Mouse Dorsal Skinfold Chamber Research Articles

The Heart Communicates with the Endothelium through the Guanylyl Cyclase-A Receptor: Acute Handling of Intravascular Volume in Response to Volume Expansion

Atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) regulates arterial blood pressure and volume. Its guanylyl cyclase-A (GC-A) receptor is expressed in vascular endothelium and mediates increases in cGMP, but the functional relevance is controversial. Notably, mice with endothelial-restricted GC-A deletion [EC GC-A knockout (KO) mice] exhibit significant chronic hypervolemic hypertension. The present study aimed to characterize the endothelial effects of ANP and their relevance for the acute regulation of intravascular fluid volume. We studied the effect of ANP on microvascular permeability to fluorescein isothiocyanate-labeled albumin (BSA) using intravital microscopy on mouse dorsal skinfold chambers. Local superfusion of ANP (100 nm) increased microvascular fluorescein isothiocyanate-BSA extravasation in control but not EC GC-A KO mice. Intravenous infusion of synthetic ANP (500 ng/kg x min) caused immediate increases in hematocrit in control mice, indicating intravascular volume contraction. In EC GC-A KO mice, the hematocrit responses were not only abolished but even reversed. Furthermore, acute vascular volume expansion, which caused release of endogenous cardiac ANP, did not affect resting central venous pressure of control mice but rapidly and significantly increased central venous pressure of EC GC-A KO mice. In cultured lung endothelial cells, ANP provoked cGMP-dependent protein kinase I-mediated phosphorylation of vasodilator-stimulated phosphoprotein. We conclude that ANP, via GC-A, enhances microvascular endothelial macromolecule permeability in vivo. This effect might be mediated by cGMP-dependent protein kinase I-dependent phosphorylation of vasodilator-stimulated phosphoprotein. Modulation of transcapillary protein and fluid transport may represent one of the most important hypovolemic actions of ANP.

Tumor microvascular permeability is a key determinant for antivascular effects of doxorubicin encapsulated in a temperature sensitive liposome

Previous data have demonstrated that doxorubicin (DOX) released from a lysolecithin-containing thermosensitive liposome (LTSL) can shut down blood flow in a human tumor xenograft (FaDu) in mice when the treatment is combined with hyperthermia (HT), suggesting that LTSL-DOX is a potential antivascular agent. To further understand mechanisms of the treatment, we investigated effects of LTSL-DOX (5 mg/kg body weight) plus HT (42°C, 1 h) on microcirculation in another tumor (a murine mammary carcinoma, 4T07) implanted in mouse dorsal skin-fold chambers and dose responses of tumor (FaDu and 4T07) and endothelial cells to LTSL-DOX or free DOX with or without HT. We observed that LTSL-DOX-HT could significantly reduce blood flow and microvascular density in 4T07 tumors. The antivascular efficacy of LTSL-DOX-HT could be enhanced through increasing tumor microvascular permeability of liposomes by using platelet activating factor (PAF). We also observed that the dose responses of FaDu and 4T07 to DOX in vitro were similar to each other and could be enhanced by HT. Taken together, these data suggested that tumor microvascular permeability was more critical than the sensitivity of tumor cells to DOX in determining the antivascular efficacy of LTSL-DOX-HT treatment.

Intravital insights in skin wound healing using the mouse dorsal skin fold chamber

The skin fold chamber is one of the most accepted animal models for studying the microcirculation both in health and disease. Here we describe for the first time the alternative use of the skin fold chamber in mice for intravital microscopic investigation of skin regeneration after creating a full dermal thickness wound. The dorsal skin fold chamber was implanted in hairless SKH1-hr mice and a full dermal thickness wound (area approximately 4 mm2) was created. By means of intravital fluorescence microscopy, the kinetics of wound healing were analyzed for 12 days post wounding with assessment of epithelialization and nutritive perfusion. The morphology of the regenerating skin was characterized by hematoxylin-eosin histology and immunohistochemistry for proliferation and microvessel density. The model allows the continuous visualization of wound closure with complete epithelialization at day 12. Furthermore, a sola cutis se reficientis could be described by an inner circular ring of vessels at the wound margin surrounded by outer radial passing vessels. Inner circular vessels presented initially with large diameters and matured towards diameters of less than 15 microm for conversion into radial spreading outer vessels. Furthermore, wound healing showed all diverse core issues of skin repair. In summary, we were able to establish a model for the analysis of microcirculation in the healing skin of the mouse. This versatile model allows distinct analysis of new vessel formation and maturation in regenerating skin as well as evaluation of skin healing under different pathologic conditions.

Electric field-mediated transport of plasmid DNA in tumor interstitium in vivo

Local pulsed electric field application is a method for improving non-viral gene delivery. Mechanisms of the improvement include electroporation and electrophoresis. To understand how electrophoresis affects pDNA delivery in vivo, we quantified the magnitude of electric field-induced interstitial transport of pDNA in 4T1 and B16.F10 tumors implanted in mouse dorsal skin-fold chambers. Four different electric pulse sequences were used in this study, each consisted of 10 identical pulses that were 100 or 400 V/cm in strength and 20 or 50 ms in duration. The interval between consecutive pulses was 1 s. The largest distance of transport was obtained with the 400 V/cm and 50 ms pulse, and was 0.23 and 0.22 μm/pulse in 4T1 and B16.F10 tumors, respectively. There were no significant differences in transport distances between 4T1 and B16.F10 tumors. Results from in vivo mapping and numerical simulations revealed an approximately uniform intratumoral electric field that was predominantly in the direction of the applied field. The data in the study suggested that interstitial transport of pDNA induced by a sequence of ten electric pulses was ineffective for macroscopic delivery of genes in tumors. However, the induced transport was more efficient than passive diffusion.

Human recombinant erythropoietin protects the striated muscle microcirculation of the dorsal skinfold from postischemic injury in mice

Erythropoietin (EPO) has been proposed as a novel cytoprotectant in ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury of the brain, heart, and kidney. However, whether EPO exerts its protection by prevention of postischemic microcirculatory deterioration is unknown. We have investigated the effect of EPO on I/R-induced microcirculatory dysfunctions. We used the mouse dorsal skinfold chamber preparation to study nutritive microcirculation and leukocyte-endothelial cell interaction in striated muscle of the dorsal skinfold by in vivo fluorescence microscopy before 3 h of ischemia and during 5 days of reperfusion. Animals were pretreated with EPO (5,000 U/kg body wt) 1 or 24 h before ischemia. Vehicle-treated I/R-injured animals served as controls. Additional animals underwent sham operation only or were pretreated with EPO but not subjected to I/R. I/R significantly (P < 0.05) reduced functional capillary density, increased microvascular permeability, and enhanced venular leukocyte-endothelial cell interaction during early reperfusion. These findings were associated with pronounced (P < 0.05) arteriolar constriction and diminution of blood flow during late reperfusion. Pretreatment with EPO induced EPO receptor and endothelial nitric oxide synthase expression at 6 h of reperfusion (P < 0.05). In parallel, EPO significantly (P < 0.05) reduced capillary perfusion failure and microvascular hyperpermeability during early reperfusion and arteriolar constriction and flow during late reperfusion. EPO pretreatment substantially (P < 0.05) diminished I/R-induced leukocytic inflammation by reducing the number of rolling and firmly adhering leukocytes in postcapillary venules. EPO applied 1 h before ischemia induced angiogenic budding and sprouting at 1 and 3 days of reperfusion and formation of new capillary networks at 5 days of reperfusion. Thus our study demonstrates for the first time that EPO effectively attenuates I/R injury by preserving nutritive perfusion, reducing leukocytic inflammation, and inducing new vessel formation.

The Human Host Defense Peptide LL37/hCAP Accelerates Angiogenesis in PEGT/PBT Biopolymers

Antimicrobial peptides are effector molecules of the innate immune response and contribute to host defense and inflammation. This study was designed to evaluate neovascularization in biopolymers after instillation with LL37 of angiogenesis in the dorsal skinfold chamber in mice. The host defense peptide human cathelicicin LL37 was tested for in vitro antimicrobial activity in a bilayer radial diffusion assay. For in vivo testing, 4 different concentrations of LL37 or carrier control were instilled into a biopolymer, then inserted into the dorsal skinfold chamber in Balb/c mice. Standard microcirculatory parameters were assessed over 24 days' follow-up. LL37 showed broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity against gram-positive and -negative bacteria. The LL37 treatment of the biopolymer accelerated the onset of neovascularization by 6 days compared with the carrier control (P < 0.01). This study demonstrated that LL37 has antimicrobial activity and is important for early support of neoangiogenesis in biopolymers. The multifunctional human host defense peptide LL37 has potential as an adjunct for tissue engineering.

Observation of Incipient Tumor Angiogenesis That Is Independent of Hypoxia and Hypoxia Inducible Factor-1 Activation

It is well established that hypoxia potently stimulates tumor angiogenesis by activating hypoxia inducible factor-1 (HIF-1)-induced proangiogenic factors, such as vascular endothelial growth factor. However, very little is known about the role of hypoxia in incipient angiogenesis in avascular tumors during their early stages of growth. To noninvasively investigate the functional significance of hypoxia and HIF-1 activation in incipient tumor angiogenesis, we genetically engineered HCT116 human colon carcinoma cells and 4T1 mouse mammary carcinoma cells with constitutively expressed red fluorescence protein as a tumor marker and green fluorescence protein (GFP) as a reporter for hypoxia and HIF-1 activation. The accuracy of GFP fluorescence in reporting hypoxia was confirmed by flow cytometry analysis and by immunohistochemical comparison with pimonidazole, a well-established hypoxia marker drug. Mouse dorsal skin-fold window chambers showed that incipient angiogenesis preceded a detectable level of hypoxia. The detectable levels of hypoxia were spatially and temporally related with more intensive secondary angiogenesis following the initial onset of new vessel formation. Selective killing of hypoxic cells by tirapazamine efficiently eliminated or delayed the detection of hypoxic cells, but it did not significantly delay the onset of incipient angiogenesis. These findings provide the first in vivo evidence that incipient tumor angiogenesis may not depend on hypoxia or HIF-1 activation. This is in contrast to the clear role of hypoxia in driving angiogenesis once initial tumor microvessel formation has occurred.

Study of non-uniform nanoparticle liposome extravasation in tumour

The effect of hyperthermia on the nanoparticle extravasation in different tumour regions was investigated in real time using confocal laser scanning microscopy. Murine mammary carcinoma 4T1 was implanted in the nude mice dorsal skin-fold window chamber. Tumour angiogenesis was observed through the window chamber on days 4, 7, 8 and 10 after the implantation. In 10 days, the tumour became 1–2 mm in diameter and 150 µm thick. Most vessels were found to be <15 µm in diameter. Histological examination showed that there were fewer vessels in a more ordered branching pattern inside the tumour than in the tumour periphery. After hyperthermia at 42°C for 1 h, numerous erythrocytes were found in the peripheral region. Extravasation of rhodamine-labelled 100 nm nanoparticles in different tumour regions under both normal and hyperthermic conditions (34 and 42°C) was quantified using confocal fluorescence microscopy. The relative fluorescence intensity hardly changed in tissue at 34°C, but increased by the local hyperthermia at 42°C. In particular, the relative intensity in the tumour periphery was more than 120 as compared to 40 in the tumour centre, after 1 h hyperthermia. Results showed that the thermally induced liposome nanoparticle extravasation was heterogeneous in tumour, owing to the non-uniform distribution of tumour vasculature. Further, the degree of vascular damage was found to be more severe in the tumour periphery, which is likely due to the high thermal sensitivity of newly formed tumour vessels in this region.

Paracrine regulation of angiogenesis and adipocyte differentiation during in vivo adipogenesis.

With an increasing incidence of obesity worldwide, rational strategies are needed to control adipogenesis. Growth of any tissue requires the formation of a functional and mature vasculature. To gain mechanistic insight into the link between active adipogenesis and angiogenesis, we developed a model to visualize noninvasively and in real time both angiogenesis and adipogenesis using intravital microscopy. Implanted murine preadipocytes induced vigorous angiogenesis and formed fat pads in a mouse dorsal skin-fold chamber. The newly formed vessels subsequently remodeled into a mature network consisting of arterioles, capillaries, and venules, whereas the preadipocytes differentiated into adipocytes as confirmed by increased aP2 expression. Inhibition of adipocyte differentiation by transfection of preadipocytes with a peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma dominant-negative construct not only abrogated fat tissue formation but also reduced angiogenesis. Surprisingly, inhibition of angiogenesis by vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-2 (VEGFR2) blocking antibody not only reduced angiogenesis and tissue growth but also inhibited preadipocyte differentiation. We found that part of this inhibition stems from the paracrine interaction between endothelial cells and preadipocytes and that VEGF-VEGFR2 signaling in endothelial cells, but not preadipocytes, mediates this process. These findings reveal a reciprocal regulation of adipogenesis and angiogenesis, and suggest that blockade of VEGF signaling can inhibit in vivo adipose tissue formation. The full text of this article is available online at http://www.circresaha.org.

Down-regulation of the expression of endothelial NO synthase is likely to contribute to glucocorticoid-mediated hypertension.

Hypertension is a side effect of systemically administered glucocorticoids, but the underlying molecular mechanism remains poorly understood. Ingestion of dexamethasone by rats telemetrically instrumented increased blood pressure progressively over 7 days. Plasma concentrations of Na(+) and K(+) and urinary Na(+) and K(+) excretion remained constant, excluding a mineralocorticoid-mediated mechanism. Plasma NO(2)(-)/NO(3)(-) (the oxidation products of NO) decreased to 40%, and the expression of endothelial NO synthase (NOS III) was found down-regulated in the aorta and several other tissues of glucocorticoid-treated rats. The vasodilator response of resistance arterioles was tested by intravital microscopy in the mouse dorsal skinfold chamber model. Dexamethasone treatment significantly attenuated the relaxation to the endothelium-dependent vasodilator acetylcholine, but not to the endothelium-independent vasodilator S-nitroso-N-acetyl-D,L-penicillamine. Incubation of human umbilical vein endothelial cells, EA.hy 926 cells, or bovine aortic endothelial cells with several glucocorticoids reduced NOS III mRNA and protein expression to 60-70% of control, an effect that was prevented by the glucocorticoid receptor antagonist mifepristone. Glucocorticoids decreased NOS III mRNA stability and reduced the activity of the human NOS III promoter (3.5 kilobases) to approximately 70% by decreasing the binding activity of the essential transcription factor GATA. The expressional down-regulation of endothelial NOS III may contribute to the hypertension caused by glucocorticoids.

The Influence of Frequent and Excessive Intake of Glucose on Microvascular Aging in Healthy Mice

The purpose of this study was to verify the following working hypothesis. Even in healthy individuals with normoglycemic adaptability, microvascular aging caused by the accumulation of advanced glycosylation end products (AGEs) in vascular walls would occur, when the blood glucose level is maintained intermittently high due to frequent and excessive sugar intake for a prolonged period. Male BALB/c mice were divided into four groups: the S group raised with glucose-enriched feed and the C group with ordinary feed, as well as the SG group with the glucose-enriched feed and special drinking water supplemented with 0.25% aminoguanidine (AG), and the CG group with ordinary feed and this special drinking water. After 6 months, a mouse dorsal skinfold chamber was mounted on the skin of the back for the intravital-microscopic observations of microvasculature. Blood glucose levels were within normal ranges in all four animal groups, indicating their saccharometabolism to be normal. An autofluorescent AGE-positive ratio in the S group was 71.4%, and that in the C group was 33.3%. Mean caliber of arterial microvessels was smallest in the S group. The SG and CG group showed the caliber larger than the groups without AG. Vascular lesion indices were significantly larger in the S group than those of the groups with AG. The indices were particularly small in the SG group. A decrease of amplitudes in thicker vessels and an increase of vasomotor frequencies in thinner ones were demonstrated in the S group. The features of vasomotion differed in the groups with and without AG. Microvascular aging was clearly noticed in the S group. It has been concluded that vasomotor inhibition was generated in addition to hypertrophy and fragility in arterial microvessels of the group. It is further concluded that AG protects blood vessels from hypertrophy and fragility, but it downregulates vasomotion.

The Development of an In Situ Assay for bFGF Release

AbstractThere is a need for an in situ assay to quantify tissue reactivity to sustained release of bFGF to better understand and control growth factor-induced angiogenesis. To this end we have adapted the alginate/heparin-sepharose release system for use in the mouse dorsal skinfold chamber. A mathematical model was used to predict the time dependence of bFGF release as a function of bFGF loading, heparin concentration, and device geometry. The model predictions agreed well with previously reported in vitro data. In vivo studies to correlate blood vessel growth as a function of release rate are in progress.