Method Article

Quantification of Vascular Parameters in Whole Mount Retinas of Mice with Non-Proliferative and Proliferative Retinopathies

DOI:

10.3791/63126

⸱

March 12th, 2022

 ,  ,  ,  ,  , 
1Departamento de Bioquímica Clínica, Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, 2Centro de Investigaciones en Bioquímica Clínica e Inmunología (CIBICI), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), 3Vitreo-retinal Department, Centro Privado de Ojos Romagosa-Fundación VER, 4Unidad de Investigación y Desarrollo en Tecnología Farmacéutica (UNITEFA), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET)

In This Article

Summary

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This article describes a well-established and reproducible lectin stain assay for the whole mount retinal preparations and the protocols required for the quantitative measurement of vascular parameters frequently altered in proliferative and non-proliferative retinopathies.

Abstract

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Retinopathies are a heterogeneous group of diseases that affect the neurosensory tissue of the eye. They are characterized by neurodegeneration, gliosis and a progressive change in vascular function and structure. Although the onset of the retinopathies is characterized by subtle disturbances in visual perception, the modifications in the vascular plexus are the first signs detected by clinicians. The absence or presence of neovascularization determines whether the retinopathy is classified as either non-proliferative (NPDR) or proliferative (PDR). In this sense, several animal models tried to mimic specific vascular features of each stage to determine the underlying mechanisms involved in endothelium alterations, neuronal death and other events taking place in the retina. In this article, we will provide a complete description of the procedures required for the measurement of retinal vascular parameters in adults and early birth mice at postnatal day (P)17. We will detail the protocols to carry out retinal vascular staining with Isolectin GSA-IB4 in whole mounts for later microscopic visualization. Key steps for image processing with Image J Fiji software are also provided, therefore, the readers will be able to measure vessel density, diameter and tortuosity, vascular branching, as well as avascular and neovascular areas. These tools are highly helpful to evaluate and quantify vascular alterations in both non-proliferative and proliferative retinopathies.

Introduction

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The eyes are nourished by two arterio-venous system: the choroidal vasculature, an external vascular network that irrigates retinal pigmented epithelium and photoreceptors; and the neuro-retinal vasculature that irrigate the ganglion cells layer and the inner nuclear layer of the retina1. The retinal vasculature is an organized network of vessels that deliver nutrients and oxygen to the retinal cells and harvest waste products to ensure proper visual signaling transduction. This vasculature has some distinct features, including: the lack of autonomous innervation, the regulation of vascular tone by intrinsic retinal mechanisms and the possession of a complex retinal-blood barrier2. Therefore, retinal vasculature has been the focus of many researchers who have extensively studied not only vasculogenesis during the development, but also the alterations and the pathological angiogenesis that these vessels undergo in diseases3. The most common vascular changes observed in retinopathies are vessel dilatation, neovascularization, loss of vascular arborization and deformation of the retinal main vessels, which makes them more ziggaggy4,5,6. One or more of the described alterations are the earliest signs to be detected by clinicians. Vascular visualization provides a rapid, non-invasive, and inexpensive screening method7. The extensive study of the alterations observed in the vascular tree will determine whether the retinopathy is non-proliferative or proliferative and the further treatment. The non-proliferative retinopathies can manifest themselves with aberrant vascular morphology, decreased vascular density, acellular capillaries, pericytes death, macular edema, among others. In addition, proliferative retinopathies also develop increased vascular permeability, extracellular remodeling, and the formation of vascular tufts toward the vitreous cavity that easily breakdown or induce retinal detachment8.

Once detected, the retinopathy can be monitored through its vascular changes9,10. The progression of the pathology can be followed through the structural changes of the vessels, which clearly define stages of the disease11. The quantification of vascular alterations in these models allowed to correlate vessel changes and neuronal death and to test pharmacological therapies for patients in different phases of the disease.

In light of the above statements, we consider that the recognition and quantification of vascular alterations are fundamental in retinopathies studies. In this work, we will show how to measure different vascular parameters. To do that, we will employ two animal models. One of them is the Oxygen-induced retinopathy mouse model12, which mimics Retinopathy of Prematurity and some aspects of proliferative Diabetic Retinopathy13,14. In this model, we will measure avascular areas, neovascular areas and the dilatation and tortuosity of main vessels. In our laboratory, a Metabolic Syndrome (MetS) mouse model has been developed, which induces a non-proliferative retinopathy15. Here, we will evaluate vascular density and branching.

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Protocol

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C57BL/6J mice were handled according to guidelines of the ARVO Statement for the Use of Animals in Ophthalmic and Vision Research. Experimental procedures were designed and approved by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (CICUAL) of the Faculty of Chemical Sciences, National University of Córdoba (Res. HCD 1216/18).

1. Preparation of buffer solutions and reagents

  1. Preparation of 1x phosphate buffer saline (PBS): Add 8 g of sodium chloride (NaCl), 0.2 g of potassium chloride (KCl), 14.4 g of disodium-hydrogen-phosphate dihydrate (Na2HPO4 2H2O) and 0.24 g of potassium-dihydrogen phosphate (KH2PO4) to 800 mL of distilled water. Stir the solution until complete dissolution of the salts. Adjust the pH to 7.4 with chloride acid (HCl) and adjust the volume to 1 L with additional distilled water. Filter the solution and store it at 4 °C.
  2. Preparation of 4% paraformaldehyde (PFA): Add 40 g of solid PFA to 800 mL of freshly prepared PBS. Stir the solution in a heating plate at a constant temperature of 60 °C. Add 1 M sodium hydroxide (NaOH) until PFA is completely dissolved, checking that the pH is maintained at a range of 7.2-7.4. Top up the volume to 1,000 mL with PBS and mix. Turn off the heating plate and filter the solution when its temperature is under 35 °C. Store the solution at 4 °C for up to 3 days.
    CAUTION: PFA is harmful if swallowed or if inhaled and is probably a mutagenic compound. Use gloves and face mask during the whole process and work in a safety cabin.
  3. Preparation of 1x Tris-buffered saline (TBS): Add 6.1 g of Tris and 9 g of NaCl to 800 mL of distilled water. Stir the solution until complete dissolution of the salts. Adjust pH to 7.4 with HCl and adjust the volume to 1 L with additional distilled water. Filter the solution and store it at 4 °C.
  4. Preparation of TBS- 0.1% Triton X-100: Add 0.1 mL of TritonX-100 to 100 mL of TBS. Mix gently and store it at 4 °C for up to 1 week.
    NOTE: As Triton is a very dense detergent, slightly cut the terminal of the tip for better pipetting.
  5. Preparation of TBS-5%-Bovine Serum Albumin (BSA) -0.1% Triton-X-100: Weigh 5 g of BSA and add TBS- 0.1% triton X-100 solution up to a final volume of 100 mL. Stir gently. Aliquot and store at -20 °C for up to 2 months.
  6. Isolectin GSA-IB4 Alexa fluor-488 conjugate (Isolectin GSA-IB4): Weight 36.75 mg of calcium chloride dihydrate (CaCl2·2H2O) and add it to 500 mL of freshly prepared PBS. Stir the solution with a stir bar. Pipette 500 µL of the solution of CaCl2/PBS and add it to the vial containing 500 µg of lyophilized Isolectin GSA-IB4 powder. Mix gently and aliquot the solution in 0.5 mL tubes. Store them at -20 °C protected from light.
  7. Poly(vinyl alcohol) in glycerol/Tris: Weigh 2.4 g of Poly(vinyl alcohol), add 6 g of glycerol and stir gently. Then, add 6 mL of water and continue stirring for several hours at room temperature. Add 12 mL of pre-warmed 0.2 M Tris solution (pH: 8.5) and heat at a constant temperature of 50 °C for 10 min and mix occasionally. Finally, centrifuge the solution at 5,000 x g for 15 min for clarification.
    ​NOTE: Let the solution cool at room temperature, aliquot it and store it at -20 °C.

2. Fluorescent lectin staining

  1. Upon mice sacrifice by carbon dioxide (CO2) inhalation, enucleate the eyes with scissors16. Fix the enucleated eyes with freshly prepared 4% PFA for 1 h at room temperature (RT).
    NOTE: Fixation can also be performed by incubating the eyes in 4% PFA overnight (ON) at 4 °C. Mice were sacrificed according to the guidelines of the ARVO Statement for the Use of Animals in Ophthalmic and Vision Research and the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (CICUAL) of the Faculty of Chemical Sciences, National University of Córdoba (Res. HCD 1216/18).
  2. Under the dissecting microscope, remove the corneas with scissors by cutting along the limbus and dissect the whole retinas. Discard the anterior segment of the eye, and then separate the retina from the RPE-Choroid.
    NOTE: Make sure to remove the remaining debris and hyaloid vessels out of the retina with forceps.
  3. Place the retinas in 200 µL tubes. Then, block and permeabilize the retinas in 100 µL of Tris-buffered saline (TBS) solution containing 5% Bovine Serum Albumin (BSA) and 0.1% Triton-X-100 during 6 h at 4 °C with gentle agitation in the shaker.
    NOTE: This step can be performed for 2 h at RT.
  4. Then, invert the tube to place the retina in the cap and remove the blocking solution with a pipette.
  5. Add 100 µL of the solution containing 0.01 µg/µL of Isolectin GSA-IB4 (GSA-IB4). Wrap the tubes with aluminum foil to protect the samples from light. Incubate the retinas with the lectin solution ON at 4 °C or for 2 h at RT with gentle agitation in the shaker.
  6. Wash the retina with 100 µL of TBS containing 0.1% Triton-X-100 for 20 min with gentle agitation in the shaker. For proper washing, place the retina in the cap of the tube by inverting it. Return the tube to its standing position and remove the medium remaining in the container. Repeat this step three times.
  7. Place the retina in a slide and add a drop of PBS. Under the dissecting microscope, perform four equally distant cuts from the edges of the retina toward the optic nerve.
  8. To unfold the petals of the retina, use forceps or small pieces of filter paper. Ensure that the photoreceptor side is facing down.
  9. Remove the remaining PBS of the slide with filter paper. Then, add a mounting medium (Poly(vinyl alcohol) in glycerol/Tris) and coverslip. Let it dry for 1 h at RT.
  10. Store slides at 4 °C protected from light.
    ​NOTE: Retinas can also be stored in PBS at 4 °C until confocal microscopy visualization.

3. Confocal microscopy visualization and microphotograph acquisition

  1. Before visualization, incubate the slides for 10 min at RT covered from light.
  2. At the confocal microscope, place the slide in the plate face down.
  3. Focus the superior plexus of the retinal vasculature and select an area to start the image acquisition.
  4. Set general laser parameters in the software: Wavelength: 488 nm; Laser intensity; HV; Offset; Gain.
    NOTE: Laser intensity, PMT, Offset, and gain may vary depending on the conditions and the usage of the lamp. The optimal settings provide a clear image of the vessels avoiding the saturation in the sensitivity of the photomultiplier tube to have a linear relationship with the fluorescence signal.
  5. Set other acquisition parameters: Mode; Size; Objective, without zoom; No Kalman; Step Size.
    NOTE: Identical acquisition conditions must be used for imaging the control and experimental samples.
  6. Set the coordinates in x and y axis: Scan the retina in focus 2x. If the area shows vessels, select it by clicking twice the area in order to mark it for later image acquisition.
    NOTE: It is highly recommendable to select retinal area by following the superior vascular plexus as the fluorescence of bigger vessels is higher.
  7. Move in the grid to a neighbor square, focus the retina, and select the area if it corresponds. Repeat this step until the selected area comprises the whole retina.
  8. Select one area and set the coordinates in z axis to define the thickness extent to scan. To do this, visualize the retina in focus 2x; with the micrometer, go to the top of the retina and click on Set at the Start position. Then, move to the bottom of the retina and click on Set at the End position.
  9. Repeat step 3.8 at every area selected in the grid.
    NOTE: To verify the scanned area in depth, press Go at the Start position. If vessels are still visualized, readjust the position by moving the micrometer, and then click on Set. Repeat the process at the End position.
  10. Initialize automated scanning.
  11. Once the scanning process finishes, open the image.
  12. Select the Series format to record the image as a Mosaic and save it with the preferred extension. Finally, the stitched image will be shown on the screen.

4. Image processing

  1. In the ImageJ FIJI software, go to the Menu Bar and click on File > Open. Select the image to process. In the Bio-Formats Import Options window, select the Display OME-XML metadata and click on OK.
    NOTE: Images with similar name should be saved in separate folders.
  2. In the OME Metadata window, search for the pixel size information, named as PhysicalSizeX, PhysicalSizeY, and PhysicalSizeZ. Copy this data.
  3. For image calibration, go to the Menu Bar and select Image > Properties. Copy the information of the image in step 4.2 and click on OK. The image opens as a window with several photos, where each one represents the microphotographs acquired at a z axis.
  4. Assign a preferred lut to the image in order to consign a color to the fluorescent label. To do that, go to the Menu Bar and click on the LUT icon.
  5. To visualize all stacks in a single image, go to the Menu Bar and select Image > Stacks > Z Project.
  6. In the Z Projection window displayed, select all the stacks where vessels are visualized. In Projection Type, choose Average Intensity and click on OK.
    NOTE: The result of the sum of the stacks will be shown in a new image named AVG (image name).
  7. Adjust the brightness and contrast in the resulting image to reduce the background and highlight vessels. Go to the Menu Bar and click on Image> Adjust> Brightness/Contrast. In the B and C windows move the bars until a better intensity is observed. Click on Apply and save the changes.
  8. Copy the parameters selected for Brightness/Contrast; these must be identical for all images.
  9. Prior to image quantification, define the parameters that are going to be measured. In the Menu Bar, go to Analyze > Set Measurements. In the procedures described here, it will be necessary to obtain Area and Perimeter (this is ultimately also needed to measure distances). Click on OK.
  10. Download the plugin required for vessel density quantification17 and follow the installations instructions provided by the plugin.
  11. Continue with the quantification of a specific vascular parameter.

5. Quantification of avascular areas

  1. In the Menu Bar, choose the Wand Tool. Select the retinal area that lacks vessels.
    NOTE: Bigger or smaller areas can be selected depending on the tolerance. To adjust the tolerance, click on the wand tool icon twice. Mode employed: Legacy.
  2. Press the T letter on the keyboard to record the selected area in the ROI Manager. Repeat steps 5.1 and 5.2 with all the avascular areas of the retina.
  3. Click on Measure in the ROI manager to obtain the avascular area information. The program will display a new window with the information required. Copy the data in another program or save the file.
    NOTE: In some images, one may prefer to select the avascular areas manually. In this case, choose the Polygon Selection tool, draw short distances around the avascular area, and click on the image when a new distance is about to start. Close the selected area by clicking on the first point.
  4. Repeat steps 5.1, 5.2, and 5.3 to measure the total area of the retina.
  5. Calculate the avascular area of the retina as the sum of all the avascular areas measured divided by the total area of the retina.

6. Quantification of neovascular areas

  1. In the Menu Bar, choose the Wand tool.
  2. Zoom in the image to better visualize neovessels. Select the neovessels one by one with the wand tool.
    NOTE: Adjust the tolerance no higher than 20 to ensure the selection of a single neovessel. This tolerance level must remain constant during all image quantifications.
  3. Press the T letter on the keyboard to record the selected area in the ROI Manager. Repeat steps 6.1 and 6.2 with all neovascular areas of the retina.
  4. Click on Measure in the ROI manager to obtain the area data. The program will display a new window with the information required. Copy the data in another program or save the file.
  5. Repeat steps 6.1, 6.2, and 6.3 to quantify the total area of the retina.
  6. Calculate the neovascular area of the retina as the sum of all the neovessels' areas measured divided by the total area of the retina.

7. Quantification of vessel diameter

  1. In the Menu Bar, select the Straight-Line Tool.
  2. Zoom in the image to better visualize the vessel wall. Perform three transversal lines to the main vessel before the first branch. This must be done by drawing a line from the boundary of one wall of the vessel to the opposite.
    NOTE: The line must be perfectly perpendicular to the wall vessel to avoid quantification errors.
  3. Press the T letter on the keyboard to record the selected area in the ROI Manager. Repeat steps 7.1 and 7.2 in all the vessels that need to be quantified.
  4. Click on Measure in the ROI manager to obtain the distance data. The program will display a new window with the information required. Copy the data in another program or save the file.

8. Quantification of vessel tortuosity

  1. In the Menu Bar, click on the Straight-Line Tool icon with the right button of the mouse and select Segmented Line or Freehand Line. Draw a line inside the vessel from the optic nerve until the first vessel ramification following the vascular shape.
    NOTE: The line must follow the vascular shape to avoid quantification errors.
  2. Press the T letter on the keyboard to record the selected area in the ROI Manager.
  3. In the Menu Bar, select the Straight-Line Tool. Draw a line from the optic nerve until the first vessel ramification.
  4. Press the T letter on the keyboard to record the selected area in the ROI Manager.
  5. Click on Measure in the ROI Manager to obtain the distances data. The program will display a new window with the information required. Copy the data in another program or save the file.
  6. Calculate the tortuosity index as follows: distance obtained with Segmented line divided by the distance obtained with Straight line.

9. Quantification of vascular branching

  1. With the Oval Tool of the Menu Bar, define an area applied equally to all experimental conditions. The selected area must be a concentric circle drawn around the optic nerve.
  2. Press the T letter on the keyboard to record the selected area in the ROI Manager.
    NOTE: In this case, it is recommendable to save the ROI as the quantification is slow and the identical ROI must be used in all images. To do this, in the ROI Manager click on MORE > Save.
  3. Manually, count the number of primary branches arising from main vessels inside the selection area.
  4. Repeat steps 9.2 and 9.3 in neighbor areas, maintaining the optic nerve-periphery criteria.

10. Quantification of vascular density

  1. Transform the image to 8-bit mode.
  2. Go to Plugins in the Menu Bar, select Vessel Analysis > Vascular Density.
  3. Define an area with the Square tool of the Menu Bar, where the vessel density needs to be measured. Click on OK.
  4. The program will display a new window with the information required. Copy the data in another program or save the file.
  5. Repeat steps 10.2, 10.3, and 10.4 in the neighboring areas, maintaining the ROI but placing it nine times encompassing the periphery and the center of the whole retina.

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Results

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As described in the protocol section, from a single fluorescent staining assay you can obtain the vascular morphology and evaluate several parameters of interest quantitatively. The search of a specific alteration will depend on the type of retinopathy studied. In this article, avascular and neovascular areas, tortuosity, and dilatation were evaluated in a mouse model of proliferative retinopathy, whereas the vascular branching and density were analyzed in a MetS mouse model, which induces a non-proliferative retinopathy...

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Discussion

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Animal models of retinopathies are powerful tools for studying vascular development, remodeling, or pathological angiogenesis. The success of these studies in the field relies on the easy access to the tissue that allows to perform a wide variety of techniques, providing data from in vivo and postmortem mice26,27. Moreover, great correlation has been found between in vivo studies and clinical analysis, providing solid traceability and r...

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Disclosures

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The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Acknowledgements

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We thank Carlos Mas, María Pilar Crespo, and Cecilia Sampedro of CEMINCO (Centro de Micro y Nanoscopía Córdoba, CONICET-UNC, Córdoba, Argentina) for assistance in confocal microscopy, to Soledad Miró and Victoria Blanco for dedicated animal care and Laura Gatica for histological assistance. We also thank to Victor Diaz (Pro-Secretary of Institutional Communication of FCQ) for the video production and edition and Paul Hobson for his critical reading and language revision of the manuscript.

This article was funded by grants from Secretaría de Ciencia y Tecnología, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba (SECyT-UNC) Consolidar 2018-2021, Fondo para la Investigación Científica y Tecnológica (FONCyT), Proyecto de Investigación en Ciencia y Tecnología (PICT) 2015 N° 1314 (all to M.C.S.).

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Materials

List of materials used in this article
NameCompanyCatalog NumberComments
Aluminuim foil
Bovine Serum AlbuminMerckA4503quality
Calcium chloride dihydrateMerckC3306
Hydrochloric acidBiopack9632.08
Confocal Microscope FV1200OlympusFV1200with motorized plate
CoversPaul Marienfeld GmnH & Co.111520
Dissecting MicroscopeNIKONSMZ645
Disodium-hydrogen-phosphate dihydrateMerck119753
200 µL  tubeMerckZ316121
Filter paperMerckWHA5201090
Incubator shaker GyroMiniLabNet InternationalS0500
Isolectin GS-IB4 From Griffonia simplicifolia, Alexa Fluor 488 ConjugateInvitrogenI21411
Poly(vinyl alcohol) (Mowiol 4-88)Merck475904
ParaformaldehydeMerck158127
pHmeterSANXINPHS-3D-03
Potassium chlorideMerckP9541
Potassium-dihydrogen phosphateMerck1,04,873
SlidesFisher Scientific12-550-15
Sodium chlorideMerckS3014
Sodium hydroxideMerckS5881
TrisMerckGE17-1321-01
Triton X-100MerckX100-1GA
Vessel Analysis Fiji softwareMai Elfarnawanyhttps://imagej.net/Vessel_Analysis

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Retinal Vascular QuantificationWhole Mount RetinaOxygen Induced RetinopathyNon Proliferative RetinopathyProliferative RetinopathyVascular DensityVessel DiameterVascular BranchingIsolectin StainingImageJ Fiji Analysis

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