High-resolution 3D optical microscopy inside the beating zebrafish heart using prospective optical gating

PAAQ: Paired Alternating AcQuisitions for virtual high frame rate multichannel cardiac fluorescence microscopy

In vivo fluorescence microscopy is a powerful tool to image the beating heart in its early development stages. A high acquisition frame rate is necessary to study its fast contractions, but the limited fluorescence intensity requires sensitive cameras that are often too slow. Moreover, the problem is even more complex when imaging distinct tissues in the same sample using different fluorophores. We present Paired Alternating AcQuisitions, a method to image cyclic processes in multiple channels, which requires only a single (possibly slow) camera. We generate variable temporal illumination patterns in each frame, alternating between channel-specific illuminations (fluorescence) in odd frames and a motion-encoding brightfield pattern as a common reference in even frames. Starting from the image pairs, we find the position of each reference frame in the cardiac cycle through a combination of image-based sorting and regularized curve fitting. Thanks to these estimated reference positions, we assemble multichannel videos whose frame rate is virtually increased. We characterize our method on synthetic and experimental images collected in zebrafish embryos, showing quantitative and visual improvements in the reconstructed videos over existing nongated sorting-based alternatives. Using a 15 Hz camera, we showcase a reconstructed video containing two fluorescence channels at 100 fps.

Haemodynamic dependence of mechano-genetic evolution of the cardiovascular system in Japanese medaka

The progression of cardiac gene expression-wall shear stress (WSS) interplay is critical to identifying developmental defects during cardiovascular morphogenesis. However, mechano-genetics from the embryonic to larval stages are poorly understood in vertebrates. We quantified peak WSS in the heart and tail vessels of Japanese medaka from 3 days post fertilization (dpf) to 14 dpf using in vivo micro-particle image velocimetry flow measurements, and in parallel analysed the expression of five cardiac genes (fgf8, hoxb6b, bmp4, nkx2.5, smyd1). Here, we report that WSS in the atrioventricular canal (AVC), ventricular outflow tract (OFT), and the caudal vessels in medaka peak with inflection points at 6 dpf and 10-11 dpf instead of a monotonic trend. Retrograde flows are captured at the AVC and OFT of the medaka heart for the first time. In addition, all genes were upregulated at 3 dpf and 7 dpf, indicating a possible correlation between the two, with the cardiac gene upregulation preceding WSS increase in order to facilitate cardiac wall remodelling.

Real-time multi-angle projection imaging of biological dynamics

We introduce a cost-effective and easily implementable scan unit that converts any camera-based microscope with optical sectioning capability into a multi-angle projection imaging system. Projection imaging reduces data overhead and accelerates imaging by a factor of >100, while also allowing users to readily view biological phenomena of interest from multiple perspectives on the fly. By rapidly interrogating the sample from just two perspectives, our method also enables real-time stereoscopic imaging and three-dimensional particle localization. We demonstrate projection imaging with spinning disk confocal, lattice light-sheet, multidirectional illumination light-sheet and oblique plane microscopes on specimens that range from organelles in single cells to the vasculature of a zebrafish embryo. Furthermore, we leverage our projection method to rapidly image cancer cell morphodynamics and calcium signaling in cultured neurons at rates up to 119 Hz as well as to simultaneously image orthogonal views of a beating embryonic zebrafish heart.

Live Imaging of Heart Injury in Larval Zebrafish Reveals a Multi-Stage Model of Neutrophil and Macrophage Migration

Neutrophils and macrophages are crucial effectors and modulators of repair and regeneration following myocardial infarction, but they cannot be easily observed in vivo in mammalian models. Hence many studies have utilized larval zebrafish injury models to examine neutrophils and macrophages in their tissue of interest. However, to date the migratory patterns and ontogeny of these recruited cells is unknown. In this study, we address this need by comparing our larval zebrafish model of cardiac injury to the archetypal tail fin injury model. Our in vivo imaging allowed comprehensive mapping of neutrophil and macrophage migration from primary hematopoietic sites, to the wound. Early following injury there is an acute phase of neutrophil recruitment that is followed by sustained macrophage recruitment. Both cell types are initially recruited locally and subsequently from distal sites, primarily the caudal hematopoietic tissue (CHT). Once liberated from the CHT, some neutrophils and macrophages enter circulation, but most use abluminal vascular endothelium to crawl through the larva. In both injury models the innate immune response resolves by reverse migration, with very little apoptosis or efferocytosis of neutrophils. Furthermore, our in vivo imaging led to the finding of a novel wound responsive mpeg1+ neutrophil subset, highlighting previously unrecognized heterogeneity in neutrophils. Our study provides a detailed analysis of the modes of immune cell migration in larval zebrafish, paving the way for future studies examining tissue injury and inflammation.

High-contrast, synchronous volumetric imaging with selective volume illumination microscopy

Light-field fluorescence microscopy uniquely provides fast, synchronous volumetric imaging by capturing an extended volume in one snapshot, but often suffers from low contrast due to the background signal generated by its wide-field illumination strategy. We implemented light-field-based selective volume illumination microscopy (SVIM), where illumination is confined to only the volume of interest, removing the background generated from the extraneous sample volume, and dramatically enhancing the image contrast. We demonstrate the capabilities of SVIM by capturing cellular-resolution 3D movies of flowing bacteria in seawater as they colonize their squid symbiotic partner, as well as of the beating heart and brain-wide neural activity in larval zebrafish. These applications demonstrate the breadth of imaging applications that we envision SVIM will enable, in capturing tissue-scale 3D dynamic biological systems at single-cell resolution, fast volumetric rates, and high contrast to reveal the underlying biology.

Thai Truong et al. present light-field-based selective volume illumination microscopy (SVIM), a method for enhancing image contrast and resolution by combining light-field microscopy and selective plane illumination microscopy. They generate cellular-resolution 3D movies by applying SVIM to flowing bacteria in seawater and to the beating heart and whole brain of larval zebrafish.

Automated high-throughput heartbeat quantification in medaka and zebrafish embryos under physiological conditions

Accurate quantification of heartbeats in fish models is an important readout to study cardiovascular biology, disease states and pharmacology. However, dependence on anaesthesia, laborious sample orientation or requirement for fluorescent reporters have hampered the use of high-throughput heartbeat analysis. To overcome these limitations, we established an efficient screening assay employing automated label-free heart rate determination of randomly oriented, non-anesthetized medaka (Oryzias latipes) and zebrafish (Danio rerio) embryos in microtiter plates. Automatically acquired bright-field data feeds into an easy-to-use HeartBeat software with graphical user interface for automated quantification of heart rate and rhythm. Sensitivity of the assay was demonstrated by profiling heart rates during entire embryonic development. Our analysis revealed rapid adaption of heart rates to temperature changes, which has implications for standardization of experimental layout. The assay allows scoring of multiple embryos per well enabling a throughput of >500 embryos per 96-well plate. In a proof of principle screen for compound testing, we captured concentration-dependent effects of nifedipine and terfenadine over time. Our novel assay permits large-scale applications ranging from phenotypic screening, interrogation of gene functions to cardiovascular drug development.

Adaptive prospective optical gating enables day-long 3D time-lapse imaging of the beating embryonic zebrafish heart

Three-dimensional fluorescence time-lapse imaging of the beating heart is extremely challenging, due to the heart’s constant motion and a need to avoid pharmacological or phototoxic damage. Although real-time triggered imaging can computationally “freeze” the heart for 3D imaging, no previous algorithm has been able to maintain phase-lock across developmental timescales. We report a new algorithm capable of maintaining day-long phase-lock, permitting routine acquisition of synchronised 3D + time video time-lapse datasets of the beating zebrafish heart. This approach has enabled us for the first time to directly observe detailed developmental and cellular processes in the beating heart, revealing the dynamics of the immune response to injury and witnessing intriguing proliferative events that challenge the established literature on cardiac trabeculation. Our approach opens up exciting new opportunities for direct time-lapse imaging studies over a 24-hour time course, to understand the cellular mechanisms underlying cardiac development, repair and regeneration.

Imaging heart development is challenging due to constant tissue movement and changing physical landmarks. Here the authors present an algorithm capable of maintaining phase-locked imaging throughout a 24 hour timespan, enabling long term timelapse imaging studies of zebrafish heart development, repair and regeneration.

Second harmonic generation microscopy of early embryonic mouse hearts

The understanding of biomechanical regulation of early heart development in genetic mouse models can contribute to improved management of congenital cardiovascular defects and embryonic cardiac failures in humans. The extracellular matrix (ECM), and particularly fibrillar collagen, are central to heart biomechanics, regulating tissue strength, elasticity and contractility. Here, we explore second harmonic generation (SHG) microscopy for visualization of establishing cardiac fibers such as collagen in mouse embryos through the earliest stages of development. We detected significant increase in SHG positive fibrillar content and organization over the first 24 hours after initiation of contractions. SHG microscopy revealed regions of higher fibrillar organization in regions of higher contractility and reduced fibrillar content and organization in mouse Mlc2a model with cardiac contractility defect, suggesting regulatory role of mechanical load in production and organization of structural fibers from the earliest stages. Simultaneous volumetric SHG and two-photon excitation microscopy of vital fluorescent reporter EGFP in the heart was demonstrated. In summary, these data set SHG microscopy as a valuable non-bias imaging tool to investigate mouse embryonic cardiogenesis and biomechanics.

Characterization of Triptolide-Induced Hepatotoxicity by Imaging and Transcriptomics in a Novel Zebrafish Model

Triptolide is a vine extract used in traditional Chinese medicines and associated with hepatotoxicity. In vitro data suggest that inhibition of RNA synthesis may be the mechanism of toxicity. For studying drug-induced liver injury the zebrafish has experimental, practical and financial advantages compared with rodents. The aim of this study was to explore the mechanism of triptolide toxicity using zebrafish as the model system. The effect of triptolide exposure on zebrafish larvae was determined with regard to mortality, histology, expression of liver specific microRNA-122 and liver volume. Fluorescent microscopy was used to track toxicity in the Tg(-2.8lfabp:GFP)^as3 zebrafish line. Informed by microscopy, RNA-sequencing was used to explore the mechanism of toxicity. Triptolide exposure resulted in dose-dependent mortality, a reduction in the number of copies of microRNA-122 per larva, hepatocyte vacuolation, disarray and oncotic necrosis, and a reduction in liver volume. These findings were consistent across replicate experiments. Time-lapse imaging indicated the onset of injury was 6 h after the start of exposure, at which point, RNA-sequencing revealed that 88% of genes were down-regulated. Immune response associated genes were up-regulated in the triptolide-treated larvae including nitric oxide synthase. Inhibition of nitric oxide synthase increased mortality. Triptolide induces hepatotoxicity in zebrafish larvae. This represents a new model of drug-induced liver injury that complements rodents. RNA sequencing, guided by time-lapse microscopy, revealed early down-regulation of genes consistent with previous invitro studies, and facilitated the discovery of mechanistic inflammatory pathways.

Spatial and temporal variations in hemodynamic forces initiate cardiac trabeculation

Hemodynamic shear force has been implicated as modulating Notch signaling-mediated cardiac trabeculation. Whether the spatiotemporal variations in wall shear stress (WSS) coordinate the initiation of trabeculation to influence ventricular contractile function remains unknown. Using light-sheet fluorescent microscopy, we reconstructed the 4D moving domain and applied computational fluid dynamics to quantify 4D WSS along the trabecular ridges and in the groves. In WT zebrafish, pulsatile shear stress developed along the trabecular ridges, with prominent endocardial Notch activity at 3 days after fertilization (dpf), and oscillatory shear stress developed in the trabecular grooves, with epicardial Notch activity at 4 dpf. Genetic manipulations were performed to reduce hematopoiesis and inhibit atrial contraction to lower WSS in synchrony with attenuation of oscillatory shear index (OSI) during ventricular development. γ-Secretase inhibitor of Notch intracellular domain (NICD) abrogated endocardial and epicardial Notch activity. Rescue with NICD mRNA restored Notch activity sequentially from the endocardium to trabecular grooves, which was corroborated by observed Notch-mediated cardiomyocyte proliferations on WT zebrafish trabeculae. We also demonstrated in vitro that a high OSI value correlated with upregulated endothelial Notch-related mRNA expression. In silico computation of energy dissipation further supports the role of trabeculation to preserve ventricular structure and contractile function. Thus, spatiotemporal variations in WSS coordinate trabecular organization for ventricular contractile function.

3D + time blood flow mapping using SPIM-microPIV in the developing zebrafish heart

We present SPIM-μPIV as a flow imaging system, capable of measuring in vivo flow information with 3D micron-scale resolution. Our system was validated using a phantom experiment consisting of a flow of beads in a 50 μm diameter FEP tube. Then, with the help of optical gating techniques, we obtained 3D + time flow fields throughout the full heartbeat in a ∼3 day old zebrafish larva using fluorescent red blood cells as tracer particles. From this we were able to recover 3D flow fields at 31 separate phases in the heartbeat. From our measurements of this specimen, we found the net pumped blood volume through the atrium to be 0.239 nL per beat. SPIM-μPIV enables high quality in vivo measurements of flow fields that will be valuable for studies of heart function and fluid-structure interaction in a range of small-animal models.

Heart function and hemodynamic analysis for zebrafish embryos

The Zebrafish has emerged to become a powerful vertebrate animal model for cardiovascular research in recent years. Its advantages include easy genetic manipulation, transparency, small size, low cost, and the ability to survive without active circulation at early stages of development. Sequencing the whole genome and identifying ortholog genes with human genome made it possible to induce clinically relevant cardiovascular defects via genetic approaches. Heart function and disturbed hemodynamics need to be assessed in a reliable manner for these disease models in order to reveal the mechanobiology of induced defects. This effort requires precise determination of blood flow patterns as well as hemodynamic stress (i.e., wall shear stress and pressure) levels within the developing heart. While traditional approach involves time-lapse brightfield microscopy to track cell and tissue movements, in more recent studies fast light-sheet fluorescent microscopes are utilized for that purpose. Integration of more complicated techniques like particle image velocimetry and computational fluid dynamics modeling for hemodynamic analysis holds a great promise to the advancement of the Zebrafish studies. Here, we discuss the latest developments in heart function and hemodynamic analysis for Zebrafish embryos and conclude with our future perspective on dynamic analysis of the Zebrafish cardiovascular system. Developmental Dynamics 246:868-880, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Compact plane illumination plugin device to enable light sheet fluorescence imaging of multi-cellular organisms on an inverted wide-field microscope

We developed a compact plane illumination plugin (PIP) device which enabled plane illumination and light sheet fluorescence imaging on a conventional inverted microscope. The PIP device allowed the integration of microscope with tunable laser sheet profile, fast image acquisition, and 3-D scanning. The device is both compact, measuring approximately 15 by 5 by 5 cm, and cost-effective, since we employed consumer electronics and an inexpensive device molding method. We demonstrated that PIP provided significant contrast and resolution enhancement to conventional microscopy through imaging different multi-cellular fluorescent structures, including 3-D branched cells in vitro and live zebrafish embryos. Imaging with the integration of PIP greatly reduced out-of-focus contamination and generated sharper contrast in acquired 2-D plane images when compared with the stand-alone inverted microscope. As a result, the dynamic fluid domain of the beating zebrafish heart was clearly segmented and the functional monitoring of the heart was achieved. Furthermore, the enhanced axial resolution established by thin plane illumination of PIP enabled the 3-D reconstruction of the branched cellular structures, which leads to the improvement on the functionality of the wide field microscopy.

Optically gated beating-heart imaging

The constant motion of the beating heart presents an obstacle to clear optical imaging, especially 3D imaging, in small animals where direct optical imaging would otherwise be possible. Gating techniques exploit the periodic motion of the heart to computationally "freeze" this movement and overcome motion artifacts. Optically gated imaging represents a recent development of this, where image analysis is used to synchronize acquisition with the heartbeat in a completely non-invasive manner. This article will explain the concept of optical gating, discuss a range of different implementation strategies and their strengths and weaknesses. Finally we will illustrate the usefulness of the technique by discussing applications where optical gating has facilitated novel biological findings by allowing 3D in vivo imaging of cardiac myocytes in their natural environment of the beating heart.

Quantitative high dynamic range beam profiling for fluorescence microscopy

Modern developmental biology relies on optically sectioning fluorescence microscope techniques to produce non-destructive in vivo images of developing specimens at high resolution in three dimensions. As optimal performance of these techniques is reliant on the three-dimensional (3D) intensity profile of the illumination employed, the ability to directly record and analyze these profiles is of great use to the fluorescence microscopist or instrument builder. Though excitation beam profiles can be measured indirectly using a sample of fluorescent beads and recording the emission along the microscope detection path, we demonstrate an alternative approach where a miniature camera sensor is used directly within the illumination beam. Measurements taken using our approach are solely concerned with the illumination optics as the detection optics are not involved. We present a miniature beam profiling device and high dynamic range flux reconstruction algorithm that together are capable of accurately reproducing quantitative 3D flux maps over a large focal volume. Performance of this beam profiling system is verified within an optical test bench and demonstrated for fluorescence microscopy by profiling the low NA illumination beam of a single plane illumination microscope. The generality and success of this approach showcases a widely flexible beam amplitude diagnostic tool for use within the life sciences.

Intravital imaging of cardiac function at the single-cell level

Knowledge of cardiomyocyte biology is limited by the lack of methods to interrogate single-cell physiology in vivo. Here we show that contracting myocytes can indeed be imaged with optical microscopy at high temporal and spatial resolution in the beating murine heart, allowing visualization of individual sarcomeres and measurement of the single cardiomyocyte contractile cycle. Collectively, this has been enabled by efficient tissue stabilization, a prospective real-time cardiac gating approach, an image processing algorithm for motion-artifact-free imaging throughout the cardiac cycle, and a fluorescent membrane staining protocol. Quantification of cardiomyocyte contractile function in vivo opens many possibilities for investigating myocardial disease and therapeutic intervention at the cellular level.

Moving domain computational fluid dynamics to interface with an embryonic model of cardiac morphogenesis

Peristaltic contraction of the embryonic heart tube produces time- and spatial-varying wall shear stress (WSS) and pressure gradients (∇P) across the atrioventricular (AV) canal. Zebrafish (Danio rerio) are a genetically tractable system to investigate cardiac morphogenesis. The use of Tg(fli1a:EGFP) (y1) transgenic embryos allowed for delineation and two-dimensional reconstruction of the endocardium. This time-varying wall motion was then prescribed in a two-dimensional moving domain computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model, providing new insights into spatial and temporal variations in WSS and ∇P during cardiac development. The CFD simulations were validated with particle image velocimetry (PIV) across the atrioventricular (AV) canal, revealing an increase in both velocities and heart rates, but a decrease in the duration of atrial systole from early to later stages. At 20-30 hours post fertilization (hpf), simulation results revealed bidirectional WSS across the AV canal in the heart tube in response to peristaltic motion of the wall. At 40-50 hpf, the tube structure undergoes cardiac looping, accompanied by a nearly 3-fold increase in WSS magnitude. At 110-120 hpf, distinct AV valve, atrium, ventricle, and bulbus arteriosus form, accompanied by incremental increases in both WSS magnitude and ∇P, but a decrease in bi-directional flow. Laminar flow develops across the AV canal at 20-30 hpf, and persists at 110-120 hpf. Reynolds numbers at the AV canal increase from 0.07±0.03 at 20-30 hpf to 0.23±0.07 at 110-120 hpf (p< 0.05, n=6), whereas Womersley numbers remain relatively unchanged from 0.11 to 0.13. Our moving domain simulations highlights hemodynamic changes in relation to cardiac morphogenesis; thereby, providing a 2-D quantitative approach to complement imaging analysis.

Fast measurement of sarcomere length and cell orientation in Langendorff-perfused hearts using remote focusing microscopy

RATIONALE

Sarcomere length (SL) is a key indicator of cardiac mechanical function, but current imaging technologies are limited in their ability to unambiguously measure and characterize SL at the cell level in intact, living tissue.

OBJECTIVE

We developed a method for measuring SL and regional cell orientation using remote focusing microscopy, an emerging imaging modality that can capture light from arbitrary oblique planes within a sample.

METHODS AND RESULTS

We present a protocol that unambiguously and quickly determines cell orientation from user-selected areas in a field of view by imaging 2 oblique planes that share a common major axis with the cell. We demonstrate the effectiveness of the technique in establishing single-cell SL in Langendorff-perfused hearts loaded with the membrane dye di-4-ANEPPS.

CONCLUSIONS

Remote focusing microscopy can measure cell orientation in complex 2-photon data sets without capturing full z stacks. The technique allows rapid assessment of SL in healthy and diseased heart experimental preparations.