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Silva RV, Morr AS, Herthum H, Koch SP, Mueller S, Batzdorf CS, Bertalan G, Meyer T, Tzschätzsch H, Kühl AA, Boehm-Sturm P, Braun J, Scheel M, Paul F, Infante-Duarte C, Sack I. Cortical matrix remodeling as a hallmark of relapsing-remitting neuroinflammation in MR elastography and quantitative MRI. Acta Neuropathol 2024; 147:8. [PMID: 38175305 PMCID: PMC10766667 DOI: 10.1007/s00401-023-02658-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2023] [Revised: 11/03/2023] [Accepted: 11/23/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024]
Abstract
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic neuroinflammatory disease that involves both white and gray matter. Although gray matter damage is a major contributor to disability in MS patients, conventional clinical magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) fails to accurately detect gray matter pathology and establish a clear correlation with clinical symptoms. Using magnetic resonance elastography (MRE), we previously reported global brain softening in MS and experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE). However, it needs to be established if changes of the spatiotemporal patterns of brain tissue mechanics constitute a marker of neuroinflammation. Here, we use advanced multifrequency MRE with tomoelastography postprocessing to investigate longitudinal and regional inflammation-induced tissue changes in EAE and in a small group of MS patients. Surprisingly, we found reversible softening in synchrony with the EAE disease course predominantly in the cortex of the mouse brain. This cortical softening was associated neither with a shift of tissue water compartments as quantified by T2-mapping and diffusion-weighted MRI, nor with leukocyte infiltration as seen by histopathology. Instead, cortical softening correlated with transient structural remodeling of perineuronal nets (PNNs), which involved abnormal chondroitin sulfate expression and microgliosis. These mechanisms also appear to be critical in humans with MS, where tomoelastography for the first time demonstrated marked cortical softening. Taken together, our study shows that neuroinflammation (i) critically affects the integrity of PNNs in cortical brain tissue, in a reversible process that correlates with disease disability in EAE, (ii) reduces the mechanical integrity of brain tissue rather than leading to water accumulation, and (iii) shows similar spatial patterns in humans and mice. These results raise the prospect of leveraging MRE and quantitative MRI for MS staging and monitoring treatment in affected patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rafaela V Silva
- Experimental and Clinical Research Center, a cooperation between the Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association and Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, ECRC - Experimental and Clinical Research Center, Berlin, Germany
- Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association (MDC), Berlin, Germany
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Einstein Center for Neurosciences Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Anna S Morr
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Department of Radiology, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Helge Herthum
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Center for Advanced Neuroimaging, Berlin, Germany
| | - Stefan P Koch
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Department of Experimental Neurology and Center for Stroke Research Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, NeuroCure Cluster of Excellence and Charité Core Facility 7T Experimental MRI, Berlin, Germany
| | - Susanne Mueller
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Department of Experimental Neurology and Center for Stroke Research Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, NeuroCure Cluster of Excellence and Charité Core Facility 7T Experimental MRI, Berlin, Germany
| | - Clara S Batzdorf
- Experimental and Clinical Research Center, a cooperation between the Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association and Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, ECRC - Experimental and Clinical Research Center, Berlin, Germany
- Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association (MDC), Berlin, Germany
| | - Gergely Bertalan
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Department of Radiology, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Tom Meyer
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Department of Radiology, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Heiko Tzschätzsch
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Department of Radiology, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Anja A Kühl
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, iPATH.Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Philipp Boehm-Sturm
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Department of Experimental Neurology and Center for Stroke Research Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, NeuroCure Cluster of Excellence and Charité Core Facility 7T Experimental MRI, Berlin, Germany
| | - Jürgen Braun
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Institute of Medical Informatics, Berlin, Germany
| | - Michael Scheel
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin Corporate, Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin Institute of Health, NeuroCure Clinical Research Center, Berlin, Germany
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Department of Neuroradiology, Berlin, Germany
| | - Friedemann Paul
- Experimental and Clinical Research Center, a cooperation between the Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association and Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Carmen Infante-Duarte
- Experimental and Clinical Research Center, a cooperation between the Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association and Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, ECRC - Experimental and Clinical Research Center, Berlin, Germany.
- Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association (MDC), Berlin, Germany.
| | - Ingolf Sack
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Department of Radiology, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
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Morr AS, Nowicki M, Bertalan G, Vieira Silva R, Infante Duarte C, Koch SP, Boehm-Sturm P, Krügel U, Braun J, Steiner B, Käs JA, Fuhs T, Sack I. Mechanical properties of murine hippocampal subregions investigated by atomic force microscopy and in vivo magnetic resonance elastography. Sci Rep 2022; 12:16723. [PMID: 36202964 PMCID: PMC9537158 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-21105-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2022] [Accepted: 09/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
The hippocampus is a very heterogeneous brain structure with different mechanical properties reflecting its functional variety. In particular, adult neurogenesis in rodent hippocampus has been associated with specific viscoelastic properties in vivo and ex vivo. Here, we study the microscopic mechanical properties of hippocampal subregions using ex vivo atomic force microscopy (AFM) in correlation with the expression of GFP in presence of the nestin promoter, providing a marker of neurogenic activity. We further use magnetic resonance elastography (MRE) to investigate whether in vivo mechanical properties reveal similar spatial patterns, however, on a much coarser scale. AFM showed that tissue stiffness increases with increasing distance from the subgranular zone (p = 0.0069), and that stiffness is 39% lower in GFP than non-GFP regions (p = 0.0004). Consistently, MRE showed that dentate gyrus is, on average, softer than Ammon´s horn (shear wave speed = 3.2 ± 0.2 m/s versus 4.4 ± 0.3 m/s, p = 0.01) with another 3.4% decrease towards the subgranular zone (p = 0.0001). The marked reduction in stiffness measured by AFM in areas of high neurogenic activity is consistent with softer MRE values, indicating the sensitivity of macroscopic mechanical properties in vivo to micromechanical structures as formed by the neurogenic niche of the hippocampus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna S Morr
- Department of Radiology, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Charitéplatz 1, 10117, Berlin, Germany
| | - Marcin Nowicki
- Institute of Anatomy, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Gergely Bertalan
- Department of Radiology, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Charitéplatz 1, 10117, Berlin, Germany
| | - Rafaela Vieira Silva
- Experimental and Clinical Research Center, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association (MDC) and Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany.,Einstein Center for Neurosciences Berlin, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Carmen Infante Duarte
- Experimental and Clinical Research Center, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association (MDC) and Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Stefan Paul Koch
- Department of Experimental Neurology and Center for Stroke Research, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany.,NeuroCure Cluster of Excellence and Charité Core Facility 7T Experimental MRIs, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Philipp Boehm-Sturm
- Department of Experimental Neurology and Center for Stroke Research, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany.,NeuroCure Cluster of Excellence and Charité Core Facility 7T Experimental MRIs, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Ute Krügel
- Rudolf Boehm Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Jürgen Braun
- Institute of Medical Informatics, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Barbara Steiner
- Clinic for Neurology and Experimental Neurology, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Josef A Käs
- Section of Soft Matter Physics, Peter Debye Institute for Soft Matter Physics, Faculty of Physics and Geosciences, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Thomas Fuhs
- Section of Soft Matter Physics, Peter Debye Institute for Soft Matter Physics, Faculty of Physics and Geosciences, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Ingolf Sack
- Department of Radiology, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Charitéplatz 1, 10117, Berlin, Germany.
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Silva RV, Morr AS, Mueller S, Koch SP, Boehm-Sturm P, Rodriguez-Sillke Y, Kunkel D, Tzschätzsch H, Kühl AA, Schnorr J, Taupitz M, Sack I, Infante-Duarte C. Contribution of Tissue Inflammation and Blood-Brain Barrier Disruption to Brain Softening in a Mouse Model of Multiple Sclerosis. Front Neurosci 2021; 15:701308. [PMID: 34497486 PMCID: PMC8419310 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2021.701308] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2021] [Accepted: 07/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Neuroinflammatory processes occurring during multiple sclerosis cause disseminated softening of brain tissue, as quantified by in vivo magnetic resonance elastography (MRE). However, inflammation-mediated tissue alterations underlying the mechanical integrity of the brain remain unclear. We previously showed that blood-brain barrier (BBB) disruption visualized by MRI using gadolinium-based contrast agent (GBCA) does not correlate with tissue softening in active experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE). However, it is unknown how confined BBB changes and other inflammatory processes may determine local elasticity changes. Therefore, we aim to elucidate which inflammatory hallmarks are determinant for local viscoelastic changes observed in EAE brains. Hence, novel multifrequency MRE was applied in combination with GBCA-based MRI or very small superparamagnetic iron oxide particles (VSOPs) in female SJL mice with induced adoptive transfer EAE (n = 21). VSOPs were doped with europium (Eu-VSOPs) to facilitate the post-mortem analysis. Accumulation of Eu-VSOPs, which was previously demonstrated to be sensitive to immune cell infiltration and ECM remodeling, was also found to be independent of GBCA enhancement. Following registration to a reference brain atlas, viscoelastic properties of the whole brain and areas visualized by either Gd or VSOP were quantified. MRE revealed marked disseminated softening across the whole brain in mice with established EAE (baseline: 3.1 ± 0.1 m/s vs. EAE: 2.9 ± 0.2 m/s, p < 0.0001). A similar degree of softening was observed in sites of GBCA enhancement i.e., mainly within cerebral cortex and brain stem (baseline: 3.3 ± 0.4 m/s vs. EAE: 3.0 ± 0.5 m/s, p = 0.018). However, locations in which only Eu-VSOP accumulated, mainly in fiber tracts (baseline: 3.0 ± 0.4 m/s vs. EAE: 2.6 ± 0.5 m/s, p = 0.023), softening was more pronounced when compared to non-hypointense areas (percent change of stiffness for Eu-VSOP accumulation: -16.81 ± 16.49% vs. for non-hypointense regions: -5.85 ± 3.81%, p = 0.048). Our findings suggest that multifrequency MRE is sensitive to differentiate between local inflammatory processes with a strong immune cell infiltrate that lead to VSOP accumulation, from disseminated inflammation and BBB leakage visualized by GBCA. These pathological events visualized by Eu-VSOP MRI and MRE may include gliosis, macrophage infiltration, alterations of endothelial matrix components, and/or extracellular matrix remodeling. MRE may therefore represent a promising imaging tool for non-invasive clinical assessment of different pathological aspects of neuroinflammation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rafaela Vieira Silva
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Institute of Medical Immunology, Berlin, Germany.,Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Einstein Center for Neurosciences Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Anna S Morr
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Department of Radiology, Berlin, Germany
| | - Susanne Mueller
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Department of Experimental Neurology and Center for Stroke Research, Berlin, Germany.,Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, NeuroCure Cluster of Excellence and Charité Core Facility 7T Experimental MRIs, Berlin, Germany
| | - Stefan Paul Koch
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Department of Experimental Neurology and Center for Stroke Research, Berlin, Germany.,Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, NeuroCure Cluster of Excellence and Charité Core Facility 7T Experimental MRIs, Berlin, Germany
| | - Philipp Boehm-Sturm
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Department of Experimental Neurology and Center for Stroke Research, Berlin, Germany.,Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, NeuroCure Cluster of Excellence and Charité Core Facility 7T Experimental MRIs, Berlin, Germany
| | - Yasmina Rodriguez-Sillke
- Berlin Institute of Health at Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Flow & Mass Cytometry Core Facility, Berlin, Germany
| | - Désirée Kunkel
- Berlin Institute of Health at Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Flow & Mass Cytometry Core Facility, Berlin, Germany
| | - Heiko Tzschätzsch
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Department of Radiology, Berlin, Germany
| | - Anja A Kühl
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Jörg Schnorr
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Department of Radiology, Berlin, Germany
| | - Matthias Taupitz
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Department of Radiology, Berlin, Germany
| | - Ingolf Sack
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Department of Radiology, Berlin, Germany
| | - Carmen Infante-Duarte
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Institute of Medical Immunology, Berlin, Germany.,Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Einstein Center for Neurosciences Berlin, Berlin, Germany.,Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, ECRC Experimental and Clinical Research Center, Berlin, Germany
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