeneous. Our results suggest that UA wave reflections are more sensitive to acute changes in placental vascular resistance compared with the UA pulsatility index, and this technique may have clinical application to identify a favorable placental vascular response to fetal therapies such as antenatal corticosteroids, where the fetal heart rate is likely to vary.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lindsay S Cahill
- Mouse Imaging Centre, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | | | - Sebastian R Hobson
- Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Greg Stortz
- Translational Medicine, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - John C Kingdom
- Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Ahmet Baschat
- Centre for Fetal Therapy, Johns Hopkins Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Kellie E Murphy
- Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Lena Serghides
- Toronto General Hospital Research Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,Department of Immunology and Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,Women's College Research Institute, Women's College Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Christopher K Macgowan
- Translational Medicine, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - John G Sled
- Mouse Imaging Centre, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,Translational Medicine, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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Maliszewska-Cyna E, Vecchio LM, Thomason LAM, Oore JJ, Steinman J, Joo IL, Dorr A, McLaurin J, Sled JG, Stefanovic B, Aubert I. The effects of voluntary running on cerebrovascular morphology and spatial short-term memory in a mouse model of amyloidosis. Neuroimage 2020; 222:117269. [PMID: 32818618 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2020.117269] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [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: 06/15/2020] [Revised: 08/06/2020] [Accepted: 08/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Physical activity has been correlated with a reduced risk of cognitive decline, including that associated with vascular dementia, mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and Alzheimer's disease (AD); recent literature suggests this may in part result from benefits to the cerebrovascular network. Using a transgenic (Tg) mouse model of AD, we evaluated the effect of running on cortical and hippocampal vascular morphology, cerebral amyloid angiopathy, amyloid plaque load, and spatial memory. TgCRND8 mice present with progressive amyloid pathology, advancing from the cortex to the hippocampus in a time-dependent manner. We postulated that the characteristic progression of pathology could lead to differential, time-dependent effects of physical activity on vascular morphology in these brain regions at 6 months of age. We used two-photon fluorescent microscopy and 3D vessel tracking to characterize vascular and amyloid pathology in sedentary TgCRND8 mice compared those who have a history of physical activity (unlimited access to a running wheel, from 3 to 6 months of age). In sedentary TgCRND8 mice, capillary density was found to be lower in the cortex and higher in the hippocampus compared to non-transgenic (nonTg) littermates. Capillary length, vessel branching, and non-capillary vessel tortuosity were also higher in the hippocampus of sedentary TgCRND8 compared to nonTg mice. Three months of voluntary running resulted in normalizing cortical and hippocampal microvascular morphology, with no significant difference between TgCRND8 and nonTg mice. The benefits of physical activity on cortical and hippocampal vasculature in 6-month old TgCRND8 mice were not paralleled by significant changes on parenchymal and cerebral amyloid pathology. Short-term spatial memory- as evaluated by performance in the Y-maze- was significantly improved in running compared to sedentary TgCRND8 mice. These results suggest that long-term voluntary running contributes to the maintenance of vascular morphology and spatial memory in TgCRND8 mice, even in the absence of an effect on amyloid pathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ewelina Maliszewska-Cyna
- Hurvitz Brain Sciences, Biological Sciences, Sunnybrook Research Institute, 2075 Bayview Ave, S112, Toronto, Ontario M4N 3M5, Canada; Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, 1 King's College Circle, Toronto, Ontario M5S 1A8, Canada
| | - Laura M Vecchio
- Hurvitz Brain Sciences, Biological Sciences, Sunnybrook Research Institute, 2075 Bayview Ave, S112, Toronto, Ontario M4N 3M5, Canada; Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, 1 King's College Circle, Toronto, Ontario M5S 1A8, Canada.
| | - Lynsie A M Thomason
- Hurvitz Brain Sciences, Physical Sciences, Sunnybrook Research Institute, Canada
| | - Jonathan J Oore
- Hurvitz Brain Sciences, Biological Sciences, Sunnybrook Research Institute, 2075 Bayview Ave, S112, Toronto, Ontario M4N 3M5, Canada
| | - Joe Steinman
- Mouse Imaging Centre, Hospital for Sick Children, Canada; Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Canada
| | - Illsung Lewis Joo
- Hurvitz Brain Sciences, Physical Sciences, Sunnybrook Research Institute, Canada
| | - Adrienne Dorr
- Hurvitz Brain Sciences, Physical Sciences, Sunnybrook Research Institute, Canada
| | - JoAnne McLaurin
- Hurvitz Brain Sciences, Biological Sciences, Sunnybrook Research Institute, 2075 Bayview Ave, S112, Toronto, Ontario M4N 3M5, Canada; Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, 1 King's College Circle, Toronto, Ontario M5S 1A8, Canada
| | - John G Sled
- Mouse Imaging Centre, Hospital for Sick Children, Canada; Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Canada
| | - Bojana Stefanovic
- Hurvitz Brain Sciences, Physical Sciences, Sunnybrook Research Institute, Canada; Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Canada
| | - Isabelle Aubert
- Hurvitz Brain Sciences, Biological Sciences, Sunnybrook Research Institute, 2075 Bayview Ave, S112, Toronto, Ontario M4N 3M5, Canada; Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, 1 King's College Circle, Toronto, Ontario M5S 1A8, Canada
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38
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Fouquet JP, Lebel R, Cahill LS, Sled JG, Tremblay L, Lepage M. Cerebrovascular MRI in the mouse without an exogenous contrast agent. Magn Reson Med 2020; 84:405-415. [PMID: 31845401 PMCID: PMC7154782 DOI: 10.1002/mrm.28129] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2019] [Revised: 11/21/2019] [Accepted: 11/22/2019] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE To assess the effect of a variety of anesthetic regimes on T 2 ∗ -weighted MRI of the mouse brain and to determine the optimal regimes to perform T 2 ∗ -weighted MRI of the mouse cerebrovasculature without a contrast agent. METHODS Twenty mice were imaged with a 3D T 2 ∗ -weighted sequence under isoflurane, dexmedetomidine, or ketamine-xylazine anesthesia with a fraction of inspired oxygen varied between 10% and 95% + 5% CO2 . Some mice were also imaged after an injection of an iron oxide contrast agent as a positive control. For every regime, whole brain vessel conspicuity was visually assessed and the apparent vessel density in the cortex was quantified and compared. RESULTS The commonly used isoflurane anesthetic leads to poor vessel conspicuity for fraction of inspired oxygen higher or equal to 21%. Dexmedetomidine and ketamine-xylazine enable the visualization of a significantly larger portion of the vasculature for the same breathing gas. Under isoflurane anesthesia, the fraction of inspired oxygen must be lowered to between 10% and 14% to obtain similar vessel conspicuity. Initial results on automatic segmentation of veins and arteries using the iron oxide positive control are also reported. CONCLUSION T 2 ∗ -weighted MRI in combination with an appropriate anesthetic regime can be used to visualize the mouse cerebrovasculature without a contrast agent. The differences observed between regimes are most likely caused by blood-oxygen level dependent effects, highlighting the important impact of the anesthetic regimes on cerebral blood oxygenation of the mouse brain at rest.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jérémie P. Fouquet
- Department of Nuclear Medicine and RadiobiologyFaculty of Medicine and Health SciencesUniversité de SherbrookeSherbrookeQCCanada
| | - Réjean Lebel
- Department of Nuclear Medicine and RadiobiologyFaculty of Medicine and Health SciencesUniversité de SherbrookeSherbrookeQCCanada
| | - Lindsay S. Cahill
- Mouse Imaging CentreThe Hospital for Sick ChildrenTorontoOntarioCanada
| | - John G. Sled
- Mouse Imaging CentreThe Hospital for Sick ChildrenTorontoOntarioCanada
- Department of Medical BiophysicsUniversity of TorontoTorontoOntarioCanada
| | - Luc Tremblay
- Department of Nuclear Medicine and RadiobiologyFaculty of Medicine and Health SciencesUniversité de SherbrookeSherbrookeQCCanada
| | - Martin Lepage
- Department of Nuclear Medicine and RadiobiologyFaculty of Medicine and Health SciencesUniversité de SherbrookeSherbrookeQCCanada
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Steinman J, Cahill LS, Stortz G, Macgowan CK, Stefanovic B, Sled JG. Non-Invasive Ultrasound Detection of Cerebrovascular Changes in a Mouse Model of Traumatic Brain Injury. J Neurotrauma 2020; 37:2157-2168. [PMID: 32326817 DOI: 10.1089/neu.2019.6872] [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] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) can induce changes in vascular architecture. Although ultrasound metrics such as pulsatility index (PI) are sensitive to changes in hemodynamic resistance downstream from major arteries, these metrics depend on features unrelated to vessel architecture, such as blood pressure and heart rate. In contrast, input impedance and reflection coefficient that are derived from wave reflection theory seek to minimize the effects of altered cardiac output or heart rate. In this article, we investigate the use of ultrasound to assess changes in vascular impedance and wave reflection in the common carotid arteries of mice exposed to a controlled cortical impact. Focusing on the first harmonics of the reflected waves, the impedance phase was increased ipsilaterally in impacted mice compared with shams, whereas the magnitude of the impedance was unchanged. In contrast, PI was reduced bilaterally. Interestingly, PI and the first harmonic magnitude of input impedance in the carotid artery were correlated on the contralateral but not ipsilateral side. We investigated the use of these metrics to classify mice as sham or TBI, finding an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve ipsilaterally of 0.792 (confidence interval [CI]: 0.648-0.936) for correct classification with first harmonic impedance magnitude and phase as predictors and 0.716 (CI: 0.553-0.879) using carotid artery PI and diameter as predictors. Overall, the findings support the use of wave reflection analysis as a more specific measure of vascular changes following TBI and motivate the translation of this approach for monitoring vascular changes in humans affected by TBI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joe Steinman
- The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Lindsay S Cahill
- The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,Department of Chemistry, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, Newfoundland, Canada
| | - Greg Stortz
- The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Christopher K Macgowan
- The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Bojana Stefanovic
- Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,Sunnybrook Research Institute, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - John G Sled
- The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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Jobst KJ, Arora A, Pollitt KG, Sled JG. Dried blood spots for the identification of bio-accumulating organic compounds: current challenges and future perspectives. Curr Opin Environ Sci Health 2020; 15:66-73. [PMID: 33073071 PMCID: PMC7560987 DOI: 10.1016/j.coesh.2020.07.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
The exposome is a concept that underlines the critical relationship between health and environmental exposures, including environmental toxicants. Currently, most environmental exposures that contribute to the exposome have not been characterized. Dried-blood spots (DBS) offer a cost-effective, reliable approach to characterize the blood exposome, which consists of diverse endogenous and exogenous chemicals, including persistent and bioaccumulating organic compounds. Current challenges involve prioritizing the identification by state-of-the-art mass spectrometry of likely up to tens of thousands of compounds present in blood; characterizing substances that represent a mixture of myriad constituent compounds; and detecting trace level contaminants, especially in quantity-limited matrices like DBS. This contribution reviews recent trends in DBS analysis of chemical pollutants and highlights the need for continued research in analytical chemistry to advance the field of exposomics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karl J. Jobst
- Department of Chemistry, Memorial University of Newfoundland, 283 Prince Phillip Drive, St. John's A1B 3X7 Canada
| | - Anmol Arora
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Yale School of Public Health, 60 College Street, New Haven, 06520 USA
- School of Clinical Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 0QQ, United Kingdom
| | - Krystal Godri Pollitt
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Yale School of Public Health, 60 College Street, New Haven, 06520 USA
| | - John G. Sled
- Mouse Imaging Centre, Hospital for Sick Children, 25 Orde Street, Toronto M5T 3H7, Canada
- Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, 101 College Street, Toronto M5G 1L7, Canada
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41
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Saini BS, Darby JRT, Portnoy S, Sun L, van Amerom J, Lock MC, Soo JY, Holman SL, Perumal SR, Kingdom JC, Sled JG, Macgowan CK, Morrison JL, Seed M. Normal human and sheep fetal vessel oxygen saturations by T2 magnetic resonance imaging. J Physiol 2020; 598:3259-3281. [PMID: 32372463 DOI: 10.1113/jp279725] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2020] [Accepted: 04/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
KEY POINTS Human fetal Doppler ultrasound and invasive blood gas measurements obtained by cordocentesis or at the time of delivery reveal similarities with sheep (an extensively used model for human fetal cardiovascular physiology). Oxygen saturation (SO2 ) measurements in human fetuses have been limited to the umbilical and scalp vessels, providing little information about normal regional SO2 differences in the fetus. Blood T2 MRI relaxometry presents a non-invasive measure of SO2 in the major fetal vessels. This study presents the first in vivo validation of fetal vessel T2 oximetry against the in vitro T2-SO2 relationship using catheterized sheep fetuses and compares the normal SO2 in the major vessels between the human and sheep fetal circulations. Human fetal vessel SO2 by T2 MRI confirms many similarities with the sheep fetal circulation and is able to demonstrate regional differences in SO2 ; in particular the significantly higher SO2 in the left versus right heart. ABSTRACT Blood T2 magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) relaxometry non-invasively measures oxygen saturation (SO2 ) in major vessels but has not been validated in fetuses in vivo. We compared the blood T2-SO2 relationship in vitro (tubes) and in vivo (vessels) in sheep, and measured SO2 across the normal human and sheep fetal circulations by T2. Singleton pregnant ewes underwent surgery to implant vascular catheters. In vitro and in vivo sheep blood T2 measurements were related to corresponding SO2 measured using a blood gas analyser, as well as relating T2 and SO2 of human fetal blood in vitro. MRI oximetry was performed in the major vessels of 30 human fetuses at 36 weeks (term, 40 weeks) and 10 fetal sheep (125 days; term, 150 days). The fidelity of in vivo fetal T2 oximetry was confirmed through comparison of in vitro and in vivo sheep blood T2-SO2 relationships (P = 0.1). SO2 was similar between human and sheep fetuses, as was the fetal oxygen extraction fraction (human, 33 ± 11%; sheep, 34 ± 7%; P = 0.798). The presence of streaming in the human fetal circulation was demonstrated by the SO2 gradient between the ascending aorta (68 ± 10%) and the main pulmonary artery (49 ± 9%; P < 0.001). Human and sheep fetal vessel MRI oximetry based on T2 is a validated approach that confirms the presence of streaming of umbilical venous blood towards the heart and brain. Streaming is important in ensuring oxygen delivery to these organs and its disruption may have important implications for organ development, especially in conditions such as congenital heart disease and fetal growth restriction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brahmdeep S Saini
- Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, M5S 1A8, Canada.,Division of Cardiology, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, M5G 1X8, Canada
| | - Jack R T Darby
- Early Origins of Adult Health Research Group, Health and Biomedical Innovation, UniSA: Clinical and Health Sciences, University of South Australia, Adelaide, South Australia, 5000, Australia
| | - Sharon Portnoy
- Translational Medicine, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, M5G 0A4, Canada
| | - Liqun Sun
- Division of Cardiology, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, M5G 1X8, Canada
| | - Joshua van Amerom
- Division of Cardiology, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, M5G 1X8, Canada
| | - Mitchell C Lock
- Early Origins of Adult Health Research Group, Health and Biomedical Innovation, UniSA: Clinical and Health Sciences, University of South Australia, Adelaide, South Australia, 5000, Australia
| | - Jia Yin Soo
- Early Origins of Adult Health Research Group, Health and Biomedical Innovation, UniSA: Clinical and Health Sciences, University of South Australia, Adelaide, South Australia, 5000, Australia
| | - Stacey L Holman
- Early Origins of Adult Health Research Group, Health and Biomedical Innovation, UniSA: Clinical and Health Sciences, University of South Australia, Adelaide, South Australia, 5000, Australia
| | - Sunthara R Perumal
- Preclinical Imaging and Research Laboratories, South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute, Adelaide, South Australia, 5086, Australia
| | - John C Kingdom
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, M5G 1X5, Canada.,Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, M5G 1E2, Canada
| | - John G Sled
- Translational Medicine, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, M5G 0A4, Canada.,Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, M5G 1L7, Canada
| | - Christopher K Macgowan
- Translational Medicine, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, M5G 0A4, Canada.,Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, M5G 1L7, Canada
| | - Janna L Morrison
- Early Origins of Adult Health Research Group, Health and Biomedical Innovation, UniSA: Clinical and Health Sciences, University of South Australia, Adelaide, South Australia, 5000, Australia
| | - Mike Seed
- Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, M5S 1A8, Canada.,Division of Cardiology, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, M5G 1X8, Canada.,Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, M5G 1E2, Canada
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42
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Gazdzinski LM, Mellerup M, Wang T, Adel SAA, Lerch JP, Sled JG, Nieman BJ, Wheeler AL. White Matter Changes Caused by Mild Traumatic Brain Injury in Mice Evaluated Using Neurite Orientation Dispersion and Density Imaging. J Neurotrauma 2020; 37:1818-1828. [PMID: 32242488 DOI: 10.1089/neu.2020.6992] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) is common and can lead to persistent cognitive and behavioral symptoms. Although diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) has demonstrated some sensitivity to changes in white matter following mTBI, recent studies have suggested that more complex geometric models of diffusion, including the neurite orientation dispersion and density imaging (NODDI) model, may be more sensitive and specific. Here, we evaluate microstructural changes in white matter following mTBI using DTI and NODDI in a mouse model, and compare the time course of these changes to behavioral impairment and recovery. We also assess volumetric changes for a comprehensive picture of the structural alterations in the brain and histological staining to identify cellular changes that may contribute to the differences detected in the imaging data. Increased orientation dispersion index (ODI) was observed in the optic tracts of mTBI mice compared with shams. Changes in fractional anisotropy (FA) were not statistically significant. Volume deficits were detected in the optic tract as well as in several gray matter regions: the lateral geniculate nuclei of the thalamus, the entorhinal cortex, and the superior colliculi. Glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) and ionized calcium binding adaptor molecule 1 (Iba1) staining was increased in the optic tracts of mTBI brains, and this staining correlated with ODI values. A transient impairment in working memory was observed, which resolved by 6 weeks, whereas increased ODI, GFAP, and Iba1 persisted to 18 weeks post-injury. We conclude that the optic tracts are particularly vulnerable to damage from the closed-skull impact model used in this study, and that ODI may be a more sensitive metric to this damage than FA. Differences in ODI and in histological measures of astrogliosis, neuroinflammation, and axonal degeneration persist beyond behavioral impairment in this model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa M Gazdzinski
- Neurosciences and Mental Health, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Miranda Mellerup
- Neurosciences and Mental Health, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,Department of Physiology and University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Tong Wang
- Neurosciences and Mental Health, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,Department of Physiology and University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Seyed Amir Ali Adel
- Neurosciences and Mental Health, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,Department of Physiology and University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Jason P Lerch
- Neurosciences and Mental Health, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, Department of Clinical Neurosciences, John Radcliffe Hospital, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - John G Sled
- Translational Medicine, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,Mouse Imaging Centre at The Centre for Phenogenomics, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Brian J Nieman
- Translational Medicine, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,Mouse Imaging Centre at The Centre for Phenogenomics, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,Ontario Institute for Cancer Research, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Anne L Wheeler
- Neurosciences and Mental Health, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,Department of Physiology and University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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Debebe SK, Cahill LS, Kingdom JC, Whitehead CL, Chandran AR, Parks WT, Serghides L, Baschat A, Macgowan CK, Sled JG. Wharton's jelly area and its association with placental morphometry and pathology. Placenta 2020; 94:34-38. [PMID: 32421532 DOI: 10.1016/j.placenta.2020.03.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2019] [Revised: 03/06/2020] [Accepted: 03/21/2020] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Wharton's jelly (WJ) is the mucoid connective tissue that surrounds the vessels in the human umbilical cord and provides protection from compression and torsion in response to fetal movement. WJ is known to be altered in the presence of pregnancy complications such as gestational diabetes mellitus and preeclampsia. The present study examined associations between the cross-sectional area of WJ measured by ultrasound and postpartum placental pathology and morphometry. METHODS The area of WJ was measured by ultrasound in 156 eligible participants between 23 and 37 weeks' gestation. Morphometric assessment of fixed cord cross sections was conducted, together with assessment of the cord and placenta for specific pathologies using standard criteria. RESULTS From 156 participants, 123 ultrasound images met the data quality requirements and pathology reporting was completed for 99 placentas. 17 of the participants (14%) delivered a small for gestational age neonate and 32 of the 99 placentas examined (32%) had significant placental pathology findings. Area of WJ was associated with low birth weight (p = 0.002) and was associated with specific placental pathology (p = 0.01). WJ area was positively associated with placental dimensions such as width, length and surface area. DISCUSSION Decreased WJ area is associated with clinically-significant placental pathology and WJ area scales proportionally with placental size. These findings suggest that WJ area correlates with functional capacity of the placenta and thus merits further evaluation alongside currently-available tests of placental function in clinical practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah K Debebe
- Mouse Imaging Centre, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
| | - Lindsay S Cahill
- Mouse Imaging Centre, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - John C Kingdom
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | | | | | - W Tony Parks
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Lena Serghides
- Toronto General Hospital Research Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Department of Immunology and Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Women's College Research Institute, Women's College Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Ahmet Baschat
- Centre for Fetal Therapy, Johns Hopkins Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Christopher K Macgowan
- Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Translational Medicine, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - John G Sled
- Mouse Imaging Centre, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Translational Medicine, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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Xu J, Duan AQ, Marini D, Lim JM, Keunen J, Portnoy S, Sled JG, McCrindle BW, Kingdom J, Macgowan CK, Seed M. The utility of MRI for measuring hematocrit in fetal anemia. Am J Obstet Gynecol 2020; 222:81.e1-81.e13. [PMID: 31306649 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajog.2019.07.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2019] [Revised: 07/08/2019] [Accepted: 07/09/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Doppler ultrasound measurements of the peak systolic velocity of the middle cerebral artery can be used to noninvasively diagnose fetal anemia but are less precise following fetal blood transfusion and in late gestation. We have previously demonstrated the feasibility of estimating fetal hematocrit in vitro using magnetic resonance imaging relaxation times. Here we report the use of magnetic resonance imaging as a noninvasive tool to accurately detect fetal anemia in vivo. OBJECTIVES This study has 2 objectives: (1) to determine the feasibility and accuracy of magnetic resonance imaging in estimating hematocrit in anemic fetuses and (2) to compare magnetic resonance imaging and middle cerebral artery Doppler in detecting moderate to severe fetal anemia. STUDY DESIGN Fetuses undergoing fetal blood sampling or transfusion underwent magnetic resonance imaging examinations prior to and following their procedures at 1.5 Tesla (Siemens Avanto). A modified Look-Locker inversion pulse sequence and T2 preparation sequence were applied for T1 and T2 mapping of the intrahepatic umbilical vein. Estimated fetal hematocrit was calculated using a combination of T1 and T2 values and compared with conventional hematocrit obtained from fetal blood samples and middle cerebral artery Doppler measurements. RESULTS Twenty-three fetuses were assessed during 33 magnetic resonance imaging scans. The mean absolute difference between the laboratory and magnetic resonance imaging-estimated hematocrit was 0.06 ± 0.05 with a correlation of 0.77 (P < .001) determined by a multilevel, mixed-effects model adjusting for the repeated measurements from the same participants, multiple gestation pregnancies, and the scan type (ie, before or after transfusion scan). Bland-Altman analysis revealed a systematic bias of -0.03 between the magnetic resonance imaging and fetal blood sampling measurements. Magnetic resonance imaging and middle cerebral artery Doppler had similar sensitivities of approximately 90% to detect moderate to severe anemia. However, magnetic resonance imaging had a higher specificity (93% [13/14], 95% confidence interval, 66-100%) than Doppler (71% [10/14], 95% confidence interval, 42-92%). CONCLUSION Moderate to severe fetal anemia can be detected noninvasively by magnetic resonance imaging with high sensitivity and specificity. Our results suggest an adjunct role for magnetic resonance imaging in fetuses with suspected anemia, particularly following previous transfusion and in late gestation.
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Cahill LS, Pilmeyer J, Yu LX, Steinman J, Hare GMT, Kassner A, Macgowan CK, Sled JG. Ultrasound Detection of Abnormal Cerebrovascular Morphology in a Mouse Model of Sickle Cell Disease Based on Wave Reflection. Ultrasound Med Biol 2019; 45:3269-3278. [PMID: 31563480 DOI: 10.1016/j.ultrasmedbio.2019.08.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2019] [Revised: 08/09/2019] [Accepted: 08/23/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Sickle cell disease (SCD) is associated with a high risk of stroke, and affected individuals often have focal brain lesions termed silent cerebral infarcts. The mechanisms leading to these types of injuries are at present poorly understood. Our group has recently demonstrated a non-invasive measurement of cerebrovascular impedance and wave reflection in mice using high-frequency ultrasound in the common carotid artery. To better understand the pathophysiology in SCD, we used this approach in combination with micro-computed tomography to investigate changes in cerebrovascular morphology in the Townes mouse model of SCD. Relative to controls, the SCD mice demonstrated the following: (i) increased carotid artery diameter, blood flow and vessel wall thickness; (ii) elevated pulse wave velocity; (iii) increased reflection coefficient; and (iv) an increase in the total number of vessel segments in the brain. This study highlights the potential for wave reflection to aid the non-invasive clinical assessment of vascular pathology in SCD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lindsay S Cahill
- Mouse Imaging Centre, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Translational Medicine, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
| | - Jesper Pilmeyer
- Mouse Imaging Centre, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Lisa X Yu
- Mouse Imaging Centre, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Translational Medicine, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Joe Steinman
- Mouse Imaging Centre, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Gregory M T Hare
- Keenan Research Centre for Biomedical Science and Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute of St. Michael's Hospital, Department of Anesthesia, St. Michael's Hospital, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Department of Physiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Andrea Kassner
- Translational Medicine, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Department of Medical Imaging, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Christopher K Macgowan
- Translational Medicine, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - John G Sled
- Mouse Imaging Centre, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Translational Medicine, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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46
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de Montgolfier O, Pinçon A, Pouliot P, Gillis MA, Bishop J, Sled JG, Villeneuve L, Ferland G, Lévy BI, Lesage F, Thorin-Trescases N, Thorin É. High Systolic Blood Pressure Induces Cerebral Microvascular Endothelial Dysfunction, Neurovascular Unit Damage, and Cognitive Decline in Mice. Hypertension 2019; 73:217-228. [PMID: 30571552 DOI: 10.1161/hypertensionaha.118.12048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
A chronic and gradual increase in pulse pressure (PP) is associated with cognitive decline and dementia in older individuals, but the mechanisms remain ill-defined. We hypothesized that a chronic elevation of PP would cause brain microvascular endothelial mechanical stress, damage the neurovascular unit, and ultimately induce cognitive impairment in mice, potentially contributing to the progression of vascular dementia and Alzheimer disease. To test our hypothesis, male control wild-type mice and Alzheimer disease model APP/PS1 (amyloid precursor protein/presenilin 1) mice were exposed to a transverse aortic constriction for 6 weeks, creating a PP overload in the right carotid (ipsilateral). We show that the transverse aortic constriction procedure associated with high PP induces a cascade of vascular damages in the ipsilateral parenchymal microcirculation: in wild-type mice, it impairs endothelial dilatory and blood brain barrier functions and causes microbleeds, a reduction in microvascular density, microvascular cell death by apoptosis, leading to severe hypoperfusion and parenchymal cell senescence. These damages were associated with brain inflammation and a significant reduction in learning and spatial memories. In APP/PS1 mice, that endogenously display severe cerebral vascular dysfunctions, microbleeds, parenchymal inflammation and cognitive dysfunction, transverse aortic constriction-induced high PP further aggravates cerebrovascular damage, Aβ (beta-amyloid) accumulation, and prevents learning. Our study, therefore, demonstrates that brain microvessels are vulnerable to a high PP and mechanical stress associated with transverse aortic constriction, promoting severe vascular dysfunction, disruption of the neurovascular unit, and cognitive decline. Hence, chronic elevated amplitude of the PP could contribute to the development and progression of vascular dementia including Alzheimer disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olivia de Montgolfier
- From the Department of Pharmacology and Physiology (O.d.M., A.P.), Université de Montréal, Quebec, Canada.,Montreal Heart Institute, Research Center, Quebec, Canada (O.d.M., A.P., M.-A.G., L.V., G.F., F.L., N.T.-T., E.T.)
| | - Anthony Pinçon
- From the Department of Pharmacology and Physiology (O.d.M., A.P.), Université de Montréal, Quebec, Canada.,Montreal Heart Institute, Research Center, Quebec, Canada (O.d.M., A.P., M.-A.G., L.V., G.F., F.L., N.T.-T., E.T.)
| | | | - Marc-Antoine Gillis
- Montreal Heart Institute, Research Center, Quebec, Canada (O.d.M., A.P., M.-A.G., L.V., G.F., F.L., N.T.-T., E.T.)
| | - Jonathan Bishop
- Mouse Imaging Centre, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada (J.B., J.G.S.)
| | - John G Sled
- Mouse Imaging Centre, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada (J.B., J.G.S.).,Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada (J.G.S.)
| | - Louis Villeneuve
- Montreal Heart Institute, Research Center, Quebec, Canada (O.d.M., A.P., M.-A.G., L.V., G.F., F.L., N.T.-T., E.T.)
| | - Guylaine Ferland
- Department of Nutrition (G.F.), Université de Montréal, Quebec, Canada.,Montreal Heart Institute, Research Center, Quebec, Canada (O.d.M., A.P., M.-A.G., L.V., G.F., F.L., N.T.-T., E.T.)
| | - Bernard I Lévy
- Institut des Vaisseaux et du Sang, Hôpital Lariboisière, Paris, France (B.I.L.)
| | - Frédéric Lesage
- Montreal Heart Institute, Research Center, Quebec, Canada (O.d.M., A.P., M.-A.G., L.V., G.F., F.L., N.T.-T., E.T.).,Ecole Polytechnique de Montréal, Quebec, Canada (P.P., F.L.)
| | - Nathalie Thorin-Trescases
- Montreal Heart Institute, Research Center, Quebec, Canada (O.d.M., A.P., M.-A.G., L.V., G.F., F.L., N.T.-T., E.T.)
| | - Éric Thorin
- Department of Surgery (E.T.), Université de Montréal, Quebec, Canada.,Montreal Heart Institute, Research Center, Quebec, Canada (O.d.M., A.P., M.-A.G., L.V., G.F., F.L., N.T.-T., E.T.)
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47
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Zhang X, Di Lorenzo RA, Helm PA, Reiner EJ, Howard PH, Muir DCG, Sled JG, Jobst KJ. Compositional space: A guide for environmental chemists on the identification of persistent and bioaccumulative organics using mass spectrometry. Environ Int 2019; 132:104808. [PMID: 31182229 PMCID: PMC6754779 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2019.05.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2018] [Revised: 04/11/2019] [Accepted: 05/02/2019] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
Since 2001, twenty-eight halogenated groups of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) have been banned or restricted by the Stockholm Convention. Identifying new POPs among the hundreds of thousands of anthropogenic chemicals is a major challenge that is increasingly being met by state-of-the-art mass spectrometry (MS). The first step to identification of a contaminant molecule (M) is the determination of the type and number of its constituent elements, viz. its elemental composition, from mass-to-charge (m/z) measurements and ratios of isotopic peaks (M + 1, M + 2 etc.). Not every combination of elements is possible. Boundaries exist in compositional space that divides feasible and improbable compositions as well as different chemical classes. This study explores the compositional space boundaries of persistent and bioaccumulative organics. A set of ~305,134 compounds (PubChem) was used to visualize the compositional space occupied by F, Cl, and Br compounds, as defined by m/z and isotope ratios. Persistent bioaccumulative organics, identified by in silico screening of 22,049 commercial chemicals, reside in more constrained regions characterized by a higher degree of halogenation. In contrast, boundaries surrounding non-halogenated chemicals could not be defined. Finally, a script tool (R code) was developed to select potential POPs from high resolution MS data. When applied to household dust (SRM 2585), this approach resulted in the discovery of previously unknown chlorofluoro flame retardants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xianming Zhang
- Ontario Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks, 125 Resources Road, Toronto M9P 3V6, Canada
| | - Robert A Di Lorenzo
- Mouse Imaging Centre, Hospital for Sick Children, 25 Orde Street, Toronto M5T 3H7, Canada
| | - Paul A Helm
- Ontario Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks, 125 Resources Road, Toronto M9P 3V6, Canada
| | - Eric J Reiner
- Ontario Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks, 125 Resources Road, Toronto M9P 3V6, Canada
| | - Philip H Howard
- SRC, Environmental Science Center, 6502 Round Pond Road, North Syracuse, New York, United States of America
| | - Derek C G Muir
- Canada Centre for Inland Waters, Environment and Climate Change Canada, 867 Lakeshore Rd., Burlington, ON L7S 1A1, Canada
| | - John G Sled
- Mouse Imaging Centre, Hospital for Sick Children, 25 Orde Street, Toronto M5T 3H7, Canada
| | - Karl J Jobst
- Ontario Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks, 125 Resources Road, Toronto M9P 3V6, Canada; Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, McMaster University, 1280 Main St. W., Hamilton L8S 4M1, Canada.
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48
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McDonald CR, Cahill LS, Gamble JL, Elphinstone R, Gazdzinski LM, Zhong KJY, Philson AC, Madanitsa M, Kalilani-Phiri L, Mwapasa V, Ter Kuile FO, Sled JG, Conroy AL, Kain KC. Malaria in pregnancy alters l-arginine bioavailability and placental vascular development. Sci Transl Med 2019. [PMID: 29514999 PMCID: PMC6510298 DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.aan6007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Reducing adverse birth outcomes due to malaria in pregnancy (MIP) is a global health priority. However, there are few safe and effective interventions. L-arginine is an essential amino acid in pregnancy and an immediate precursor in the biosynthesis of nitric oxide (NO), but there are limited data on the impact of MIP on NO biogenesis. We hypothesized that hypoarginemia contributes to the pathophysiology of MIP and that L-arginine supplementation would improve birth outcomes. In a prospective study of pregnant Malawian women, we show that MIP was associated with lower concentrations of L- arginine and higher concentrations of endogenous inhibitors of NO biosynthesis, asymmetric and symmetric dimethylarginine, which were associated with adverse birth outcomes. In a model of experimental MIP, L-arginine supplementation in dams improved birth outcomes (decreased stillbirth and increased birth weight) compared with controls. The mechanism of action was via normalized angiogenic pathways and enhanced placental vascular development, as visualized by placental microcomputerized tomography imaging. These data define a role for dysregulation of NO biosynthetic pathways in the pathogenesis of MIP and support the evaluation of interventions to enhance L-arginine bioavailability as strategies to improve birth outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chloe R McDonald
- Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 1A8, Canada.,Sandra A. Rotman Laboratories, Sandra Rotman Centre for Global Health, University Health Network-Toronto General Hospital, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5G 1L7, Canada
| | - Lindsay S Cahill
- Mouse Imaging Centre, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario M5T 3HT, Canada.,Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5G 1L7, Canada
| | - Joel L Gamble
- Sandra A. Rotman Laboratories, Sandra Rotman Centre for Global Health, University Health Network-Toronto General Hospital, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5G 1L7, Canada
| | - Robyn Elphinstone
- Sandra A. Rotman Laboratories, Sandra Rotman Centre for Global Health, University Health Network-Toronto General Hospital, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5G 1L7, Canada
| | - Lisa M Gazdzinski
- Mouse Imaging Centre, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario M5T 3HT, Canada.,Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5G 1L7, Canada
| | - Kathleen J Y Zhong
- Sandra A. Rotman Laboratories, Sandra Rotman Centre for Global Health, University Health Network-Toronto General Hospital, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5G 1L7, Canada
| | - Adrienne C Philson
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02138, USA
| | | | | | - Victor Mwapasa
- College of Medicine, University of Malawi, P.O. Box 280, Blantyre, Malawi
| | | | - John G Sled
- Mouse Imaging Centre, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario M5T 3HT, Canada.,Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5G 1L7, Canada
| | - Andrea L Conroy
- Sandra A. Rotman Laboratories, Sandra Rotman Centre for Global Health, University Health Network-Toronto General Hospital, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5G 1L7, Canada.,Tropical Disease Unit, Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5G 2C4, Canada
| | - Kevin C Kain
- Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 1A8, Canada. .,Sandra A. Rotman Laboratories, Sandra Rotman Centre for Global Health, University Health Network-Toronto General Hospital, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5G 1L7, Canada.,Tropical Disease Unit, Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5G 2C4, Canada
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49
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Abstract
Hypoxic stress is a common occurrence during human pregnancy, yet little is known about its effects on the fetal brain. This study examined the fetal hemodynamic responses to chronic hypoxia in an experimental mouse model of chronic maternal hypoxia (11% O2 from E14.5 to E17.5). Using high-frequency Doppler ultrasound, we found fetal cerebral and ductus venosus blood flow were both elevated by 69% and pulmonary blood flow was decreased by 62% in the fetuses exposed to chronic hypoxia compared to controls. This demonstrates that brain sparing persists during chronic fetal hypoxia and is mediated by "streaming," where highly oxygenated blood preferentially flows through the ductus venosus towards the cerebral circulation, bypassing the liver and the lungs. Consistent with these changes in blood flow, the fetal brain volume measured by MRI is preserved, while the liver and lung volumes decreased compared to controls. However, hypoxia exposed fetuses were rendered vulnerable to an acute hypoxic challenge (8% O2 for 3 min), demonstrating global blood flow decreases consistent with imminent fetal demise rather than elevated cerebral blood flow. Despite this vulnerability, there were no differences in adult brain morphology in the mice exposed to chronic maternal hypoxia compared to controls.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lindsay S Cahill
- 1 Mouse Imaging Centre, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Johnathan Hoggarth
- 1 Mouse Imaging Centre, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Jason P Lerch
- 1 Mouse Imaging Centre, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,2 Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,3 Program in Neuroscience and Mental Health, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario Canada
| | - Mike Seed
- 4 Division of Cardiology, Department of Paediatrics, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,5 Translational Medicine, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Christopher K Macgowan
- 2 Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,5 Translational Medicine, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - John G Sled
- 1 Mouse Imaging Centre, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,2 Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,5 Translational Medicine, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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50
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Young JM, Vandewouw MM, Mossad SI, Morgan BR, Lee W, Smith ML, Sled JG, Taylor MJ. White matter microstructural differences identified using multi-shell diffusion imaging in six-year-old children born very preterm. Neuroimage Clin 2019; 23:101855. [PMID: 31103872 PMCID: PMC6737393 DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2019.101855] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2018] [Revised: 04/08/2019] [Accepted: 05/02/2019] [Indexed: 10/29/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The underlying microstructural properties of white matter differences in children born very preterm (<32 weeks gestational age) can be investigated in depth using multi-shell diffusion imaging. The present study compared white matter across the whole brain using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and neurite orientation dispersion and density imaging (NODDI) metrics in children born very preterm and full-term children at six years of age. We also investigated associations between white matter microstructure with early brain injury and developmental outcomes. METHOD Multi-shell diffusion imaging, T1-weighted anatomical MR images and developmental assessments were acquired in 23 children born very preterm (16 males; mean scan age: 6.57 ± 0.34 years) and 24 full-term controls (10 males, mean scan age: 6.62 ± 0.37 years). DTI metrics were obtained and neurite orientation dispersion index (ODI) and density index (NDI) were estimated using the NODDI diffusion model. FSL's tract-based spatial statistics were performed on traditional DTI metrics and NODDI metrics. Voxel-wise comparisons were performed to test between-group differences and within-group associations with developmental outcomes (intelligence and visual motor abilities) as well as early white matter injury and germinal matrix/intraventricular haemorrhage (GMH/IVH). RESULTS In comparison to term-born children, the children born very preterm exhibited lower fractional anisotropy (FA) across many white matter regions as well as higher mean diffusivity (MD), radial diffusivity (RD), and ODI. Within-group analyses of the children born very preterm revealed associations between higher FA and NDI with higher IQ and VMI. Lower ODI was found within the corona radiata in those with a history of white matter injury. Within the full-term group, associations were found between higher NDI and ODI with lower IQ. CONCLUSION Children born very preterm exhibit lower FA and higher ODI than full-term children. NODDI metrics provide more biologically specific information beyond DTI metrics as well as additional information of the impact of prematurity and white matter microstructure on cognitive outcomes at six years of age.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia M Young
- Diagnostic Imaging, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada; Neurosciences and Mental Health, SickKids Research Institute, Toronto, ON, Canada; Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
| | - Marlee M Vandewouw
- Diagnostic Imaging, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada; Neurosciences and Mental Health, SickKids Research Institute, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Sarah I Mossad
- Diagnostic Imaging, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada; Neurosciences and Mental Health, SickKids Research Institute, Toronto, ON, Canada; Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Benjamin R Morgan
- Diagnostic Imaging, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada; Neurosciences and Mental Health, SickKids Research Institute, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Wayne Lee
- Diagnostic Imaging, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Mary Lou Smith
- Department of Psychology, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada; Neurosciences and Mental Health, SickKids Research Institute, Toronto, ON, Canada; Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - John G Sled
- Translational Medicine, SickKids Research Institute, Toronto, ON, Canada; Department of Biomedical Physics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Margot J Taylor
- Diagnostic Imaging, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada; Neurosciences and Mental Health, SickKids Research Institute, Toronto, ON, Canada; Department of Medical Imaging, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada; Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
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