Magnetic Targeting Improves the Therapeutic Efficacy of Microbubble-Mediated Obstructive Thrombus Sonothrombolysis

Background Magnetic targeting may help microbubbles (MBs) reach obstructive thrombi and improve the efficacy of MB-mediated sonothrombolysis, but the role of magnetic targeting in MB-mediated sonothrombolysis remains elusive. Objectives We investigate the feasibility and efficacy of magnetically targeted MB-mediated sonothrombolysis for the treatment of obstructive thrombi. Materials and Methods Red and white thromboembolic models were established in vitro and in vivo. The models were randomly assigned to the control, ultrasound plus control MB (US + C-MB), ultrasound plus magnetic MB (US + M-MB), or US + M-MB + recombinant tissue-type plasminogen activator (r-tPA) groups and treated for 30 minutes. The recanalization rate, average blood flow velocity, hindlimb perfusion, and skeletal muscle injury marker levels were recorded. Results The recanalization rate, average blood flow velocity, and hindlimb perfusion in the red and white thromboembolic models were all significantly higher in the US + M-MB and US + M-MB + r-tPA groups than in the control and US + C-MB groups both in vitro and in vivo. Moreover, the levels of the skeletal muscle injury markers were all significantly lower in the US + M-MB and US + M-MB + r-tPA groups than in the other two groups in vivo for both thromboembolic models. However, the thrombolytic effects of red thrombi performed better than those of white thrombi in the US + M-MB + r-tPA group. Conclusion M-MB-mediated sonothrombolysis improves the efficacy of thrombolysis both in vitro and in vivo, and reduces tissue damage in clogging model; thus, this method may serve as a promising approach for treating thrombus-occlusive diseases.

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Modelling the skeletal muscle injury recovery using in vivo contrast-enhanced micro-CT: a proof-of-concept study in a rat model

European Radiology Experimental ◽

10.1186/s41747-020-00163-4 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 4 (1) ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Bruno Paun ◽

Daniel García Leon ◽

Alex Claveria Cabello ◽

Roso Mares Pages ◽

Elena de la Calle Vargas ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Skeletal Muscle ◽

Rat Model ◽

Muscle Injury ◽

Micro Ct ◽

Skeletal Muscle Injury ◽

Monitoring Time ◽

Contrast Enhanced Ct ◽

Contrast Enhanced ◽

Injury Recovery

Abstract Background Skeletal muscle injury characterisation during healing supports trauma prognosis. Given the potential interest of computed tomography (CT) in muscle diseases and lack of in vivo CT methodology to image skeletal muscle wound healing, we tracked skeletal muscle injury recovery using in vivo micro-CT in a rat model to obtain a predictive model. Methods Skeletal muscle injury was performed in 23 rats. Twenty animals were sorted into five groups to image lesion recovery at 2, 4, 7, 10, or 14 days after injury using contrast-enhanced micro-CT. Injury volumes were quantified using a semiautomatic image processing, and these values were used to build a prediction model. The remaining 3 rats were imaged at all monitoring time points as validation. Predictions were compared with Bland-Altman analysis. Results Optimal contrast agent dose was found to be 20 mL/kg injected at 400 μL/min. Injury volumes showed a decreasing tendency from day 0 (32.3 ± 12.0mm3, mean ± standard deviation) to day 2, 4, 7, 10, and 14 after injury (19.6 ± 12.6, 11.0 ± 6.7, 8.2 ± 7.7, 5.7 ± 3.9, and 4.5 ± 4.8 mm3, respectively). Groups with single monitoring time point did not yield significant differences with the validation group lesions. Further exponential model training with single follow-up data (R2 = 0.968) to predict injury recovery in the validation cohort gave a predictions root mean squared error of 6.8 ± 5.4 mm3. Further prediction analysis yielded a bias of 2.327. Conclusion Contrast-enhanced CT allowed in vivo tracking of skeletal muscle injury recovery in rat.

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Preclinical Quantification of Prostate Cancer-Associated Vascular Alterations in the Bone Microenvironment in vivo

European Surgical Research ◽

10.1159/000514224 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 61 (6) ◽

pp. 188-200

Author(s):

Malte Schroeder ◽

Lennart Viezens ◽

Jördis Sündermann ◽

Svenja Hettenhausen ◽

Gerrit Hauenherm ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Prostate Cancer ◽

Blood Flow ◽

Flow Velocity ◽

Cell Lines ◽

Blood Flow Velocity ◽

Tumour Growth ◽

Prostate Cancer Cell ◽

Bone Microenvironment ◽

Prostate Cancer Cell Lines

Introduction: Prostate cancer has a special predilection to form bone metastases. Despite the known impact of the microvascular network on tumour growth and its dependence on the organ-specific microenvironment, the characteristics of the tumour vasculature in bone remain unknown. Methods: The cell lines LNCaP, DU145, and PC3 were implanted into the femurs of NSG mice to examine the microvascular properties of prostate cancer in bone. Tumour growth and the functional and morphological alterations of the microvasculature were analysed for 21 days in vivo using a transparent bone chamber and fluorescence microscopy. Results: Vascular density was significantly lower in tumour-bearing bone than in non-tumour-bearing bone, with a marked loss of small vessels. Accelerated blood flow velocity led to increased volumetric blood flow per vessel, but overall perfusion was not affected. All of the prostate cancer cell lines had similar vascular patterns, with more pronounced alterations in rapidly growing tumours. Despite minor differences between the prostate cancer cell lines associated with individual growth behaviours, the same overall pattern was observed and showed strong similarity to that of tumours growing in soft tissue. Discussion: The increase in blood flow velocity could be a specific characteristic of prostate cancer or the bone microenvironment.

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Early metabolic changes measured by 1H MRS in healthy and dystrophic muscle after injury

Journal of Applied Physiology ◽

10.1152/japplphysiol.00530.2012 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 113 (5) ◽

pp. 808-816 ◽

Cited By ~ 14

Author(s):

Su Xu ◽

Stephen J. P. Pratt ◽

Espen E. Spangenburg ◽

Richard M. Lovering

Keyword(s):

Skeletal Muscle ◽

Muscle Injury ◽

Tibialis Anterior Muscle ◽

Metabolic Changes ◽

Mdx Mice ◽

Resonance Spectroscopy ◽

Dystrophic Muscle ◽

1H Mrs ◽

Skeletal Muscle Injury

Skeletal muscle injury is often assessed by clinical findings (history, pain, tenderness, strength loss), by imaging, or by invasive techniques. The purpose of this work was to determine if in vivo proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H MRS) could reveal metabolic changes in murine skeletal muscle after contraction-induced injury. We compared findings in the tibialis anterior muscle from both healthy wild-type (WT) muscles (C57BL/10 mice) and dystrophic ( mdx mice) muscles (an animal model for human Duchenne muscular dystrophy) before and after contraction-induced injury. A mild in vivo eccentric injury protocol was used due to the high susceptibility of mdx muscles to injury. As expected, mdx mice sustained a greater loss of force (81%) after injury compared with WT (42%). In the uninjured muscles, choline (Cho) levels were 47% lower in the mdx muscles compared with WT muscles. In mdx mice, taurine levels decreased 17%, and Cho levels increased 25% in injured muscles compared with uninjured mdx muscles. Intramyocellular lipids and total muscle lipid levels increased significantly after injury but only in WT. The increase in lipid was confirmed using a permeable lipophilic fluorescence dye. In summary, loss of torque after injury was associated with alterations in muscle metabolite levels that may contribute to the overall injury response in mdx mice. These results show that it is possible to obtain meaningful in vivo 1H MRS regarding skeletal muscle injury.

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Effects of aging and exercise training on spinotrapezius muscle microvascular Po2 dynamics and vasomotor control

Journal of Applied Physiology ◽

10.1152/japplphysiol.01084.2010 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 110 (3) ◽

pp. 695-704 ◽

Cited By ~ 19

Author(s):

Danielle J. McCullough ◽

Robert T. Davis ◽

James M. Dominguez ◽

John N. Stabley ◽

Christian S. Bruells ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Skeletal Muscle ◽

Blood Flow ◽

Exercise Training ◽

Sodium Nitroprusside ◽

Vascular Function ◽

Treadmill Running ◽

Aged Rats ◽

Phosphorescence Quenching

With advancing age, there is a reduction in exercise tolerance, resulting, in part, from a perturbed ability to match O2 delivery to uptake within skeletal muscle. In the spinotrapezius muscle (which is not recruited during incline treadmill running) of aged rats, we tested the hypotheses that exercise training will 1) improve the matching of O2 delivery to O2 uptake, evidenced through improved microvascular Po2 (PmO2), at rest and throughout the contractions transient; and 2) enhance endothelium-dependent vasodilation in first-order arterioles. Young (Y, ∼6 mo) and aged (O, >24 mo) Fischer 344 rats were assigned to control sedentary (YSED; n = 16, and OSED; n = 15) or exercise-trained (YET; n = 14, and OET; n = 13) groups. Spinotrapezius blood flow (via radiolabeled microspheres) was measured at rest and during exercise. Phosphorescence quenching was used to quantify PmO2 in vivo at rest and across the rest-to-twitch contraction (1 Hz, 5 min) transition in the spinotrapezius muscle. In a follow-up study, vasomotor responses to endothelium-dependent (acetylcholine) and -independent (sodium nitroprusside) stimuli were investigated in vitro. Blood flow to the spinotrapezius did not increase above resting values during exercise in either young or aged groups. Exercise training increased the precontraction baseline PmO2 (OET 37.5 ± 3.9 vs. OSED 24.7 ± 3.6 Torr, P < 0.05); the end-contracting PmO2 and the time-delay before PmO2 fell in the aged group but did not affect these values in the young. Exercise training improved maximal vasodilation in aged rats to acetylcholine (OET 62 ± 16 vs. OSED 27 ± 16%) and to sodium nitroprusside in both young and aged rats. Endurance training of aged rats enhances the PmO2 in a nonrecruited skeletal muscle and is associated with improved vascular smooth muscle function. These data support the notion that improvements in vascular function with exercise training are not isolated to the recruited muscle.

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Microdialysis of skeletal muscle at rest

Proceedings of The Nutrition Society ◽

10.1017/s0029665199001226 ◽

1999 ◽

Vol 58 (4) ◽

pp. 919-923 ◽

Cited By ~ 28

Author(s):

Jan Henriksson

Keyword(s):

Skeletal Muscle ◽

Blood Flow ◽

Human Skeletal Muscle ◽

Human Metabolism ◽

High Expectations ◽

Perfusate Flow ◽

Muscle Research ◽

Interstitial Glucose

Techniques in human skeletal muscle research are by necessity predominantly 'descriptive'.Microdialysis has raised high expectations that it could meet the demand for a method that allows 'mechanistic' investigations to be performed in human skeletal muscle. In the present review, some views are given on how well the initial expectations on the use of the microdialysis technique in skeletal muscle have been fulfilled, and the areas in which additional work is needed in order to validate microdialysis as an important metabolic technique in this tissue. The microdialysis catheter has been equated to an artificial blood vessel, which is introduced into the tissue. By means of this 'vessel' the concentrations of compounds in the interstitial space can be monitored. The concentration of substances in the collected samples is dependent on the rate of perfusate flow. When perfusate flow is slow enough to allow complete equilibration between interstitial and perfusate fluids, the concentration in the perfusate is maximal and identical to the interstitial concentration. Microdialysis data may be influenced by changes in blood flow, especially in instances where the tissue diffusivity limits the recovery in vivo, i.e. when recovery in vitro is 100 %, whereas the recovery in vivo is less than 100 %. Microdialysis data indicate that a significant arterial-interstitial glucose concentration gradient exists in skeletal muscle but not in adipose tissue at rest. While the concentrations of glucose and lactate in the dialysate from skeletal muscle are close to the expected values, the glycerol values obtained for muscle are still puzzling. Ethanol added to the perfusate will be cleared by the tissue at a rate that is determined by the nutritive blood flow (the microdialysis ethanol technique). It is concluded that microdialysis of skeletal muscle has become an important technique for mechanistic studies in human metabolism and nutrition.

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Endothelium regulates skeletal muscle microcirculation by a blood flow velocity-sensing mechanism

AJP Heart and Circulatory Physiology ◽

10.1152/ajpheart.1990.258.3.h916 ◽

1990 ◽

Vol 258 (3) ◽

pp. H916-H920 ◽

Cited By ~ 32

Author(s):

A. Koller ◽

G. Kaley

Keyword(s):

Skeletal Muscle ◽

Endothelial Cells ◽

Blood Flow ◽

Flow Velocity ◽

Cremaster Muscle ◽

Positive Linear Correlation ◽

Skeletal Muscle Microcirculation ◽

Per Se ◽

Dependent Flow

In rat cremaster muscle, utilizing parallel arteriolar occlusion, we found that an increase in red blood cell (RBC) velocity (3.5-26.5 mm/s) per se induced an increase in diameter (1.5-9.4 microns) of arterioles (mean control diam 21.5 +/- 0.6 microns; n = 25). The dilation of arterioles appeared only when RBC velocity increased and started always with a delay (mean 8.4 +/- 0.5 s) after the increase in flow velocity. A positive linear correlation was found between peak changes in RBC velocity and diameter (r = 0.87, P less than 0.05). The velocity sensor as well as the mechanism(s) that mediates this response is likely to be located in endothelial cells, because the dilation to increased RBC velocity was completely eliminated after impairment of arteriolar endothelium with light-dye (L-D) treatment. The in vivo demonstration of this phenomenon in arterioles suggests the existence of a new endothelium-dependent, flow velocity-sensitive mechanism for the regulation of blood flow in the microcirculation.

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Breaking the co-operation between bystander T-cells and natural killer cells prevents the development of immunosuppression after traumatic skeletal muscle injury in mice

Clinical Science ◽

10.1042/cs20140835 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 128 (11) ◽

pp. 825-838 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Florian Wirsdörfer ◽

Jörg M. Bangen ◽

Eva Pastille ◽

Wiebke Hansen ◽

Stefanie B. Flohé

Keyword(s):

Skeletal Muscle ◽

T Cells ◽

Nk Cells ◽

Natural Killer ◽

Muscle Injury ◽

Adaptive Immune System ◽

Th Cells ◽

Skeletal Muscle Injury ◽

Ifn Γ

Nosocomial infections represent serious complications after traumatic or surgical injuries in intensive care units. The pathogenesis of the underlying immunosuppression is only incompletely understood. In the present study, we investigated whether injury interferes with the function of the adaptive immune system in particular with the differentiation of antigen-specific T helper (Th)-cell responses in vivo. We used a mouse model for traumatic gastrocnemius muscle injury. Ovalbumin (OVA), which served as a foreign model antigen, was injected into the hind footpads for determination of the differentiation of OVA-specific Th-cells in the draining popliteal lymph node (pLN). The release of interferon (IFN)-γ from OVA-specific Th-cells was impaired within 24 h after injury and this impairment persisted for at least 7 days. In contrast, the proliferation of OVA-specific Th-cells remained unaffected. Injury did not modulate the function of antigen-presenting cells (APCs) in the pLN. Adoptive transfer of total T-cells from pLNs of injured mice inhibited IFN-γ production by OVA-specific Th-cells in naive mice. Suppressed Th1 priming did not occur in lymphocyte-deficient mice after injury but was restored by administration of T-cells before injury. Moreover, the suppression of Th1 differentiation required the presence of natural killer (NK) cells that were recruited to the pLN after injury; this recruitment was dependent on lymphocytes, toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) and myeloid differentiation factor 88 (MyD88). In summary, upon traumatic skeletal muscle injury T-cells and NK cells together prevent the development of protective Th1 immunity. Breaking this co-operation might be a novel approach to reduce the risk of infectious complications after injury.

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Tissue-Engineered Human Myobundle System as a Platform for Evaluation of Skeletal Muscle Injury Biomarkers

Toxicological Sciences ◽

10.1093/toxsci/kfaa049 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 176 (1) ◽

pp. 124-136

Author(s):

Alastair Khodabukus ◽

Amulya Kaza ◽

Jason Wang ◽

Neel Prabhu ◽

Richard Goldstein ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Skeletal Muscle ◽

Muscle Injury ◽

Culture Media ◽

Contractile Function ◽

Significant Loss ◽

Drug Induced ◽

Skeletal Muscle Injury ◽

Specificity And Sensitivity ◽

Novel Biomarkers

Abstract Traditional serum biomarkers used to assess skeletal muscle damage, such as activity of creatine kinase (CK), lack tissue specificity and sensitivity, hindering early detection of drug-induced myopathies. Recently, a novel four-factor skeletal muscle injury panel (MIP) of biomarkers consisting of skeletal troponin I (sTnI), CK mass (CKm), fatty-acid-binding protein 3 (Fabp3), and myosin light chain 3, has been shown to have increased tissue specificity and sensitivity in rodent models of skeletal muscle injury. Here, we evaluated if a previously established model of tissue-engineered functional human skeletal muscle (myobundle) can allow detection of the MIP biomarkers after injury or drug-induced myotoxicity in vitro. We found that concentrations of three MIP biomarkers (sTnI, CKm, and Fabp3) in myobundle culture media significantly increased in response to injury by a known snake venom (notexin). Cerivastatin, a known myotoxic statin, but not pravastatin, induced significant loss of myobundle contractile function, myotube atrophy, and increased release of both traditional and novel biomarkers. In contrast, dexamethasone induced significant loss of myobundle contractile function and myotube atrophy, but decreased the release of both traditional and novel biomarkers. Dexamethasone also increased levels of matrix metalloproteinase-2 and -3 in the culture media which correlated with increased remodeling of myobundle extracellular matrix. In conclusion, this proof-of-concept study demonstrates that tissue-engineered human myobundles can provide an in vitro platform to probe patient-specific drug-induced myotoxicity and performance assessment of novel injury biomarkers to guide preclinical and clinical drug development studies.

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