A gated-7T MRI technique for tracking lung tumor development and progression in mice after exposure to low doses of ionizing radiation

OBSERVE: guidelines for the refinement of rodent cancer models

Existing guidelines on the preparation (Planning Research and Experimental Procedures on Animals: Recommendations for Excellence (PREPARE)) and reporting (Animal Research: Reporting of In Vivo Experiments (ARRIVE)) of animal experiments do not provide a clear and standardized approach for refinement during in vivo cancer studies, resulting in the publication of generic methodological sections that poorly reflect the attempts made at accurately monitoring different pathologies. Compliance with the 3Rs guidelines has mainly focused on reduction and replacement; however, refinement has been harder to implement. The Oncology Best-practices: Signs, Endpoints and Refinements for in Vivo Experiments (OBSERVE) guidelines are the result of a European initiative supported by EurOPDX and INFRAFRONTIER, and aim to facilitate the refinement of studies using in vivo cancer models by offering robust and practical recommendations on approaches to research scientists and animal care staff. We listed cancer-specific clinical signs as a reference point and from there developed sets of guidelines for a wide variety of rodent models, including genetically engineered models and patient derived xenografts. In this Consensus Statement, we systematically and comprehensively address refinement and monitoring approaches during the design and execution of murine cancer studies. We elaborate on the appropriate preparation of tumor-initiating biologicals and the refinement of tumor-implantation methods. We describe the clinical signs to monitor associated with tumor growth, the appropriate follow-up of animals tailored to varying clinical signs and humane endpoints, and an overview of severity assessment in relation to clinical signs, implantation method and tumor characteristics. The guidelines provide oncology researchers clear and robust guidance for the refinement of in vivo cancer models.

Differentiating lung cancer and infection based on measurements of extracellular pH with acidoCEST MRI

Lung cancer diagnosis via imaging may be confounded by the presence of indolent infectious nodules in imaging studies. This issue is pervasive in the southwestern US where coccidioidomycosis (Valley Fever) is endemic. AcidoCEST MRI is a noninvasive imaging method that quantifies the extracellular pH (pHe) of tissues in vivo, allowing tumor acidosis to be used as a diagnostic biomarker. Using murine models of lung adenocarcinoma and coccidoidomycosis, we found that average lesion pHe differed significantly between tumors and granulomas. Our study shows that acidoCEST MRI is a promising tool for improving the specificity of lung cancer diagnosis.

Cardio-Respiratory synchronized bSSFP MRI for high throughput in vivo lung tumour quantification

The identification and measurement of tumours is a key requirement in the study of tumour development in mouse models of human cancer. Disease burden in autochthonous tumours, such as those arising in the lung, can be seen with non-invasive imaging, but cannot be accurately measured using standard tools such as callipers. Lung imaging is further complicated in the mouse due to instabilities arising from the rapid but cyclic cardio-respiratory motions, and the desire to use free-breathing animals. Female A/JOlaHsd mice were either injected (i.p.) with PBS 0.1ml/10g body weight (n = 6), or 10% urethane/PBS 0.1ml/10g body weight (n = 12) to induce autochthonous lung tumours. Cardio-respiratory synchronised bSSFP MRI, at 200 μm isotropic resolution was performed at 8, 13 and 18 weeks post induction. Images from the same mouse at different time points were aligned using threshold-based segmented masks of the lungs (ITK-SNAP and MATLAB) and tumour volumes were determined via threshold-based segmentation (ITK-SNAP).Scan times were routinely below 10 minutes and tumours were readily identifiable. Image registration allowed serial measurement of tumour volumes as small as 0.056 mm³. Repetitive imaging did not lead to mouse welfare issues. We have developed a motion desensitised scan that enables high sensitivity MRI to be performed with high throughput capability of greater than 4 mice/hour. Image segmentation and registration allows serial measurement of individual, small tumours. This allows fast and highly efficient volumetric lung tumour monitoring in cohorts of 30 mice per imaging time point. As a result, adaptive trial study designs can be achieved, optimizing experimental and welfare outcomes.

A rapid micro-magnetic resonance imaging scanning for three-dimensional reconstruction of peripheral nerve fascicles

The most common methods for three-dimensional reconstruction of peripheral nerve fascicles include histological and radiology techniques. Histological techniques have many drawbacks including an enormous manual workload and poor image registration. Micro-magnetic resonance imaging (Micro-MRI), an emerging radiology technique, has been used to report results in the brain, liver and tumor tissues. However, micro-MRI usage for obtaining intraneural structures has not been reported. The aim of this study was to present a new imaging method for three-dimensional reconstruction of peripheral nerve fascicles by ¹T micro-MRI. Freshly harvested sciatic nerve samples from an amputated limb were divided into four groups. Two different scanning conditions (Mannerist Solution/GD-DTPA contrast agent, distilled water) were selected, and both T1 and T2 phases programmed for each scanning condition. Three clinical surgeons evaluated the quality of the images via a standardized scale. Moreover, to analyze deformation of the two-dimensional image, the nerve diameter and total area of the micro-MRI images were compared after hematoxylin-eosin staining. The results show that rapid micro-MRI imaging method can be used for three-dimensional reconstruction of the fascicle structure. Nerve sample immersed in contrast agent (Mannerist Solution/GD-DTPA) and scanned in the T1 phase was the best. Moreover, the nerve sample was scanned freshly and can be recycled for other procedures. MRI images show better stability and smaller deformation compared with histological images. In conclusion, micro-MRI provides a feasible and rapid method for three-dimensional reconstruction of peripheral nerve fascicles, which can clearly show the internal structure of the peripheral nerve.

Three-dimensional ultrashort echo time MRI and Short T2 images generated from subtraction for determination of tumor burden in lung cancer: Preclinical investigation in transgenic mice

PURPOSE

To investigate the potential of 3D ultrashort echo time MRI and short T₂ images generated by subtraction for determination of total tumor burden in lung cancer.

METHODS

As an animal model of spontaneously developing non-small cell lung cancer, the K-rasLA1 transgenic mouse was used. Three-dimensional MR imaging was performed with radial k-space acquisition and echo times of 20 µs and 1 ms. For investigation of the short T₂ component in the recorded signal, subtraction images were generated from these data sets and used for consensus identification of tumors. Next, manual segmentation was performed on all MR images by two independent investigators. MRI data were compared with the results from histologic investigations and among the investigators.

RESULTS

Tumor number and total tumor burden from imaging experiments correlated strongly with the results of histologic investigations. Intra- and interuser comparison showed highest correlations between the individual measurements for ultra-short TE MRI.

CONCLUSIONS

Three-dimensional MRI protocols facilitate accurate tumor identification in mice harboring lung tumors. Ultrashort TE MRI is the superior imaging strategy when investigating lung tumors of miscellaneous size with 3D MR imaging strategies. Magn Reson Med 79:1052-1060, 2018. © 2017 International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine.

Total-body irradiation produces late degenerative joint damage in rats

PURPOSE

Premature musculoskeletal joint failure is a major source of morbidity among childhood cancer survivors. Radiation effects on synovial joint tissues of the skeleton are poorly understood. Our goal was to assess long-term changes in the knee joint from skeletally mature rats that received total-body irradiation while skeletal growth was ongoing.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

14 week-old rats were irradiated with 1, 3 or 7 Gy total-body doses of 18 MV X-rays. At 53 weeks of age, structural and compositional changes in knee joint tissues (articular cartilage, subchondral bone, and trabecular bone) were characterized using 7T MRI, nanocomputed tomography (nanoCT), microcomputed tomography (microCT), and histology.

RESULTS

T2 relaxation times of the articular cartilage were lower after exposure to all doses. Likewise, calcifications were observed in the articular cartilage. Trabecular bone microarchitecture was compromised in the tibial metaphysis at 7 Gy. Mild to moderate cartilage erosion was scored in the 3 and 7 Gy rats.

CONCLUSIONS

Late degenerative changes in articular cartilage and bone were observed after total-body irradiation in adult rats exposed prior to skeletal maturity. 7T MRI, microCT, nanoCT, and histology identified potential prognostic indicators of late radiation-induced joint damage.

Detection of lung tumors in mice using a 1-tesla compact magnetic resonance imaging system

Due to their small size, lung tumors in rodents are typically investigated using high-field magnetic resonance (MR) systems (4.7 T or higher) to achieve higher signal-to-noise ratios, although low-field MR systems are less sensitive to susceptibility artifacts caused by air in the lung. We investigated the feasibility of detecting lung tumors in living, freely breathing mice with a 1-T compact permanent magnet MR system. In total, 4 mice were used, and MR images of mouse lungs were acquired using a T1-weighted three-dimensional fast low-angle shot sequence without cardiac or respiratory gating. The delineation and size of lung tumors were assessed and compared with histopathological findings. Submillimeter lesions were demonstrated as hyperintense, relative to the surrounding lung parenchyma, and were delineated clearly. Among the 13 lesions validated in histopathological sections, 11 were detected in MR images; the MR detection rate was thus 84.6%. A strong correlation was obtained in size measurements between MR images and histological sections. Thus, a dedicated low-field MR system can be used to detect lung tumors in living mice noninvasively without gating.

The serine hydrolase ABHD6 Is a critical regulator of the metabolic syndrome

The serine hydrolase α/β hydrolase domain 6 (ABHD6) has recently been implicated as a key lipase for the endocannabinoid 2-arachidonylglycerol (2-AG) in the brain. However, the biochemical and physiological function for ABHD6 outside of the central nervous system has not been established. To address this, we utilized targeted antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs) to selectively knock down ABHD6 in peripheral tissues in order to identify in vivo substrates and understand ABHD6's role in energy metabolism. Here, we show that selective knockdown of ABHD6 in metabolic tissues protects mice from high-fat-diet-induced obesity, hepatic steatosis, and systemic insulin resistance. Using combined in vivo lipidomic identification and in vitro enzymology approaches, we show that ABHD6 can hydrolyze several lipid substrates, positioning ABHD6 at the interface of glycerophospholipid metabolism and lipid signal transduction. Collectively, these data suggest that ABHD6 inhibitors may serve as therapeutics for obesity, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, and type II diabetes.