Optical coherence tomography for in vivo imaging of endocardial to mesenchymal transition during avian heart development.

Katherine Courchaine,Sandra Rugonyi

doi:10.1364/boe.10.005989

Katherine Courchaine, Sandra Rugonyi

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1364/boe.10.005989

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Abstract

The endocardial to mesenchymal transition (EndMT) that occurs in endocardial cushions during heart development is critical for proper heart septation and formation of the heart's valves. In EndMT, cells delaminate from the endocardium and migrate into the previously acellular endocardial cushions. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) imaging uses the optical properties of tissues for contrast, and during early development OCT can differentiate cellular versus acellular tissues. Here we show that OCT can be used to non-invasively track EndMT progression in vivo in the outflow tract cushions of chicken embryos. This enables in vivo studies to elucidate factors leading to cardiac malformations.

Highlights

Embryonic heart development is susceptible to diverse genetic and environmental factors that can lead to cardiac malformations and deficiencies
We propose here Optical coherence tomography (OCT) as a tool to longitudinally study the progression of endocardial to mesenchymal transition (EndMT) in vivo
The ability to track overall cushion cell population and quantify blood flow dynamics, from the same embryo is invaluable, in studies aiming at characterizing the effects of early developmental dysregulation

Summary

Introduction

Embryonic heart development is susceptible to diverse genetic and environmental factors that can lead to cardiac malformations and deficiencies. How these factors lead to congenital heart disease (cardiac defect(s) present in the baby at birth) is not fully understood. The heart has a tubular shape and its tissues are composed of three distinct layers: endocardium, cardiac jelly, and myocardium. In between the endocardium and myocardium, there is a layer of initially acellular extracellular matrix components called the cardiac jelly. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) imaging can differentiate these three cardiac layers due to the different optical properties of cells versus the semi-transparent extracellular matrix [1,2,3]. Since OCT is a non-contact, non-invasive imaging modality, it allows for longitudinal studies of heart development

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