Depth-dependent Anisotropy of Proteoglycan in Articular Cartilage by Fourier Transform Infrared Imaging

Linearly Polarized Infrared Spectroscopy for the Analysis of Biological Materials

The analysis of biological samples with polarized infrared spectroscopy (p-IR) has long been a widely practiced method for the determination of sample orientation and structural properties. In contrast to earlier works, which employed this method to investigate the fundamental chemistry of biological systems, recent interests are moving toward "real-world" applications for the evaluation and diagnosis of pathological states. This focal point review provides an up-to-date synopsis of the knowledge of biological materials garnered through linearly p-IR on biomolecules, cells, and tissues. An overview of the theory with special consideration to biological samples is provided. Different modalities which can be employed along with their capabilities and limitations are outlined. Furthermore, an in-depth discussion of factors regarding sample preparation, sample properties, and instrumentation, which can affect p-IR analysis is provided. Additionally, attention is drawn to the potential impacts of analysis of biological samples with inherently polarized light sources, such as synchrotron light and quantum cascade lasers. The vast applications of p-IR for the determination of the structure and orientation of biological samples are given. In conclusion, with considerations to emerging instrumentation, findings by other techniques, and the shift of focus toward clinical applications, we speculate on the future directions of this methodology.

Proteoglycan degradation mimics static compression by altering the natural gradients in fibrillar organisation in cartilage

Structural and associated biomechanical gradients within biological tissues are important for tissue functionality and preventing damaging interfacial stress concentrations. Articular cartilage possesses an inhomogeneous structure throughout its thickness, driving the associated variation in the biomechanical strain profile within the tissue under physiological compressive loading. However, little is known experimentally about the nanostructural mechanical role of the collagen fibrils and how this varies with depth. Utilising a high-brilliance synchrotron X-ray source, we have measured the depth-wise nanostructural parameters of the collagen network in terms of the periodic fibrillar banding (D-period) and associated parameters. We show that there is a depth dependent variation in D-period reflecting the pre-strain and concurrent with changes in the level of intrafibrillar order. Further, prolonged static compression leads to fibrillar changes mirroring those caused by removal of extrafibrillar proteoglycans (as may occur in aging or disease). We suggest that fibrillar D-period is a sensitive indicator of localised changes to the mechanical environment at the nanoscale in soft connective tissues.

Statement of Significance

Collagen plays a significant role in both the structural and mechanical integrity of articular cartilage, allowing the tissue to withstand highly repetitive loading. However, the fibrillar mechanics of the collagen network in cartilage are not clear. Here we find that cartilage has a spatial gradient in the nanostructural collagen fibril pre-strain, with an increase in the fibrillar pre-strain with depth. Further, the fibrillar gradient changes similarly under compression when compared to an enzymatically degraded tissue which mimics age-related changes. Given that the fibrils potentially have a finite capacity to mechanically respond and alter their configuration, these findings are significant in understanding how collagen may alter in structure and gradient in diseased cartilage, and in informing the design of cartilage replacements.

Polarized infrared spectroscopy imaging applied to structural analysis of bilirubin aggregate at liquid-liquid interface

Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy imaging (FTIRSI) combined with spectral analysis and polarization approach was creatively used to investigate both structures of bilirubin (BR) precipitate and BR aggregate at liquid-liquid interface. It was found by spectral analysis that the internal hydrogen bonds of BR molecules all broke and the dihedral angles increased during the formation of BR aggregate at liquid-liquid interface. And the BR molecule might be of layer assembly along the long axis direction of CD half-group to form J-type aggregates, which could be parallel to the direction of the transition dipole moment of BR aggregate. The further study of polarized imaging/anisotropy revealed that the absorbance of 1570 and 1703 cm^-1 bands of BR aggregate changed periodically at intervals of 90°, which were not shown in BR precipitate case, indicating that the CC of the corresponding lactam ring and the CO of the adjacent carboxyl groups formed ordered arrangement in BR aggregate. It also suggested that the two positions might be the active sites which J-type aggregates assembled on. The combined technique was firstly applied in interfacial aggregate research, which was helpful for further understanding and controlling the aggregation as well as structural transformation of BR molecules so as to decrease physiological hazard and facilitate the wide spread application in biomedicine.

Investigating the relationship between changes in collagen fiber orientation during skin aging and collagen/water interactions by polarized-FTIR microimaging

Upon chronological aging, human skin undergoes structural and molecular modifications, especially at the level of type I collagen. This macromolecule is one of the main dermal structural proteins and presents several age-related alterations. It exhibits a triple helical structure and assembles itself to form fibrils and fibers. In addition, water plays an important role in stabilizing the collagen triple helix by forming hydrogen-bonds between collagen residues. However, the influence of water on changes of dermal collagen fiber orientation with age has not been yet understood. Polarized-Fourier Transform Infrared (P-FTIR) imaging is an interesting biophotonic approach to determine in situ the orientation of type I collagen fibers, as we have recently shown by comparing skin samples of different ages. In this work, P-FTIR spectral imaging was performed on skin samples from two age groups (35- and 38-year-old on the one hand, 60- and 66-year-old on the other hand), and our analyses were focused on the effect of H2O/D2O substitution. Spectral data were processed with fuzzy C-means (FCM) clustering in order to distinguish different orientations of collagen fibers. We demonstrated that the orientation was altered with aging, and that D2O treatment, affecting primarily highly bound water molecules, is more marked for the youngest skin samples. Collagen-bound water-related spectral markers were also highlighted. Our results suggest a weakening of water/collagen interactions with age. This non-destructive and label-free methodology allows us to understand better the importance of bound water in collagen fiber orientation alterations occurring with skin aging. Obtaining such structural information could find benefits in dermatology as well as in cosmetics.

Discrimination of healthy and osteoarthritic articular cartilages by Fourier transform infrared imaging and partial least squares-discriminant analysis

Fourier transform infrared imaging (FTIRI) combined with chemometrics algorithm has strong potential to obtain complex chemical information from biology tissues. FTIRI and partial least squares-discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) were used to differentiate healthy and osteoarthritic (OA) cartilages for the first time. A PLS model was built on the calibration matrix of spectra that was randomly selected from the FTIRI spectral datasets of healthy and lesioned cartilage. Leave-one-out cross-validation was performed in the PLS model, and the fitting coefficient between actual and predicted categorical values of the calibration matrix reached 0.95. In the calibration and prediction matrices, the successful identifying percentages of healthy and lesioned cartilage spectra were 100% and 90.24%, respectively. These results demonstrated that FTIRI combined with PLS-DA could provide a promising approach for the categorical identification of healthy and OA cartilage specimens.

Vibrational spectroscopic imaging for the evaluation of matrix and mineral chemistry

Metabolic bone diseases manifesting fragility fractures (such as osteoporosis) are routinely diagnosed based on bone mineral density (BMD) measurements, and the effect of various therapies also evaluated based on the same outcome. Although useful, it is well recognized that this metric does not fully account for either fracture incidence or the effect of various therapies on fracture incidence, thus, the emergence of bone quality as a contributing factor in the determination of bone strength. Infrared and Raman vibrational spectroscopic techniques are particularly well-suited for the determination of bone quality as they provide quantitative and qualitative information of the mineral and organic matrix bone components, simultaneously. Through the use of microspectroscopic techniques, this information is available in a spatially resolved manner, thus, the outcomes may be easily correlated with outcomes from techniques such as histology, histomorphometry, and nanoindentation, linking metabolic status with material properties.

Quantitative zonal differentiation of articular cartilage by microscopic magnetic resonance imaging, polarized light microscopy, and Fourier-transform infrared imaging

This study aimed to synchronize the zonal differentiation of the full-thickness articular cartilage by three micro-imaging techniques, namely microscopic magnetic resonance imaging (µMRI), polarized light microscopy (PLM), and Fourier-transform infrared imaging (FTIRI). Eighteen cartilage-bone blocks from three canine humeral joints were imaged by: (a) µMRI T2 relaxation at 0° and 55° orientations in a 7 T magnetic field, (b) PLM optical retardation and azimuthal angle, and (c) FTIRI amide I and amide II anisotropies at 0° and 90° polarizations relative to the articular surface. In addition, µMRI T1 relaxation was imaged before and after the tissue being immersed in gadolinium (contrast agent) solution, to calculate the proteoglycan concentration. A set of previously established criteria in cartilage imaging was revised. The new criteria could simultaneously correlate the thicknesses of the three consecutive subtissue zones in articular cartilage among these imaging techniques.

MRI of articular cartilage at microscopic resolution

This review briefly summarises some of the definitive studies of articular cartilage by microscopic MRI (µMRI) that were conducted with the highest spatial resolutions. The article has four major sections. The first section introduces the cartilage tissue, MRI and µMRI, and the concept of image contrast in MRI. The second section describes the characteristic profiles of three relaxation times (T1, T2 and T1ρ) and self-diffusion in healthy articular cartilage. The third section discusses several factors that can influence the visualisation of articular cartilage and the detection of cartilage lesion by MRI and µMRI. These factors include image resolution, image analysis strategies, visualisation of the total tissue, topographical variations of the tissue properties, surface fibril ambiguity, deformation of the articular cartilage, and cartilage lesion. The final section justifies the values of multidisciplinary imaging that correlates MRI with other technical modalities, such as optical imaging. Rather than an exhaustive review to capture all activities in the literature, the studies cited in this review are merely illustrative.

Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopic imaging of articular cartilage and biomaterials: A review

Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) has the potential to mark up the chemical changes of the materials, as almost all the materials contain their signatures in infrared region. Spectroscopy combined with spatial resolution enables the possibility of characterizing samples up to microscopic level. The emerging development of instrumentation to provide spatial information for infrared (IR) spectroscopy, termed as IR microscopy, provides an opening for newer applications in terms of image analysis, novel data processing tools, etc. Characterization of biomaterials using IR spectroscopy has a trace back to 1950s. The advent of FTIR with imaging capability made characterization possible in cartilage tissue and other biological systems. Extensive analysis of chemical constituents of cartilage and tendon, collagen orientation and polarization property of cartilage using FTIR imaging (FTIRI) has been actively explored during the last two decades. Also, studies using specialized instrumentations like synchrotron FTIR imaging have been attempted to understand the characteristics of biological samples like cartilage. This review covers most of those investigations on cartilage with FTIRI to characterize the same in terms of component characteristics and quantification, collagen orientation, zonal boundary determination, influence of mechanical compression on tissue nature and its correlation to other techniques in last 20 years.

Depth-dependent anisotropy of the micromechanical properties of the extracellular and pericellular matrices of articular cartilage evaluated via atomic force microscopy

The extracellular matrix (ECM) of articular cartilage is structurally and mechanically inhomogeneous and anisotropic, exhibiting variations in composition, collagen fiber architecture, and pericellular matrix (PCM) morphology among the different zones (superficial, middle, and deep). Joint loading exposes chondrocytes to a complex biomechanical environment, as the microscale mechanical environment of the chondrocyte depends on the relative properties of its PCM and local ECM. ECM anisotropy and chondrocyte deformation are influenced by the split-line direction, the preferred collagen fiber orientation parallel to the articular surface. While previous studies have demonstrated that cartilage macroscale properties vary with depth and the direction of loading relative to the split-line direction, the potential anisotropic behavior of the ECM and PCM at the microscale has yet to be examined. The goal of this study was to characterize the depth and directional dependence of the microscale biomechanical properties of porcine cartilage ECM and PCM in situ. Cartilage was cryosectioned to generate samples oriented parallel and perpendicular to the split-line direction and normal to the articular surface. Atomic force microscopy (AFM)-based stiffness mapping was utilized to measure ECM and PCM microscale elastic properties in all three directions within each zone. Distinct anisotropy in ECM elastic moduli was observed in the superficial and deep zones, while the middle zone exhibited subtle anisotropy. PCM elastic moduli exhibited zonal uniformity with depth and directional dependence when pooled across the zones. These findings provide new evidence for mechanical inhomogeneity and anisotropy at the microscale in articular cartilage.