Immunofluorescence Staining of Gel-Embedded Patient-Derived Diseased Fibrovascular Tissue

Abstract

Source: Gucciardo, E., et. al., An Ex Vivo Tissue Culture Model for Fibrovascular Complications in Proliferative Diabetic Retinopathy. J. Vis. Exp. (2019)

This video details an immunostaining protocol for ex vivo cultures of fibrovascular tissue embedded in fibrin gel. This enables detailed visualization of vascular changes associated with proliferative diabetic retinopathy

Protocol

All procedures involving sample collection have been performed in accordance with the institute's IRB guidelines.

1. Whole-Mount Immunofluorescence Staining

NOTE: This protocol lasts 5 days and can be interrupted with overnight incubations where indicated. Do not let the fibrin gels dry at any point. All steps are performed at RT unless otherwise indicated.

1. Prepare the following solu....

Materials

List of materials used in this article

Name	Company	Catalog Number	Comments
Material
Cell culture plates, 96-well, U-bottom	Greiner Bio-One	392-0019	Used for whole-mount immunofluorescence
Round/Flat Spatulas, Stainless Steel	VWR	82027-528	Used for whole-mount immunofluorescence
Coverslips 22x22mm #1	Menzel/Fisher	15727582	Used for mounting
Microscope slides	Fisher	Kindler K102	Used for mounting
Absorbent paper	VWR	115-0202	Used for mounting
PBS tablets	Medicago	09-9400-100	Used for preparing 1x PBS
Acetone	Sigma-Aldrich	32201-2.5L-M	Used to prepare the post-fixation solution. HARMFUL: wear protective gloves and/or clothing. Use in fume hood.
Methanol	Sigma-Aldrich	32213	Used to prepare the post-fixation solution. TOXIC: wear protective gloves and/or clothing. Use in fume hood.
Triton X-100 (octyl phenol ethoxylate)	Sigma-Aldrich	T9284	Used for whole-mount immunofluorescence. HARMFUL: wear protective gloves and/or clothing.
Hoechst 33342, 20mM	Life Technologies	62249	For nuclei counterstaining. HARMFUL: wear protective gloves and/or clothing, and eye and/or face protection.
VECTASHIELD Antifade Mounting Medium	Vector Laboratories	H-1000	Wear protective gloves and/or clothing, and eye protection. Use in fume hood.
VECTASHIELD Antifade Mounting Medium with DAPI	Vector Laboratories	H-1200	Mounting medium with nuclei counterstaining. Wear protective gloves and/or clothing, and eye protection. Use in fume hood.
Eukitt Quick-hardening mounting medium	Sigma-Aldrich	03989-100ml	TOXIC: Wear protective gloves and/or clothing, and eye protection. Use in fume hood.
Recombinant human VEGFA	R&D Systems	293-VE-010	50 ng/ mL final concentration
Recombinant human VEGFC	R&D Systems	752-VC-025	200 ng/ mL final concentration
Recombinant human TGFβ	Millipore	GF346	1 ng/ mL final concentration
Recombinant human bFGF	Millipore	01-106	50 ng/ mL final concentration
CD31 (JC70A)	Dako	M0823	Used at 1:100 dilution, Donkey anti Mouse Alexa 488 Secondary Ab
CD34 (QBEND10)	Dako	M716501-2	Used at 1:100 dilution, Donkey anti Mouse Alexa 488 Secondary Ab
CD45 (2B11+PD7/26)	Dako	M070129-2	Used at 1:100 dilution, Donkey anti Mouse Alexa 488 Secondary Ab
CD68	ImmunoWay	RLM3161	Used at 1:100 dilution, Donkey anti Mouse Alexa 488 Secondary Ab
Cleaved caspase-3 (5A1E)	Cell Signalling	9664	Used at 1:200 dilution, Goat anti Rabbit Alexa 594 Secondary Ab
ERG (EP111)	Dako	M731429-2	Used at 1:100 dilution, Goat anti Rabbit Alexa 594 Secondary Ab
GFAP	Dako	Z0334	Used at 1:100 dilution, Goat anti Rabbit Alexa 594 Secondary Ab
Ki67	Leica Microsystems	NCL-Ki67p	Used at 1:1500 dilution, Goat anti Rabbit Alexa 594 Secondary Ab
Lyve1	R&D Systems	AF2089	Used at 1:100 dilution, Donkey anti Goat Alexa 568 Secondary Ab
NG2	Millipore	AB5320	Used at 1:100 dilution, Goat anti Rabbit Alexa 594 Secondary Ab
Prox1	ReliaTech	102-PA32	Used at 1:200 dilution, Goat anti Rabbit Alexa 568 Secondary Ab
Prox1	R&D Systems	AF2727	Used at 1:40 dilution, Chicken anti Goat Alexa 594 Secondary Ab
VEGFR3 (9D9F9)	Millipore	MAB3757	Used at 1:100 dilution, Donkey anti Mouse Alexa 488 Secondary Ab
α-SMA (1A4)	Sigma	C6198	Used at 1:400 dilution, Cy3 conjugated
Alexa Fluor488 Donkey Anti-Mouse IgG	Life Technologies	A-21202	Used at 1:500 dilution
Alexa Fluor594 Goat Anti-Rabbit IgG	Invitrogen	A-11012	Used at 1:500 dilution
Alexa Fluor568 Donkey anti-Goat IgG	Thermo Scientific	A-11057	Used at 1:500 dilution
Alexa Fluor568 Goat anti-Rabbit IgG	Thermo Scientific	A-11036	Used at 1:500 dilution
Alexa Fluor594 Chicken Anti-Goat IgG	Molecular Probes	A-21468	Used at 1:500 dilution
Name	Company	Catalog Number	Comments
Microscopes
Axiovert 200 inverted epifluorescence microscope	Zeiss		For imaging of the fresh and fibrin-embedded FT
AxioImager.Z1 upright epifluorescence microscope with Apotome	Zeiss		For imaging of whole-mount immunostained FT