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Van Impe M, Caboor L, Deleeuw V, De Rycke K, Vanhooydonck M, De Backer J, Segers P, Sips P. Application of an automated analysis framework for pulsed-wave Doppler cardiac ultrasound measurements to generate reference data in adult zebrafish. Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol 2023; 325:R782-R796. [PMID: 37811715 DOI: 10.1152/ajpregu.00103.2023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2023] [Revised: 09/25/2023] [Accepted: 10/04/2023] [Indexed: 10/10/2023]
Abstract
High-frequency cardiac ultrasound is the only well-established method to characterize in vivo cardiovascular function in adult zebrafish noninvasively. Pulsed-wave Doppler imaging allows measurements of blood flow velocities at well-defined anatomical positions, but the measurements and results obtained using this technique need to be analyzed carefully, taking into account the substantial baseline variability within one recording and the possibility for operator bias. To address these issues and to increase throughput by limiting hands-on analysis time, we have developed a fully automated processing pipeline. This framework enables the fast, unbiased analysis of all cardiac cycles in a zebrafish pulsed-wave Doppler recording of both atrioventricular valve flow as well as aortic valve flow without operator-dependent inputs. Applying this automated pipeline to a large number of recordings from wild-type zebrafish shows a strong agreement between the automated results and manual annotations performed by an experienced operator. The reference data obtained from this analysis showed that the early wave peak during ventricular inflow is lower for female compared with male zebrafish. We also found that the peaks of the ventricular inflow and outflow waves as well as the peaks of the regurgitation waves are all correlated positively with body surface area. In general, the presented reference data, as well as the automated Doppler measurement processing tools developed and validated in this study will facilitate future (high-throughput) cardiovascular phenotyping studies in adult zebrafish ultimately leading to a more comprehensive understanding of human (genetic) cardiovascular diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthias Van Impe
- IBiTech-BioMMedA, Department of Electronics and Information Systems, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Lisa Caboor
- Center for Medical Genetics Ghent, Department of Biomolecular Medicine, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Violette Deleeuw
- Center for Medical Genetics Ghent, Department of Biomolecular Medicine, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Karo De Rycke
- Center for Medical Genetics Ghent, Department of Biomolecular Medicine, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Michiel Vanhooydonck
- Center for Medical Genetics Ghent, Department of Biomolecular Medicine, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Julie De Backer
- Center for Medical Genetics Ghent, Department of Biomolecular Medicine, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Patrick Segers
- IBiTech-BioMMedA, Department of Electronics and Information Systems, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Patrick Sips
- Center for Medical Genetics Ghent, Department of Biomolecular Medicine, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
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2
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Yeh YW, Huang CC, Kuo WS, Liao TL, Tsai TL, Wu PC. Multifunctional Hydrogel Dressing That Carries Three Antibiotics Simultaneously and Enables Real-Time Ultrasound Bacterial Colony Detection. ACS OMEGA 2023; 8:10278-10287. [PMID: 36969425 PMCID: PMC10034778 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.2c07806] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2022] [Accepted: 03/03/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
We have developed a multifunctional hydrogel that can carry three synergistic antibiotics commonly used in clinical practice. This hydrogel was discovered to have drug encapsulation efficiencies of 94% for neomycin, 97% for bacitracin, and 88% for polymyxin B. Drug release data indicated that the release profiles of these three antibiotics were different. A swelling test demonstrated that the hydrogel absorbed liquid after the release of its antibiotics until it became saturated, which occurred within 48 h. Moreover, this hydrogel exhibited excellent antibacterial effects against Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa and biocompatibility; it can thus protect a wound from microbial invasion. When the alginate hydrogel is used to cover a wound, the wound can be checked for colonization at any time using ultrasound imaging; this can thus enable the prevention of wound biofilm formation in the early stages of infection. We evaluated the hydrogel against commercially available wound dressings and discovered that these wound dressings did not have the aforementioned desirable features. In conclusion, our multifunctional hydrogel can carry three types of antibiotics simultaneously and is a suitable medium through which an ultrasound can be performed to detect the growth of colonies in wounds. The hydrogel is expected to make a valuable contribution to the prevention of wound infections in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yao-Wei Yeh
- Department
of Biomedical Engineering, National Cheng
Kung University, Tainan 701401, Taiwan
| | - Chih-Chung Huang
- Department
of Biomedical Engineering, National Cheng
Kung University, Tainan 701401, Taiwan
- Medical
Device Innovation Center, National Cheng
Kung University, Tainan 701401, Taiwan
| | - Wen-Shuo Kuo
- Center
for Allergy, Immunology and Microbiome (AIM), China Medical University Children’s Hospital/China Medical
University Hospital, China Medical University, Taichung 404327, Taiwan
| | - Tzu-Lung Liao
- Department
of Biomedical Engineering, National Cheng
Kung University, Tainan 701401, Taiwan
| | - Tsung-Lin Tsai
- Department
of Biomedical Engineering, National Cheng
Kung University, Tainan 701401, Taiwan
- Department
of Oncology, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 701401, Taiwan
- Center
of Applied Nanomedicine, National Cheng
Kung University, Tainan 701401, Taiwan
| | - Ping-Ching Wu
- Department
of Biomedical Engineering, National Cheng
Kung University, Tainan 701401, Taiwan
- Medical
Device Innovation Center, National Cheng
Kung University, Tainan 701401, Taiwan
- Center
of Applied Nanomedicine, National Cheng
Kung University, Tainan 701401, Taiwan
- Institute
of Oral Medicine and Department of Stomatology, National Cheng Kung
University Hospital, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 701401, Taiwan
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3
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Xue X, Zhang B, Moon S, Xu GX, Huang CC, Sharma N, Jiang X. Development of a Wearable Ultrasound Transducer for Sensing Muscle Activities in Assistive Robotics Applications. BIOSENSORS 2023; 13:134. [PMID: 36671969 PMCID: PMC9855872 DOI: 10.3390/bios13010134] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2022] [Revised: 01/05/2023] [Accepted: 01/08/2023] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Robotic prostheses and powered exoskeletons are novel assistive robotic devices for modern medicine. Muscle activity sensing plays an important role in controlling assistive robotics devices. Most devices measure the surface electromyography (sEMG) signal for myoelectric control. However, sEMG is an integrated signal from muscle activities. It is difficult to sense muscle movements in specific small regions, particularly at different depths. Alternatively, traditional ultrasound imaging has recently been proposed to monitor muscle activity due to its ability to directly visualize superficial and at-depth muscles. Despite their advantages, traditional ultrasound probes lack wearability. In this paper, a wearable ultrasound (US) transducer, based on lead zirconate titanate (PZT) and a polyimide substrate, was developed for a muscle activity sensing demonstration. The fabricated PZT-5A elements were arranged into a 4 × 4 array and then packaged in polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS). In vitro porcine tissue experiments were carried out by generating the muscle activities artificially, and the muscle movements were detected by the proposed wearable US transducer via muscle movement imaging. Experimental results showed that all 16 elements had very similar acoustic behaviors: the averaged central frequency, -6 dB bandwidth, and electrical impedance in water were 10.59 MHz, 37.69%, and 78.41 Ω, respectively. The in vitro study successfully demonstrated the capability of monitoring local muscle activity using the prototyped wearable transducer. The findings indicate that ultrasonic sensing may be an alternative to standardize myoelectric control for assistive robotics applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiangming Xue
- Joint Department of Biomedical Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA
| | - Bohua Zhang
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA
| | - Sunho Moon
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA
| | - Guo-Xuan Xu
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 70101, Taiwan
| | - Chih-Chung Huang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 70101, Taiwan
| | - Nitin Sharma
- Joint Department of Biomedical Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA
| | - Xiaoning Jiang
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA
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4
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Cheng HF, Chiu WT, Lai YS, Truong TT, Lee PY, Huang CC. High-frequency noncontact low-intensity pulsed ultrasound modulates Ca 2+-dependent transcription factors contributing to cell migration. ULTRASONICS 2023; 127:106852. [PMID: 36201953 DOI: 10.1016/j.ultras.2022.106852] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2022] [Revised: 08/02/2022] [Accepted: 09/16/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Chronic wounds have negative physical and psychological effects on patients and increase the health care burden. Consequently, chronic wound in the elderly population is an important issue. Ultrasound can be a great modality for treating chronic wounds because of its noninvasive and safety characteristics; it can accelerate in vitro and in vivo wound healing. In this study, we developed a novel noncontact ultrasound for wound treatment. We stimulated human epidermal keratinocyte migration using low-intensity pulsed ultrasound (LIPUS) with a noncontact transducer to avoid direct contact with the wound. We also compared the effects of 15-min contact and noncontact transducer stimulation, where a 1-MHz contact transducer (intensity = 40 or 200 mW/cm2) and a 0.45-MHz noncontact transducer (intensity = 30 mW/cm2) were used. Both contact and noncontact LIPUS considerably increased cell migration and activated the calcium (Ca2+)-dependent transcription factors cAMP-responsive element-binding protein (CREB) and nuclear factor of activated T cells (NFAT). Furthermore, noncontact transducer stimulation did not cause cell death or affect cell proliferation but significantly increased the Ca2+ influx-mediated intracellular Ca2+ levels. Ca2+-free medium and Ca2+ channel blockers effectively inhibited LIPUS-induced Ca2+-dependent transcription factor activation and cell migration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hsiao-Fan Cheng
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 70101, Taiwan
| | - Wen-Tai Chiu
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 70101, Taiwan; Medical Device Innovation Center, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 70101, Taiwan
| | - Yi-Shyun Lai
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 70101, Taiwan
| | - Thi-Thuyet Truong
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 70101, Taiwan
| | - Po-Yang Lee
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 70101, Taiwan
| | - Chih-Chung Huang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 70101, Taiwan; Medical Device Innovation Center, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 70101, Taiwan.
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5
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Oglat AA. A Review of Blood-mimicking Fluid Properties Using Doppler Ultrasound Applications. J Med Ultrasound 2022; 30:251-256. [PMID: 36844776 PMCID: PMC9944827 DOI: 10.4103/jmu.jmu_60_22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2022] [Revised: 08/01/2022] [Accepted: 08/05/2022] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Doppler imaging ultrasound characterization and standardization requires blood that is called blood mimicking fluid for the exam. With recognized internal properties, acoustic and physical features of this artificial blood. Both acoustical and physical merits set in the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) scale are determined as regular values, where the components utilized in the artificial blood preparation must have values identical to the IEC values. An artificial blood is commercially available in the medical application and may not be suitable in the mode of ultrasonic device or for rate of new imaging technique. It is sometimes qualified to have the strength to produce sound features and simulate blood configuration for particular implementations. In the current review article, appropriate artificial blood components, fluids, and measurements are described that have been created using varied materials and processes that have modified for medical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ammar A. Oglat
- Department of Medical Imaging, Faculty of Applied Medical Sciences, The Hashemite University, Zarqa, Jordan,Address for correspondence: Dr. Ammar A. Oglat, Department of Medical Imaging, Faculty of Applied Medical Sciences, The Hashemite University, Zarqa, Jordan. E-mail:
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6
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Machikhin A, Huang CC, Khokhlov D, Galanova V, Burlakov A. Single-shot Mueller-matrix imaging of zebrafish tissues: In vivo analysis of developmental and pathological features. JOURNAL OF BIOPHOTONICS 2022; 15:e202200088. [PMID: 35582886 DOI: 10.1002/jbio.202200088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2022] [Revised: 05/05/2022] [Accepted: 05/14/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Zebrafish is a well-established animal model for developmental and disease studies. Its optical transparency at early developmental stages allows in vivo tissues visualization. Interaction of polarized light with these tissues provides information on their structure and properties. This approach is effective for muscle tissue analysis due to its birefringence. To enable real-time Mueller-matrix characterization of unanesthetized fish, we assembled a microscope for single-shot Mueller-matrix imaging. First, we performed a continuous observation of 48 species within the period of 2 to 96 hpf and measured temporal dependencies of the polarization features in different tissues. These measurements show that hatching was accompanied by a sharp change in the angle and degree of linearly polarized light after interaction with muscles. Second, we analyzed nine species with skeletal disorders and demonstrated that the spatial distribution of light depolarization features clearly indicated them. Obtained results demonstrated that real-time Mueller-matrix imaging is a powerful tool for label-free monitoring zebrafish embryos.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander Machikhin
- Laboratory of Acousto-optical Spectroscopy, Scientific and Technological Center of Unique Instrumentation, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
| | - Chih-Chung Huang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan
| | - Demid Khokhlov
- Laboratory of Acousto-optical Spectroscopy, Scientific and Technological Center of Unique Instrumentation, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
| | - Victoria Galanova
- Laboratory of Acousto-optical Spectroscopy, Scientific and Technological Center of Unique Instrumentation, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
- Department of Laser and Opto-Electronic Systems, Bauman Moscow State Technical University, Moscow, Russia
| | - Alexander Burlakov
- Laboratory of Acousto-optical Spectroscopy, Scientific and Technological Center of Unique Instrumentation, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
- Department of Ichthyology, Faculty of Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, Russia
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7
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Truong TT, Chiu WT, Lai YS, Huang H, Jiang X, Huang CC. Ca 2+ signaling-mediated low-intensity pulsed ultrasound-induced proliferation and activation of motor neuron cells. ULTRASONICS 2022; 124:106739. [PMID: 35367809 DOI: 10.1016/j.ultras.2022.106739] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2021] [Revised: 01/24/2022] [Accepted: 03/21/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Motor neuron diseases (MND) including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and Parkinson disease are commonly neurodegenerative, causing a gradual loss of nerve cells and affecting the mechanisms underlying changes in calcium (Ca2+)-regulated dendritic growth. In this study, the NSC-34 cell line, a population of hybridomas generated using mouse spinal cord cells with neuroblastoma, was used to investigate the effect of low-intensity pulsed ultrasound (LIPUS) as part of an MND treatment model. After NSC-34 cells were seeded for 24 h, LIPUS stimulation was performed on the cells at days 1 and 3 using a non-focused transducer at 1.15 MHz for 8 min. NSC-34 cell proliferation and morphological changes were observed at various LIPUS intensities and different combinations of Ca2+ channel blockers. The nuclear translocation of Ca2+-dependent transcription factors was also examined. We observed that the neurite outgrowth and cell number of NSC-34 significantly increased with LIPUS stimulation at days 2 and 4, which may be associated with the treatment's positive effect on the activation of Ca2+-dependent transcription factors, such as nuclear factor of activated T cells and nuclear factor-kappa B. Our findings suggest that the LIPUS-induced Ca2+ signaling and transcription factor activation facilitate the morphological maturation and proliferation of NSC-34 cells, presenting a promising noninvasive method to improve stimulation therapy for MNDs in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thi-Thuyet Truong
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, National Cheng Kung University, Taiwan
| | - Wen-Tai Chiu
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, National Cheng Kung University, Taiwan
| | - Yi-Shyun Lai
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, National Cheng Kung University, Taiwan
| | - Hsien Huang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, National Cheng Kung University, Taiwan
| | - Xiaoning Jiang
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, North Carolina State University, USA
| | - Chih-Chung Huang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, National Cheng Kung University, Taiwan; Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, North Carolina State University, USA; Medical Device Innovation Center, National Cheng Kung University, Taiwan.
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Tsai WY, Hsueh YY, Chen PY, Hung KS, Huang CC. High-Frequency Ultrasound Elastography for Assessing Elastic Properties of Skin and Scars. IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON ULTRASONICS, FERROELECTRICS, AND FREQUENCY CONTROL 2022; 69:1871-1880. [PMID: 35201987 DOI: 10.1109/tuffc.2022.3154235] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Scars are a type of fibrous tissue that typically forms during the wound healing process to replace damaged skin. Because studies have indicated a high correlation between scar stiffness and clinical symptoms, assessing the mechanical properties of scar is crucial for determining an appropriate treatment strategy and evaluating the treatment's efficacy. Shear wave elastography (SWE) is a common technique for measuring tissue elasticity. Because scars are typically a few millimeters thick, they are thin-layer tissues, and therefore, the dispersion effect must be considered to accurately estimate their elasticity. In this study, high-frequency ultrasound (HFUS) elastography was proposed for estimating the elastic properties of scars by using the Lamb wave model (LWM). An external vibrator was used to generate elastic waves in scar tissue and skin, and the propagation of the elastic waves was tracked through 40-MHz ultrafast ultrasound imaging. The elasticity was estimated through shear wave models (SWMs) and LWMs. The effectiveness of using HFUS elastography was verified through phantom and human studies. The phantom experiments involved bulk phantoms with gelatin concentrations of 7% and 15% and 2-4-mm-thick thin-layer 15% gelatin phantoms. The studies of three patients with eight cases of scarring were also conducted. The phantom experimental results demonstrated that the elasticity estimation biases for the thin-layer mediums were approximately -36% to -50% and 3% to -9% in the SWMs and LWMs, respectively, and the estimated shear moduli were 12.8 ± 5.4 kPa and 74.8 ± 26.8 kPa for healthy skin and scar tissue, respectively. All the results demonstrated that the proposed HFUS elastography has a great potential for improving the accuracy of elasticity estimations in clinical dermatological diagnoses.
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Lu JY, Lee PY, Huang CC. Improving Image Quality for Single-Angle Plane Wave Ultrasound Imaging With Convolutional Neural Network Beamformer. IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON ULTRASONICS, FERROELECTRICS, AND FREQUENCY CONTROL 2022; 69:1326-1336. [PMID: 35175918 DOI: 10.1109/tuffc.2022.3152689] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Ultrafast ultrasound imaging based on plane wave (PW) compounding has been proposed for use in various clinical and preclinical applications, including shear wave imaging and super resolution blood flow imaging. Because the image quality afforded by PW imaging is highly dependent on the number of PW angles used for compounding, a tradeoff between image quality and frame rate occurs. In the present study, a convolutional neural network (CNN) beamformer based on a combination of the GoogLeNet and U-Net architectures was developed to replace the conventional delay-and-sum (DAS) algorithm to obtain high-quality images at a high frame rate. RF channel data are used as the inputs for the CNN beamformers. The outputs are in-phase and quadrature data. Simulations and phantom experiments revealed that the images predicted by the CNN beamformers had higher resolution and contrast than those predicted by conventional single-angle PW imaging with the DAS approach. In in vivo studies, the contrast-to-noise ratios (CNRs) of carotid artery images predicted by the CNN beamformers using three or five PWs as ground truths were approximately 12 dB in the transverse view, considerably higher than the CNR obtained using the DAS beamformer (3.9 dB). Most tissue speckle information was retained in the in vivo images produced by the CNN beamformers. In conclusion, only a single PW at 0° was fired, but the quality of the output image was proximal to that of an image generated using three or five PW angles. In other words, the quality-frame rate tradeoff of coherence compounding could be mitigated through the use of the proposed CNN for beamforming.
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10
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Qiu XR, Wang MT, Huang H, Kuo LC, Hsu HY, Yang TH, Su FC, Huang CC. Estimating the neovascularity of human finger tendon through high frequency ultrasound micro-Doppler imaging. IEEE Trans Biomed Eng 2022; 69:2667-2678. [PMID: 35192458 DOI: 10.1109/tbme.2022.3152151] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Neovascularization of injured tendons prolongs the proliferative phase of healing, but prolonged neovascularization may cause improper healing and pain. Currently, ultrasound Doppler imaging is used for measuring the neovascularization of injured tendons (e.g., Achilles tendon). However, the resolution of state-of-the-art clinical ultrasound machines is insufficient for visualizing the neovascularization in finger tendons. In this study, a high-resolution micro-Doppler imaging (HFDI) based on 40-MHz ultrafast ultrasound imaging was proposed for visualizing the neovascularization in injured finger tendons during multiple rehabilitation phases. METHOD The vessel visibility was enhanced through a block-wise singular value decomposition filter and several curvilinear structure enhancement strategies, including the bowler-hat transform and Hessian-based vessel enhancement filtering. HFDI was verified through small animal kidney and spleen imaging because the related vessel structure patterns of mice are well studied. Five patients with finger tendon injuries underwent HFDI examination at various rehabilitation phases after surgery (weeks 1156), and finger function evaluations were performed for comparisons. RESULTS The results of small animal experiments revealed that the proposed HFDI provides excellent microvasculature imaging performance; the contrast-to-noise ratio of HFDI was approximately 15 dB higher than that of the conventional singular value decomposition filter, and the minimum detectable vessel size for mouse kidney was 35 m without the use of contrast agent. In the human study, neovascularization was clearly observed in injured finger tendons during the early phase of healing (weeks 1121), but it regressed from week 52 to 56. Finger rehabilitation appears to help reduce neovascularization; neovascular density decreased by approximately 1.8%8.0% in participants after 4 weeks of rehabilitation. CONCLUSION The experimental results verified the performance of HFDI for microvasculature imaging and its potential for injured finger tendon evaluations.
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11
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Xu GX, Chen PY, Jiang X, Huang CC. Visualization of Human Skeletal Muscle Anisotropy by Using Dual-Direction Shear Wave Imaging. IEEE Trans Biomed Eng 2022; 69:2745-2754. [PMID: 35192460 DOI: 10.1109/tbme.2022.3152896] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Ultrasound (US) shear wave elasticity imaging (SWEI) is a mature technique for diagnosing the elasticity of isotropic tissues. However, the elasticity of anisotropic tissues, such as muscle and tendon, cannot be diagnosed correctly using SWEI because the shear wave velocity (SWV) varies with tissue fiber orientations. Recently, SWEI has been studied for measuring the anisotropic properties of muscles by rotating the transducer; however, this is difficult for clinical practice. METHODS In this study, a novel dual-direction shear wave imaging (DDSWI) technique was proposed for visualizing the mechanical anisotropy of muscles without rotation. Longitudinal and transverse shear waves were created by a specially designed external vibrator and supersonic pushing beam, respectively; the SWVs were then tracked using ultrafast US imaging. Subsequently, the SWV maps of two directions were obtained at the same scanning cross section, and the mechanical anisotropy was represented as the ratio between them at each pixel. RESULTS The performance of DDSWI was verified using a standard phantom, and human experiments were performed on the gastrocnemius and biceps brachii. Experimental results of phantom revealed DDSWI exhibited a high precision of <0.81 % and a low bias of <3.88 % in SWV measurements. The distribution of anisotropic properties in muscle was visualized with the anisotropic ratios of 1.54 and 2.27 for the gastrocnemius and biceps brachii, respectively. CONCLUSION The results highlight the potential of this novel anisotropic imaging in clinical applications because the conditions of musculoskeletal fiber orientation can be easily and accurately evaluated in real time by DDSWI.
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12
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Bensimon-Brito A, Boezio GLM, Cardeira-da-Silva J, Wietelmann A, Ramkumar S, Lundegaard PR, Helker CSM, Ramadass R, Piesker J, Nauerth A, Mueller C, Stainier DYR. Integration of multiple imaging platforms to uncover cardiovascular defects in adult zebrafish. Cardiovasc Res 2021; 118:2665-2687. [PMID: 34609500 PMCID: PMC9491864 DOI: 10.1093/cvr/cvab310] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2020] [Accepted: 09/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Aims Mammalian models have been instrumental in investigating adult heart function and human disease. However, electrophysiological differences with human hearts and high costs motivate the need for non-mammalian models. The zebrafish is a well-established genetic model to study cardiovascular development and function; however, analysis of cardiovascular phenotypes in adult specimens is particularly challenging as they are opaque. Methods and results Here, we optimized and combined multiple imaging techniques including echocardiography, magnetic resonance imaging, and micro-computed tomography to identify and analyse cardiovascular phenotypes in adult zebrafish. Using alk5a/tgfbr1a mutants as a case study, we observed morphological and functional cardiovascular defects that were undetected with conventional approaches. Correlation analysis of multiple parameters revealed an association between haemodynamic defects and structural alterations of the heart, as observed clinically. Conclusion We report a new, comprehensive, and sensitive platform to identify otherwise indiscernible cardiovascular phenotypes in adult zebrafish.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anabela Bensimon-Brito
- Department of Developmental Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Heart and Lung Research, Bad Nauheim, Germany.,DZHK German Centre for Cardiovascular Research, Partner Site Rhine-Main, Bad Nauheim, Germany
| | - Giulia L M Boezio
- Department of Developmental Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Heart and Lung Research, Bad Nauheim, Germany.,DZHK German Centre for Cardiovascular Research, Partner Site Rhine-Main, Bad Nauheim, Germany
| | - João Cardeira-da-Silva
- Department of Developmental Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Heart and Lung Research, Bad Nauheim, Germany.,DZHK German Centre for Cardiovascular Research, Partner Site Rhine-Main, Bad Nauheim, Germany
| | - Astrid Wietelmann
- Scientific Service Group MRI and µ-CT, Max Planck Institute for Heart and Lung Research, Bad Nauheim, Germany
| | - Srinath Ramkumar
- Department of Developmental Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Heart and Lung Research, Bad Nauheim, Germany.,DZHK German Centre for Cardiovascular Research, Partner Site Rhine-Main, Bad Nauheim, Germany
| | - Pia R Lundegaard
- Laboratory for Molecular Cardiology, Department of Cardiology, Vascular, Pulmonary and Infectious Diseases, University Hospital of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.,Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Christian S M Helker
- Department of Developmental Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Heart and Lung Research, Bad Nauheim, Germany
| | - Radhan Ramadass
- Department of Developmental Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Heart and Lung Research, Bad Nauheim, Germany
| | - Janett Piesker
- Scientific Service Group Microscopy, Max Planck Institute for Heart and Lung Research, Bad Nauheim, Germany
| | | | | | - Didier Y R Stainier
- Department of Developmental Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Heart and Lung Research, Bad Nauheim, Germany.,DZHK German Centre for Cardiovascular Research, Partner Site Rhine-Main, Bad Nauheim, Germany
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13
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Ho YJ, Huang CC, Fan CH, Liu HL, Yeh CK. Ultrasonic technologies in imaging and drug delivery. Cell Mol Life Sci 2021; 78:6119-6141. [PMID: 34297166 PMCID: PMC11072106 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-021-03904-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2021] [Revised: 07/13/2021] [Accepted: 07/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Ultrasonic technologies show great promise for diagnostic imaging and drug delivery in theranostic applications. The development of functional and molecular ultrasound imaging is based on the technical breakthrough of high frame-rate ultrasound. The evolution of shear wave elastography, high-frequency ultrasound imaging, ultrasound contrast imaging, and super-resolution blood flow imaging are described in this review. Recently, the therapeutic potential of the interaction of ultrasound with microbubble cavitation or droplet vaporization has become recognized. Microbubbles and phase-change droplets not only provide effective contrast media, but also show great therapeutic potential. Interaction with ultrasound induces unique and distinguishable biophysical features in microbubbles and droplets that promote drug loading and delivery. In particular, this approach demonstrates potential for central nervous system applications. Here, we systemically review the technological developments of theranostic ultrasound including novel ultrasound imaging techniques, the synergetic use of ultrasound with microbubbles and droplets, and microbubble/droplet drug-loading strategies for anticancer applications and disease modulation. These advancements have transformed ultrasound from a purely diagnostic utility into a promising theranostic tool.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi-Ju Ho
- Department of Biomedical Engineering and Environmental Sciences, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, Taiwan
| | - Chih-Chung Huang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan
- Medical Device Innovation Center, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan
| | - Ching-Hsiang Fan
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan
- Medical Device Innovation Center, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan
| | - Hao-Li Liu
- Department of Electrical Engineering, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan.
| | - Chih-Kuang Yeh
- Department of Biomedical Engineering and Environmental Sciences, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, Taiwan.
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14
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Bautista NM, Crespel A, Crossley J, Padilla P, Burggren W. Parental transgenerational epigenetic inheritance related to dietary crude oil exposure in Danio rerio. J Exp Biol 2020; 223:jeb222224. [PMID: 32620709 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.222224] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2020] [Accepted: 06/29/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Transgenerational inheritance from both parental lines can occur by genetic and epigenetic inheritance. Maternal effects substantially influence offspring survival and fitness. However, investigation of the paternal contribution to offspring success has been somewhat neglected. In the present study, adult zebrafish were separated into female and male groups exposed for 21 days to either a control diet or to a diet containing water accommodated fractions of crude oil. Four F1 offspring groups were obtained: (1) control (non-exposed parents), (2) paternally exposed, (3) maternally exposed and (4) dual-parent-exposed. To determine the maternal and paternal influence on their offspring, we evaluated responses from molecular to whole organismal levels in both generations. Growth rate, hypoxia resistance and heart rate did not differ among parental groups. However, global DNA methylation in heart tissue was decreased in oil-exposed fish compared with control parents. This decrease was accompanied by an upregulation of glycine N-methyltransferase. Unexpectedly, maternal, paternal and dual exposure all enhanced survival of F1 offspring raised in oiled conditions. Regardless of parental exposure, however, F1 offspring exposed to oil exhibited bradycardia. Compared with offspring from control parents, global DNA methylation was decreased in the three offspring groups derived from oil-exposed parents. However, no difference between groups was observed in gene regulation involved in methylation transfer, suggesting that the changes observed in the F1 populations may have been inherited from both parental lines. Phenotypic responses during exposure to persistent environmental stressors in F1 offspring appear to be influenced by maternal and paternal exposure, potentially benefitting offspring populations to survive in challenging environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naim M Bautista
- Developmental Integrative Biology Research Group, Department of Biological Sciences, University of North Texas, 1155 Union Circle #305220, Denton, TX 76203-5017, USA
- Zoophysiology, Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, C. F. Møllers Alle 3, Aarhus C 8000, Denmark
| | - Amélie Crespel
- Developmental Integrative Biology Research Group, Department of Biological Sciences, University of North Texas, 1155 Union Circle #305220, Denton, TX 76203-5017, USA
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, UK
| | - Janna Crossley
- Developmental Integrative Biology Research Group, Department of Biological Sciences, University of North Texas, 1155 Union Circle #305220, Denton, TX 76203-5017, USA
| | - Pamela Padilla
- Developmental Integrative Biology Research Group, Department of Biological Sciences, University of North Texas, 1155 Union Circle #305220, Denton, TX 76203-5017, USA
| | - Warren Burggren
- Developmental Integrative Biology Research Group, Department of Biological Sciences, University of North Texas, 1155 Union Circle #305220, Denton, TX 76203-5017, USA
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15
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Huang H, Chen PY, Huang CC. 40-MHz high-frequency vector Doppler imaging for superficial venous valve flow estimation. Med Phys 2020; 47:4020-4031. [PMID: 32609885 DOI: 10.1002/mp.14362] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2020] [Revised: 05/26/2020] [Accepted: 06/17/2020] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE Doppler ultrasound imaging has been used widely for diagnosing vascular diseases. Recently, vector Doppler imaging (VDI) has been proposed for visualizing the blood flow in all directions to yield more detailed information for estimating flow conditions. Increasing the resolution of VDI is important for the structural mapping of superficial vessels with microstructure. However, VDI that operates under a high-frequency ultrasound (HFUS; >30 MHz) is rare. In this study, a 40-MHz high-frequency VDI (HFVDI) based on ultrafast ultrasound imaging was developed to obtain the vector information of blood flow around the superficial venous valve. METHODS The use of HFUS imaging system causes an overload of data acquisition easily. In order to provide sufficient recording time, the frame rate should be reduced. Because the aliasing problem worsens due to a low frame rate when operating Doppler imaging, phase-unwrapping processing methods based on spatial and temporal continuities were applied. Flow phantom experiments were performed to validate the accuracy. In vivo experiments were performed on the valve of superficial veins of healthy volunteers. RESULTS The experimental results from the phantom study indicated that the error of velocity estimation was <10% in most cases. Dynamic changes of valve movements and flow conditions (including velocity profiles and vector) were observed. Because of the high resolution of HFVDI, the jet and vortex phenomena were observed between the leaflets and in the sinus pocket, respectively. CONCLUSIONS Flow velocities ranging from 2 to 15 mm/s were measured at different locations around the venous valve during the opening and closing phases. All the results indicated that HFVDI has the potential to be a useful tool for vessel duplex scanning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hsin Huang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan
| | - Pei-Yu Chen
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan
| | - Chih-Chung Huang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan.,Medical Device Innovation Center, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan
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16
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Juul Belling H, Hofmeister W, Andersen DC. A Systematic Exposition of Methods used for Quantification of Heart Regeneration after Apex Resection in Zebrafish. Cells 2020; 9:cells9030548. [PMID: 32111059 PMCID: PMC7140516 DOI: 10.3390/cells9030548] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2020] [Revised: 02/20/2020] [Accepted: 02/21/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Myocardial infarction (MI) is a worldwide condition that affects millions of people. This is mainly caused by the adult human heart lacking the ability to regenerate upon injury, whereas zebrafish have the capacity through cardiomyocyte proliferation to fully regenerate the heart following injury such as apex resection (AR). But a systematic overview of the methods used to evidence heart regrowth and regeneration in the zebrafish is lacking. Herein, we conducted a systematical search in Embase and Pubmed for studies on heart regeneration in the zebrafish following injury and identified 47 AR studies meeting the inclusion criteria. Overall, three different methods were used to assess heart regeneration in zebrafish AR hearts. 45 out of 47 studies performed qualitative (37) and quantitative (8) histology, whereas immunohistochemistry for various cell cycle markers combined with cardiomyocyte specific proteins was used in 34 out of 47 studies to determine cardiomyocyte proliferation qualitatively (6 studies) or quantitatively (28 studies). For both methods, analysis was based on selected heart sections and not the whole heart, which may bias interpretations. Likewise, interstudy comparison of reported cardiomyocyte proliferation indexes seems complicated by distinct study designs and reporting manners. Finally, six studies performed functional analysis to determine heart function, a hallmark of human heart injury after MI. In conclusion, our data implies that future studies should consider more quantitative methods eventually taking the 3D of the zebrafish heart into consideration when evidencing myocardial regrowth after AR. Furthermore, standardized guidelines for reporting cardiomyocyte proliferation and sham surgery details may be considered to enable inter study comparisons and robustly determine the effect of given genes on the process of heart regeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Helene Juul Belling
- Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Cardiology, Department of Clinical Biochemistry and Pharmacology, Odense University Hospital, 5000 Odense C, Denmark; (H.J.B.); (W.H.)
- Clinical Institute, University of Southern Denmark, Winsloewparken 25, 1. floor, 5000 Odense C, Denmark
| | - Wolfgang Hofmeister
- Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Cardiology, Department of Clinical Biochemistry and Pharmacology, Odense University Hospital, 5000 Odense C, Denmark; (H.J.B.); (W.H.)
- Clinical Institute, University of Southern Denmark, Winsloewparken 25, 1. floor, 5000 Odense C, Denmark
- Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, DanStem, Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Stem Cell Biology, 2200 København H, Denmark
| | - Ditte Caroline Andersen
- Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Cardiology, Department of Clinical Biochemistry and Pharmacology, Odense University Hospital, 5000 Odense C, Denmark; (H.J.B.); (W.H.)
- Clinical Institute, University of Southern Denmark, Winsloewparken 25, 1. floor, 5000 Odense C, Denmark
- Correspondence:
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17
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Chen PY, Yang TH, Kuo LC, Shih CC, Huang CC. Characterization of Hand Tendons Through High-Frequency Ultrasound Elastography. IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON ULTRASONICS, FERROELECTRICS, AND FREQUENCY CONTROL 2020; 67:37-48. [PMID: 31478846 DOI: 10.1109/tuffc.2019.2938147] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Tendon stiffness plays an important role in the tendon healing process, and many studies have indicated that measuring the shear wave velocity (SWV) on tendons relates to their stiffness. Because the thickness of hand tendons is a few millimeters, high-resolution imaging is required for visualizing hand tissues. However, the resolution of current ultrasound elastography systems is insufficient. In this study, a high-frequency (HF) ultrasound elastography system is proposed for measuring the SWVs of hand tendons. The HF ultrasound elastography system uses an external vibrator to create shear waves on hand tendons. Then, it uses a 40-MHz HF ultrasound array transducer with ultrafast ultrasound imaging technology to measure the SWV for characterizing hand tendons. A handheld device that combines a transducer and a vibrator allows the user to scan hand tissues. The biases of HF ultrasound elastography were measured in gelatin phantom experiments and were less than 6% compared to standard mechanical testing approach. Human experiments showed the ability to use HF ultrasound elastography to distinguish different SWVs of hand tendons. The SWVs were 0.73 ± 0.65 m/s and 1 ± 0.54 m/s for flexor digitorum superficialis (FDS) and flexor digitorum profundus (FDP), respectively, and 0.52 ± 0.14 m/s and 4.02 ± 0.77 m/s for extensor tendon under stretch and contraction conditions, respectively. The simplicity and convenience of the HF ultrasound elastography system for measuring hand tendon stiffness make it a promising tool for evaluating the severity of hand injuries and the performance of rehabilitation after hand injuries.
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18
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Ho-Chiang C, Huang H, Huang CC. High-frequency ultrasound deformation imaging for adult zebrafish during heart regeneration. Quant Imaging Med Surg 2020; 10:66-75. [PMID: 31956530 DOI: 10.21037/qims.2019.09.20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Background The adult human heart cannot efficiently generate new cardiac muscle cells in response to injury, and, therefore, cardiac injury results in irreversible damage to cardiac functions. The zebrafish (Danio rerio) is a crucial animal model in cardiac research because of its remarkable capacity for tissue regeneration. An adult zebrafish can completely regenerate cardiac tissue without a scar being formed, even after 20% of its ventricular myocardium has been resected. Zebrafish have been utilized in developmental biology and genetics research; however, the details of myocardium motions during their cardiac cycle in different regeneration phases are still not fully understood. Methods In this study, we used a 70-MHz high-resolution ultrasound deformation imaging system to observe the functional recovery of zebrafish hearts after amputation of the ventricular apex. Results The myocardial deformation and cardiac output (CO) were measured in different regeneration phases relative to the day of amputation. In response to the damage to the heart, the peak systolic strain (εmax) and strain during ejection time (εej) were lower than normal at 3 days after the myocardium amputation. The CO had normalized to the baseline values at 7 days after surgery. Conclusions Our results confirm that the imaging system constructed for this study is suitable for examining zebrafish cardiac functions during heart regeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chen Ho-Chiang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan
| | - Hsin Huang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan
| | - Chih-Chung Huang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan.,Medical Device Innovation Center, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan
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19
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Li HC, Chen PY, Cheng HF, Kuo YM, Huang CC. In Vivo Visualization of Brain Vasculature in Alzheimer's Disease Mice by High-Frequency Micro-Doppler Imaging. IEEE Trans Biomed Eng 2019; 66:3393-3401. [PMID: 30872220 DOI: 10.1109/tbme.2019.2904702] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Cerebrovascular disorders are associated with Alzheimer's disease (AD). Functional analysis of the cerebral vasculature requires an in vivo approach to visualize the blood flow in small animal brains. This paper proposes a high-frequency micro-Doppler imaging (HFμDI) technology for mapping mouse cerebral vasculature. METHODS HFμDI used a 40-MHz transducer with an ultrafast ultrasound imaging technology that enabled in vivo visualization of the mouse brain up to 3 mm in depth; furthermore, a minimal vessel diameter of 48 μm could be determined. RESULTS Animal experiments determined that the cortical and hippocampal vessel density in young wild-type (WT) mice was similar to that in middle-aged WT mice. However, compared with the vessel density in middle-aged WT mice, that in middle-aged mice with AD was significantly lower, particularly in the hippocampus. DISCUSSION In vivo observation of cerebral vasculature demonstrated the effectiveness of HFμDI for the preclinical study of AD, and a potential way for human diagnosis was provided.
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20
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Chang CC, Chen PY, Huang H, Huang CC. In Vivo Visualization of Vasculature in Adult Zebrafish by Using High-Frequency Ultrafast Ultrasound Imaging. IEEE Trans Biomed Eng 2018; 66:1742-1751. [PMID: 30387718 DOI: 10.1109/tbme.2018.2878887] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Zebrafish has been recently considered an ideal vertebrate for studying developmental biology, genetics, particularly for modeling tumorigenesis, angiogenesis, and regeneration in vivo. However, when a zebrafish matures completely, its body loses transparency, thus making conventional optical imaging techniques difficult for imaging internal anatomy and vasculature. Acoustic wave penetration outperforms optical methods, high-frequency (>30 MHz) ultrasound (HFUS) was consequently an alternative imaging modality for adult zebrafish imaging, particularly for echocardiography However, visualizing peripheral vessels in a zebrafish by using conventional HFUS is still difficult. METHODS In the present study, high-frequency micro-Doppler imaging (HFμDI) based on ultrafast ultrasound imaging was proposed for zebrafish dorsal vascular mapping in vivo. HFμDI uses a 40-MHz ultrasound transducer, which is an ultrafast ultrasound imaging technology with the highest frequency available currently. Blood flow signals were extracted using an eigen-based clutter filter with different settings. Experiments were performed on an 8-month-old wild-type AB-line adult zebrafish. RESULTS Blood vessels, including intersegmental vessels, parachordal vessel, dorsal longitudinal anastomotic vessel, and dorsal aorta, from the dorsal side of the zebrafish were clearly observed in two-dimensional (2-D) and 3-D HFμDI. CONCLUSION The maximum image depth of HFμDI and the minimal diameter of vessel can be detected were 4 mm and 36 μm, respectively; they were determined without any use of microbubbles. The maximum flow velocity range was approximately 3-4 mm/s on the dorsal vessels of the adult zebrafish. SIGNIFICANCE Compared with conventional ultrasound Doppler imaging, HFμDI exhibited superior small vessel imaging.
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21
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González-Rosa JM, Burns CE, Burns CG. Zebrafish heart regeneration: 15 years of discoveries. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2017; 4:105-123. [PMID: 28979788 PMCID: PMC5617908 DOI: 10.1002/reg2.83] [Citation(s) in RCA: 117] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2017] [Revised: 08/09/2017] [Accepted: 08/09/2017] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death worldwide. Compared to other organs such as the liver, the adult human heart lacks the capacity to regenerate on a macroscopic scale after injury. As a result, myocardial infarctions are responsible for approximately half of all cardiovascular related deaths. In contrast, the zebrafish heart regenerates efficiently upon injury through robust myocardial proliferation. Therefore, deciphering the mechanisms that underlie the zebrafish heart's endogenous regenerative capacity represents an exciting avenue to identify novel therapeutic strategies for inducing regeneration of the human heart. This review provides a historical overview of adult zebrafish heart regeneration. We summarize 15 years of research, with a special focus on recent developments from this fascinating field. We discuss experimental findings that address fundamental questions of regeneration research. What is the origin of regenerated muscle? How is regeneration controlled from a genetic and molecular perspective? How do different cell types interact to achieve organ regeneration? Understanding natural models of heart regeneration will bring us closer to answering the ultimate question: how can we stimulate myocardial regeneration in humans?
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan Manuel González-Rosa
- Cardiovascular Research Center Massachusetts General Hospital Charlestown MA 02129 USA.,Harvard Medical School Boston MA 02115 USA
| | - Caroline E Burns
- Cardiovascular Research Center Massachusetts General Hospital Charlestown MA 02129 USA.,Harvard Medical School Boston MA 02115 USA.,Harvard Stem Cell Institute Cambridge MA 02138 USA
| | - C Geoffrey Burns
- Cardiovascular Research Center Massachusetts General Hospital Charlestown MA 02129 USA.,Harvard Medical School Boston MA 02115 USA
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22
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Koth J, Maguire ML, McClymont D, Diffley L, Thornton VL, Beech J, Patient RK, Riley PR, Schneider JE. High-Resolution Magnetic Resonance Imaging of the Regenerating Adult Zebrafish Heart. Sci Rep 2017; 7:2917. [PMID: 28592901 PMCID: PMC5462770 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-03050-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2016] [Accepted: 04/24/2017] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
The adult zebrafish is a well-established model for studying heart regeneration, but due to its tissue opaqueness, repair has been primarily assessed using destructive histology, precluding repeated investigations of the same animal. We present a high-resolution, non-invasive in vivo magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) method incorporating a miniature respiratory and anaesthetic perfusion set-up for live adult zebrafish, allowing for visualization of scar formation and heart regeneration in the same animal over time at an isotropic 31 µm voxel resolution. To test the method, we compared well and poorly healing cardiac ventricles using a transgenic fish model that exhibits heat-shock (HS) inducible impaired heart regeneration. HS-treated groups revealed persistent scar tissue for 10 weeks, while control groups were healed after 4 weeks. Application of the advanced MRI technique allowed clear discrimination of levels of repair following cryo- and resection injury for several months. It further provides a novel tool for in vivo time-lapse imaging of adult fish for non-cardiac studies, as the method can be readily applied to image wound healing in other injured or diseased tissues, or to monitor tissue changes over time, thus expanding the range of questions that can be addressed in adult zebrafish and other small aquatic species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jana Koth
- Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, JR Hospital, Oxford University, Oxford, OX3 9DS, UK.
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, Oxford University, Oxford, OX1 3PT, UK.
| | - Mahon L Maguire
- BHF Experimental MR Unit, Wellcome Trust Centre for Human Genetics, Oxford University, Oxford, OX3 7BN, UK
| | - Darryl McClymont
- BHF Experimental MR Unit, Wellcome Trust Centre for Human Genetics, Oxford University, Oxford, OX3 7BN, UK
| | - Leonie Diffley
- BHF Experimental MR Unit, Wellcome Trust Centre for Human Genetics, Oxford University, Oxford, OX3 7BN, UK
| | - Victoria L Thornton
- BHF Experimental MR Unit, Wellcome Trust Centre for Human Genetics, Oxford University, Oxford, OX3 7BN, UK
| | - John Beech
- Department of Oncology, Oxford University, Oxford, OX3 7DQ, UK
| | - Roger K Patient
- Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, JR Hospital, Oxford University, Oxford, OX3 9DS, UK
| | - Paul R Riley
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, Oxford University, Oxford, OX1 3PT, UK
| | - Jürgen E Schneider
- BHF Experimental MR Unit, Wellcome Trust Centre for Human Genetics, Oxford University, Oxford, OX3 7BN, UK.
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23
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Huang CC, Chen PY, Peng PH, Lee PY. 40 MHz high-frequency ultrafast ultrasound imaging. Med Phys 2017; 44:2185-2195. [PMID: 28369938 DOI: 10.1002/mp.12244] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2016] [Revised: 02/24/2017] [Accepted: 03/16/2017] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE Ultrafast high-frame-rate ultrasound imaging based on coherent-plane-wave compounding has been developed for many biomedical applications. Most coherent-plane-wave compounding systems typically operate at 3-15 MHz, and the image resolution for this frequency range is not sufficient for visualizing microstructure tissues. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to implement a high-frequency ultrafast ultrasound imaging operating at 40 MHz. METHODS The plane-wave compounding imaging and conventional multifocus B-mode imaging were performed using the Field II toolbox of MATLAB in simulation study. In experiments, plane-wave compounding images were obtained from a 256 channel ultrasound research platform with a 40 MHz array transducer. All images were produced by point-spread functions and cyst phantoms. The in vivo experiment was performed from zebrafish. Since high-frequency ultrasound exhibits a lower penetration, chirp excitation was applied to increase the imaging depth in simulation. RESULTS The simulation results showed that a lateral resolution of up to 66.93 μm and a contrast of up to 56.41 dB were achieved when using 75-angles plane waves in compounding imaging. The experimental results showed that a lateral resolution of up to 74.83 μm and a contrast of up to 44.62 dB were achieved when using 75-angles plane waves in compounding imaging. The dead zone and compounding noise are about 1.2 mm and 2.0 mm in depth for experimental compounding imaging, respectively. The structure of zebrafish heart was observed clearly using plane-wave compounding imaging. CONCLUSIONS The use of fewer than 23 angles for compounding allowed a frame rate higher than 1000 frames per second. However, the compounding imaging exhibits a similar lateral resolution of about 72 μm as the angle of plane wave is higher than 10 angles. This study shows the highest operational frequency for ultrafast high-frame-rate ultrasound imaging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chih-Chung Huang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, National Cheng Kung University, 701, No.1, University Rd, Tainan City, 70101, Taiwan
| | - Pei-Yu Chen
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, National Cheng Kung University, 701, No.1, University Rd, Tainan City, 70101, Taiwan
| | - Po-Hsun Peng
- Department of Electrical Engineering, Fu Jen Catholic University, New Taipei City, Taiwan
| | - Po-Yang Lee
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, National Cheng Kung University, 701, No.1, University Rd, Tainan City, 70101, Taiwan
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24
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Wang LW, Huttner IG, Santiago CF, Kesteven SH, Yu ZY, Feneley MP, Fatkin D. Standardized echocardiographic assessment of cardiac function in normal adult zebrafish and heart disease models. Dis Model Mech 2016; 10:63-76. [PMID: 28067629 PMCID: PMC5278526 DOI: 10.1242/dmm.026989] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2016] [Accepted: 11/11/2016] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The zebrafish (Danio rerio) is an increasingly popular model organism in cardiovascular research. Major insights into cardiac developmental processes have been gained by studies of embryonic zebrafish. However, the utility of zebrafish for modeling adult-onset heart disease has been limited by a lack of robust methods for in vivo evaluation of cardiac function. We established a physiological protocol for underwater zebrafish echocardiography using high frequency ultrasound, and evaluated its reliability in detecting altered cardiac function in two disease models. Serial assessment of cardiac function was performed in wild-type zebrafish aged 3 to 12 months and the effects of anesthetic agents, age, sex and background strain were evaluated. There was a varying extent of bradycardia and ventricular contractile impairment with different anesthetic drugs and doses, with tricaine 0.75 mmol l−1 having a relatively more favorable profile. When compared with males, female fish were larger and had more measurement variability. Although age-related increments in ventricular chamber size were greater in females than males, there were no sex differences when data were normalized to body size. Systolic ventricular function was similar in both sexes at all time points, but differences in diastolic function were evident from 6 months onwards. Wild-type fish of both sexes showed a reliance on atrial contraction for ventricular diastolic filling. Echocardiographic evaluation of adult zebrafish with diphtheria toxin-induced myocarditis or anemia-induced volume overload accurately identified ventricular dilation and altered contraction, with suites of B-mode, ventricular strain, pulsed-wave Doppler and tissue Doppler indices showing concordant changes indicative of myocardial hypocontractility or hypercontractility, respectively. Repeatability, intra-observer and inter-observer correlations for echocardiographic measurements were high. We demonstrate that high frequency echocardiography allows reliable in vivo cardiac assessment in adult zebrafish and make recommendations for optimizing data acquisition and analysis. This enabling technology reveals new insights into zebrafish cardiac physiology and provides an imaging platform for zebrafish-based translational research. Summary: Standardization of zebrafish echocardiography provides insights into cardiac physiology in normal and diseased states, with application for functional studies in zebrafish models of heart disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Louis W Wang
- Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute, Darlinghurst, New South Wales 2010, Australia.,Faculty of Medicine, University of New South Wales, Kensington, New South Wales 2052, Australia.,Department of Cardiology, St Vincent's Hospital, Darlinghurst, New South Wales 2010, Australia
| | - Inken G Huttner
- Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute, Darlinghurst, New South Wales 2010, Australia.,Faculty of Medicine, University of New South Wales, Kensington, New South Wales 2052, Australia
| | - Celine F Santiago
- Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute, Darlinghurst, New South Wales 2010, Australia.,Faculty of Medicine, University of New South Wales, Kensington, New South Wales 2052, Australia
| | - Scott H Kesteven
- Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute, Darlinghurst, New South Wales 2010, Australia.,Faculty of Medicine, University of New South Wales, Kensington, New South Wales 2052, Australia
| | - Ze-Yan Yu
- Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute, Darlinghurst, New South Wales 2010, Australia.,Faculty of Medicine, University of New South Wales, Kensington, New South Wales 2052, Australia
| | - Michael P Feneley
- Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute, Darlinghurst, New South Wales 2010, Australia.,Faculty of Medicine, University of New South Wales, Kensington, New South Wales 2052, Australia.,Department of Cardiology, St Vincent's Hospital, Darlinghurst, New South Wales 2010, Australia
| | - Diane Fatkin
- Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute, Darlinghurst, New South Wales 2010, Australia .,Faculty of Medicine, University of New South Wales, Kensington, New South Wales 2052, Australia.,Department of Cardiology, St Vincent's Hospital, Darlinghurst, New South Wales 2010, Australia
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25
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Genge CE, Lin E, Lee L, Sheng X, Rayani K, Gunawan M, Stevens CM, Li AY, Talab SS, Claydon TW, Hove-Madsen L, Tibbits GF. The Zebrafish Heart as a Model of Mammalian Cardiac Function. Rev Physiol Biochem Pharmacol 2016; 171:99-136. [PMID: 27538987 DOI: 10.1007/112_2016_5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
Zebrafish (Danio rerio) are widely used as vertebrate model in developmental genetics and functional genomics as well as in cardiac structure-function studies. The zebrafish heart has been increasingly used as a model of human cardiac function, in part, due to the similarities in heart rate and action potential duration and morphology with respect to humans. The teleostian zebrafish is in many ways a compelling model of human cardiac function due to the clarity afforded by its ease of genetic manipulation, the wealth of developmental biological information, and inherent suitability to a variety of experimental techniques. However, in addition to the numerous advantages of the zebrafish system are also caveats related to gene duplication (resulting in paralogs not present in human or other mammals) and fundamental differences in how zebrafish hearts function. In this review, we discuss the use of zebrafish as a cardiac function model through the use of techniques such as echocardiography, optical mapping, electrocardiography, molecular investigations of excitation-contraction coupling, and their physiological implications relative to that of the human heart. While some of these techniques (e.g., echocardiography) are particularly challenging in the zebrafish because of diminutive size of the heart (~1.5 mm in diameter) critical information can be derived from these approaches and are discussed in detail in this article.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christine E Genge
- Molecular Cardiac Physiology Group, Biomedical Physiology and Kinesiology, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, Canada, V5A 1S6
| | - Eric Lin
- Molecular Cardiac Physiology Group, Biomedical Physiology and Kinesiology, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, Canada, V5A 1S6
| | - Ling Lee
- BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, BC, Canada, V5Z 4H4
| | - XiaoYe Sheng
- BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, BC, Canada, V5Z 4H4
| | - Kaveh Rayani
- Molecular Cardiac Physiology Group, Biomedical Physiology and Kinesiology, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, Canada, V5A 1S6
| | - Marvin Gunawan
- Molecular Cardiac Physiology Group, Biomedical Physiology and Kinesiology, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, Canada, V5A 1S6
| | - Charles M Stevens
- Molecular Cardiac Physiology Group, Biomedical Physiology and Kinesiology, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, Canada, V5A 1S6.,BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, BC, Canada, V5Z 4H4
| | - Alison Yueh Li
- Molecular Cardiac Physiology Group, Biomedical Physiology and Kinesiology, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, Canada, V5A 1S6
| | - Sanam Shafaat Talab
- Molecular Cardiac Physiology Group, Biomedical Physiology and Kinesiology, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, Canada, V5A 1S6
| | - Thomas W Claydon
- Molecular Cardiac Physiology Group, Biomedical Physiology and Kinesiology, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, Canada, V5A 1S6
| | - Leif Hove-Madsen
- Molecular Cardiac Physiology Group, Biomedical Physiology and Kinesiology, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, Canada, V5A 1S6.,Cardiovascular Research Centre CSIC-ICCC, Hospital de Sant Pau, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Glen F Tibbits
- Molecular Cardiac Physiology Group, Biomedical Physiology and Kinesiology, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, Canada, V5A 1S6. .,BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, BC, Canada, V5Z 4H4.
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Abstract
The ability to repair damaged or lost tissues varies significantly among vertebrates. The regenerative ability of the heart is clinically very relevant, because adult teleost fish and amphibians can regenerate heart tissue, but we mammals cannot. Interestingly, heart regeneration is possible in neonatal mice, but this ability is lost within 7 days after birth. In zebrafish and neonatal mice, lost cardiomyocytes are regenerated via proliferation of spared, differentiated cardiomyocytes. While some cardiomyocyte turnover occurs in adult mammals, the cardiomyocyte production rate is too low in response to injury to regenerate the heart. Instead, mammalian hearts respond to injury by remodeling of spared tissue, which includes cardiomyocyte hypertrophy. Wnt/β-catenin signaling plays important roles during vertebrate heart development, and it is re-activated in response to cardiac injury. In this review, we discuss the known functions of this signaling pathway in injured hearts, its involvement in cardiac fibrosis and hypertrophy, and potential therapeutic approaches that might promote cardiac repair after injury by modifying Wnt/β-catenin signaling. Regulation of cardiac remodeling by this signaling pathway appears to vary depending on the injury model and the exact stages that have been studied. Thus, conflicting data have been published regarding a potential role of Wnt/β-catenin pathway in promotion of fibrosis and cardiomyocyte hypertrophy. In addition, the Wnt inhibitory secreted Frizzled-related proteins (sFrps) appear to have Wnt-dependent and Wnt-independent roles in the injured heart. Thus, while the exact functions of Wnt/β-catenin pathway activity in response to injury still need to be elucidated in the non-regenerating mammalian heart, but also in regenerating lower vertebrates, manipulation of the pathway is essential for creation of therapeutically useful cardiomyocytes from stem cells in culture. Hopefully, a detailed understanding of the in vivo role of Wnt/β-catenin signaling in injured mammalian and non-mammalian hearts will also contribute to the success of current efforts towards developing regenerative therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gunes Ozhan
- Izmir Biomedicine and Genome Center (iBG-izmir), Dokuz Eylul University, Inciralti-Balcova, 35340 Izmir, Turkey ; Department of Medical Biology and Genetics, Dokuz Eylul University Medical School, Inciralti-Balcova, 35340 Izmir, Turkey
| | - Gilbert Weidinger
- Institute for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Ulm University, Albert-Einstein-Allee 11, 89081 Ulm, Germany
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