This work was supported by NIH HL-10342

NOTE: All animal protocols were approved by the Johns Hopkins University Animal Care and Use Committee.
1. Animal Preparation
<ol>
	<li>Prepare 6 C57BL/6 control mice for the DFCO measurement, by anesthetizing them with ketamine and xylazine as outlined in step 2.3 below.</li>
	<li>Prepare all of the other mice with the different lung pathologies shown in Table 1 by using the same procedure as for the controls. Specific details needed to establish each of these models are found in the relevant references. Control mice and those in the other pathologic cohorts are all 6-12 weeks of age.</li>
</ol>
2. Measurement of Diffusion Factor for Carbon Monoxide (DFCO)
<ol>
	<li>Set up the gas chromatograph module supplied with the machine to measure peaks for nitrogen, oxygen, neon, and carbon monoxide. For this application use only the neon and CO data. 
	NOTE: This instrument uses a molecular sieve column with helium as carrier gas, with a 12.00 &#181;m film, 320.00 &#181;m ID and 10 m length. The chromatograph column has a volume of 0.8 ml, but we used 2 ml to ensure adequate clearing of the connecting tubing with the sample.</li>
	<li>At the start of each experimental day, prior to making measurements of the samples from the mice, take a 2 ml sample directly from a gas mixture bag containing approximately 0.5% Ne, 0.5% CO, and balance air, and use this sample to calibrate the gas chromatograph.</li>
	<li>Anesthetize mice with ketamine (90 mg/kg) and xylazine (15 mg/kg), and confirm anesthesia by the absence of reflex motion. Apply veterinary ointment on the eyes to prevent dryness. Tracheostomize the mice with a stub needle cannula (18 G in adults or 20 G in very young mice). 
	NOTE: The DFCO is completed in less than 10 min after anesthesia and prior to any mechanical ventilation or other procedures.</li>
	<li>In mice greater than 6 weeks of age, use a 3 ml syringe to withdraw 0.8 ml of gas from the gas mixture bag. Connect the syringe to the tracheal cannula and quickly inflate the lung. Using a metronome, count 9 sec, and then quickly withdraw the 0.8 ml (exhaled air).</li>
	<li>Dilute this withdrawn 0.8 ml exhaled air to 2 ml with room air, allow it to rest for at least 15 sec. Then inject the whole sample into the gas chromatograph for analysis.</li>
	<li>While analyzing this first DFCO sample, inflate the mouse lung with a second 0.8 ml from the gas mixture bag, and then process this sample identical to the first sample. Average the two DFCO measurements. 
	NOTE: For measurements in mice as young as 2 weeks of age, use a volume of 0.4 ml, since 0.8 ml is too large a volume to make measurements in lungs of very young mice. It is better to use the 0.8 ml volume for mice older than 6 weeks, and that if the 0.4 ml volume is needed for some mice, it should be used consistently for all mice in the cohort being studied.</li>
	<li>Calculate DFCO as 1&#160;&#8211;&#160;(CO9&#160;/&#160;COc)&#160;/&#160;(Ne9&#160;/&#160;Nec), where c and 9 subscripts refer to concentrations of the calibration gases injected and the gases removed after a 9 sec breath hold time, respectively.</li>
	<li>Analyze and compare differences with a one-way ANOVA and assess the significance level with Tukey&#8217;s correction for multiple comparisons in all the cohort mice. Consider p &#60;0.05 as significant value. 
	NOTE: All of the mice used here were part of experimental studies involving several subsequent measurements of lung ventilation, mechanics, lung lavage, or histology, which are not reported here. In addition, since the method is the same in all the experimental models as was done above in the control mice, only the results from the various pathologic models are presented. Further information on these models is presented in the supplemental table.</li>
	<li>Euthanize the animals by deep anesthetic overdose followed by cervical dislocation or decapitation. Where needed, remove the lung cells and/or tissues from the dead mice for further biologic or histologic processing and analysis.</li>
</ol>

<ol>
	<li>Ogilvie, C. M., Forster, R. E., Blakemore, W. S., Morton, J. W. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=A+standardized+breath+holding+technique+for+the+clinical+measurement+of+the+diffusing+capacity+of+the+lung+for+carbon+monoxide.">A standardized breath holding technique for the clinical measurement of the diffusing capacity of the lung for carbon monoxide.</a> J Clin Invest. 36 (1 Pt 1), 1-17 (1957).</li><li>Miller, A., Warshaw, R., Nezamis, J. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Diffusing+capacity+and+forced+vital+capacity+in+5,003+asbestos-exposed+workers:+Relationships+to+interstitial+fibrosis+(ILO+profusion+score)+and+pleural+thickening.">Diffusing capacity and forced vital capacity in 5,003 asbestos-exposed workers: Relationships to interstitial fibrosis (ILO profusion score) and pleural thickening.</a> Am J Ind Med. 56 (12), 1383-1393 (2013).</li><li>Enelow, R. I., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Structural+and+functional+consequences+of+alveolar+cell+recognition+by+CD8(+)+T+lymphocytes+in+experimental+lung+disease.">Structural and functional consequences of alveolar cell recognition by CD8(+) T lymphocytes in experimental lung disease.</a> J Clin Invest. 102 (9), 1653-1661 (1998).</li><li>Hartsfield, C. L., Lipke, D., Lai, Y. L., Cohen, D. A., Gillespie, M. N. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Pulmonary+mechanical+and+immunologic+dysfunction+in+a+murine+model+of+AIDS.">Pulmonary mechanical and immunologic dysfunction in a murine model of AIDS.</a> Am J Physiol. 272 (4 Pt 1), 699-706 (1997).</li><li>Wegner, C. 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C., Diamond, L. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Effects+of+the+Clara+cell+toxin,+4-ipomeanol,+on+pulmonary+function+in+rats.">Effects of the Clara cell toxin, 4-ipomeanol, on pulmonary function in rats.</a> J Appl Physiol. 54 (2), 337-344 (1983).</li><li>Depledge, M. H. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Respiration+and+lung+function+in+the+mouse,+Mus+musculus+(with+a+note+on+mass+exponents+and+respiratory+variables).">Respiration and lung function in the mouse, Mus musculus (with a note on mass exponents and respiratory variables).</a> Respir Physiol. 60 (1), 83-94 (1985).</li><li>Depledge, M. H., Collis, C. 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R., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=CD4+CD25+Foxp3++Tregs+resolve+experimental+lung+injury+in+mice+and+are+present+in+humans+with+acute+lung+injury.">CD4+CD25+Foxp3+ Tregs resolve experimental lung injury in mice and are present in humans with acute lung injury.</a> J Clin Invest. 119 (10), 2898-2913 (2009).</li><li>Martinez, F. 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No conflicts of interest, and nothing to disclose.

In the present work, we defined a new metric to quantify the gas exchanging ability of the mouse lung. This metric is analogous to the diffusing capacity, a common clinical measurement that measures the primary function of the lung, that is, its ability to exchange gas. The diffusing capacity is the only lung functional measurement that can be easily and quickly done in both mice and humans. For the detection of lung disease in mice, a major objective is to quantify changes in lung function between control and experiment...

The mouse is now the primary animal used to model a variety of lung diseases. To study the mechanisms that underly such pathologies, phenotypic methods are needed that can quantify the it the pathologic changes. Although there are many mouse studies where ventilation mechanics are measured, these measurements are generally unrelated to the standard assessments of pulmonary function normally done in humans. This is unfortunate, since the ability to perform equivalent measurements in mice and human subjects may facilitate the translation of results in mouse models to human disease.
One of the most common and easily made measurements in human subjects is the diffusing capacity for carbon monoxide (DLCO)1,2, but this measurement has only rarely been done in mouse models. In those studies where it has been reported3-7, there have been no follow-up studies, in part because the procedures are often cumbersome or may require complex equipment. Another approach is to use a CO rebreathing method in a steady state system, which has the advantage of being able to measure CO diffusion in conscious mice. However this method is very cumbersome, and results can vary with the level of the mouse&#8217;s ventilation as well as O2 and CO2 concentrations8,9. These difficulties seem to have precluded routine use of diffusing capacity to detect lung pathologies in mice, despite its several advantages.
To circumvent the problems with measurement of diffusing capacity in mice, details of a simple means to measure it in mice have been recently reported10. The procedure eliminates the difficult problem of sampling uncontaminated alveolar gas by quickly sampling a volume equal to the entire inspired gas. This procedure results in a very reproducible measurement, termed the diffusion factor for carbon monoxide (DFCO), that is sensitive to a host of pathologic changes in the lung phenotype. The DFCO is thus calculated as 1&#160;&#8211;&#160;(CO9&#160;/&#160;COc)&#160;/&#160;(Ne9&#160;/&#160;Nec), where the c and 9 subscripts refer to concentrations of the calibration gases injected and the gases removed after a 9 sec breath hold time, respectively. DFCO is a dimensionless variable, which varies between 0 and 1, with 1 reflecting complete uptake of all CO, and 0 reflecting no uptake of CO.
In this presentation we show how to make this diffusing capacity measurement, and how it can be used to document changes in nearly all of the existing mouse lung disease models, including emphysema, fibrosis, acute lung injury, and viral and fungal infections.

<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0">
	<tbody>
		<tr>
			<td>Gas Chromatograph</td>
			<td>Inficon</td>
			<td>Micro GC Model 3000A</td>
			<td>Agilent makes a comparable model</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>18 g Luer stub needle</td>
			<td>Becton Dickenson</td>
			<td></td>
			<td>Several other possible vendors</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>3 mL plastic syringe</td>
			<td>Becton Dickenson</td>
			<td></td>
			<td>Several other possible vendors</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Polypropylene gas sample bags</td>
			<td>SKC</td>
			<td>1 or 2 liter capacity works well</td>
			<td>Other gas tight bags will work well</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Gas tank, 0.3% Ne,0.3% CO, balance air; (size ME)</td>
			<td>Airgas, Inc</td>
			<td>Z04 NI785ME3012</td>
			<td>This is the standard mixture used for DLCO in humans</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>25 TCID50/mouse of influenza virus A/PR8 diluted in phosphate buffered saline.</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Porcine pancreatic elastase</td>
			<td>Elastin Products, Owensville, MO</td>
			<td></td>
			<td>5.4 U</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Bleomycin</td>
			<td>APP Pharmaceuticals, Schaumburg, IL</td>
			<td></td>
			<td>0.25 U</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Escherichia coli LPS8</td>
			<td>Sigma L2880</td>
			<td></td>
			<td>3 &#956;g/g body weight; O55:B5</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Aspergillus fumigatus (isolate Af293) conidia were collected from mature colonies grown on potato dextrose agar.</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

phenotyping mouse pulmonary function in vivo with the lung diffusing capacity

The mouse is now the primary animal used to model a variety of lung diseases. To study the mechanisms that underlie such pathologies, phenotypic methods are needed that can quantify the pathologic changes. Furthermore, to provide translational relevance to the mouse models, such measurements should be tests that can easily be done in both humans and mice. Unfortunately, in the present literature few phenotypic measurements of lung function have direct application to humans. One exception is the diffusing capacity for carbon monoxide, which is a measurement that is routinely done in humans. In the present report, we describe a means to quickly and simply measure this diffusing capacity in mice. The procedure involves brief lung inflation with tracer gases in an anesthetized mouse, followed by a 1 min gas analysis time. We have tested the ability of this method to detect several lung pathologies, including emphysema, fibrosis, acute lung injury, and influenza and fungal lung infections, as well as monitoring lung maturation in young pups. Results show significant decreases in all the lung pathologies, as well as an increase in the diffusing capacity with lung maturation. This measurement of lung diffusing capacity thus provides a pulmonary function test that has broad application with its ability to detect phenotypic structural changes with most of the existing pathologic lung models.

Figure 1 shows the DFCO measurements from the adult mice in groups A, B, C, D, E, and F. There were significant decreases with both the Aspergillus and influenza infections, as well as significant decreases in the fibrotic, emphysematous, and acute lung injury models. Figure 2 shows the Group G developmental changes in DFCO over time as the mice age from 2-6 weeks. There was a slight but significant increase with lung development over this time course. The effect of using a smaller infla...

Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Phenotyping Mouse Pulmonary Function In Vivo with the Lung Diffusing Capacity at JoVE.com

Phenotyping Mouse Pulmonary Function In Vivo with the Lung Diffusing Capacity

We describe a means to quickly and simply measure the lung diffusing capacity in mice and show that it is sufficiently sensitive to phenotype changes in multiple common lung pathologies. This metric thus brings direct translational relevance to the mouse models, since diffusing capacity is also easily measured in humans.

Phenotyping Mouse Pulmonary Function In Vivo with the Lung Diffusing Capacity

The mouse is now the primary animal used to model a variety of lung diseases. To study the mechanisms that underlie such pathologies, phenotypic methods ...

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10.5K Views.  Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health. We describe a means to quickly and simply measure the lung diffusing capacity in mice and show that it is sufficiently sensitive to phenotype changes in multiple common lung pathologies. This metric thus brings direct translational relevance to the mouse models, since diffusing capacity is also easily measured in humans.

Video: Phenotyping Mouse Pulmonary Function In Vivo with the Lung Diffusing Capacity

In vivo Imaging and Therapeutic Treatments in an Orthotopic Mouse Model of Ovarian Cancer

Human cancer and response to therapy is better represented in orthotopic animal models. This paper describes the development of an orthotopic mouse model of ovarian cancer, treatment of cancer via oral delivery of drugs, and monitoring of tumor cell behavior in response to drug treatment in real time using in vivo imaging system. In this orthotopic model, ovarian tumor cells expressing luciferase are applied topically by injecting them directly into the mouse bursa where each ovary is enclosed. Upon injection of D-luciferin, a substrate of firefly luciferase, luciferase-expressing cells generate bioluminescence signals. This signal is detected by the in vivo imaging system and allows for a non-invasive means of monitoring tumor growth, distribution, and regression in individual animals. Drug administration via oral gavage allows for a maximum dosing volume of 10 mL/kg body weight to be delivered directly to the stomach and closely resembles delivery of drugs in clinical treatments. Therefore, techniques described here, development of an orthotopic mouse model of ovarian cancer, oral delivery of drugs, and in vivo imaging, are useful for better understanding of human ovarian cancer and treatment and will improve targeting this disease.

In vivo Imaging and Therapeutic Treatments in an Orthotopic Mouse Model of Ovarian Cancer

Orthotopic animal models of ovarian cancer replicate better human disease and therefore enhance our understanding of cancer progression and tumor response to therapy. A mouse model receives an intrabursal injection of luciferase-expressing ovarian tumor cells. Treatment is administered via oral gavage. Tumor growth is monitored by in vivo imaging system.

Human cancer and response to therapy is better represented in orthotopic animal models.  This paper describes the development of an orthotopic mouse model ...

Characterization of the Isolated, Ventilated, and Instrumented Mouse Lung Perfused with Pulsatile Flow

The isolated, ventilated and instrumented mouse lung preparation allows steady and pulsatile pulmonary vascular pressure-flow relationships to be measured with independent control over pulmonary arterial flow rate, flow rate waveform, airway pressure and left atrial pressure. Pulmonary vascular resistance is calculated based on multi-point, steady pressure-flow curves; pulmonary vascular impedance is calculated from pulsatile pressure-flow curves obtained at a range of frequencies. As now recognized clinically, impedance is a superior measure of right ventricular afterload than resistance because it includes the effects of vascular compliance, which are not negligible, especially in the pulmonary circulation. Three important metrics of impedance - the zero hertz impedance Z0, the characteristic impedance ZC, and the index of wave reflection RW - provide insight into distal arterial cross-sectional area available for flow, proximal arterial stiffness and the upstream-downstream impedance mismatch, respectively. All results obtained in isolated, ventilated and perfused lungs are independent of sympathetic nervous system tone, volume status and the effects of anesthesia. We have used this technique to quantify the impact of pulmonary emboli and chronic hypoxia on resistance and impedance, and to differentiate between sites of action (i.e., proximal vs. distal) of vasoactive agents and disease using the pressure dependency of ZC. Furthermore, when these techniques are used with the lungs of genetically engineered strains of mice, the effects of molecular-level defects on pulmonary vascular structure and function can be determined.

The following protocol outlines the process of isolating, ventilating and instrumenting mouse lungs to measure steady or pulsatile pulmonary vascular pressure-flow relationships in order to quantify the effects of blood flow, airflow, airway changes and vascular changes on right ventricular afterload.

The isolated, ventilated and instrumented mouse lung preparation allows steady and pulsatile pulmonary vascular pressure-flow relationships to be measured ...

Generation of Mice Derived from Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells

The production of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) from somatic cells provides a means to create valuable tools for basic research and may also produce a source of patient-matched cells for regenerative therapies. iPSCs may be generated using multiple protocols and derived from multiple cell sources. Once generated, iPSCs are tested using a variety of assays including immunostaining for pluripotency markers, generation of three germ layers in embryoid bodies and teratomas, comparisons of gene expression with embryonic stem cells (ESCs) and production of chimeric mice with or without germline contribution2. Importantly, iPSC lines that pass these tests still vary in their capacity to produce different differentiated cell types2. This has made it difficult to establish which iPSC derivation protocols, donor cell sources or selection methods are most useful for different applications.
The most stringent test of whether a stem cell line has sufficient developmental potential to generate all tissues required for survival of an organism (termed full pluripotency) is tetraploid embryo complementation (TEC)3-5. Technically, TEC involves electrofusion of two-cell embryos to generate tetraploid (4n) one-cell embryos that can be cultured in vitro to the blastocyst stage6. Diploid (2n) pluripotent stem cells (e.g. ESCs or iPSCs) are then injected into the blastocoel cavity of the tetraploid blastocyst and transferred to a recipient female for gestation (see Figure 1). The tetraploid component of the complemented embryo contributes almost exclusively to the extraembryonic tissues (placenta, yolk sac), whereas the diploid cells constitute the embryo proper, resulting in a fetus derived entirely from the injected stem cell line.
Recently, we reported the derivation of iPSC lines that reproducibly generate adult mice via TEC1. These iPSC lines give rise to viable pups with efficiencies of 5-13%, which is comparable to ESCs3,4,7 and higher than that reported for most other iPSC lines8-12. These reports show that direct reprogramming can produce fully pluripotent iPSCs that match ESCs in their developmental potential and efficiency of generating pups in TEC tests. At present, it is not clear what distinguishes between fully pluripotent iPSCs and less potent lines13-15. Nor is it clear which reprogramming methods will produce these lines with the highest efficiency. Here we describe one method that produces fully pluripotent iPSCs and "all- iPSC" mice, which may be helpful for investigators wishing to compare the pluripotency of iPSC lines or establish the equivalence of different reprogramming methods.

Generating induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) lines produces lines of differing developmental potential even when they pass standard tests for pluripotency. Here we describe a protocol to produce mice derived entirely from iPSCs, which defines the iPSC lines as possessing full pluripotency1.

The production of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) from somatic cells provides a means to create valuable tools for basic research and may also ...

Examining BCL-2 Family Function with Large Unilamellar Vesicles

The BCL-2 (B cell CLL/Lymphoma) family is comprised of approximately twenty proteins that collaborate to either maintain cell survival or initiate apoptosis1. Following cellular stress (e.g., DNA damage), the pro-apoptotic BCL-2 family effectors BAK (BCL-2 antagonistic killer 1) and/or BAX (BCL-2 associated X protein) become activated and compromise the integrity of the outer mitochondrial membrane (OMM), though the process referred to as mitochondrial outer membrane permeabilization (MOMP)1. After MOMP occurs, pro-apoptotic proteins (e.g., cytochrome c) gain access to the cytoplasm, promote caspase activation, and apoptosis rapidly ensues2.
In order for BAK/BAX to induce MOMP, they require transient interactions with members of another pro-apoptotic subset of the BCL-2 family, the BCL-2 homology domain 3 (BH3)-only proteins, such as BID (BH3-interacting domain agonist)3-6. Anti-apoptotic BCL-2 family proteins (e.g., BCL-2 related gene, long isoform, BCL-xL; myeloid cell leukemia 1, MCL-1) regulate cellular survival by tightly controlling the interactions between BAK/BAX and the BH3-only proteins capable of directly inducing BAK/BAX activation7,8. In addition, anti-apoptotic BCL-2 protein availability is also dictated by sensitizer/de-repressor BH3-only proteins, such as BAD (BCL-2 antagonist of cell death) or PUMA (p53 upregulated modulator of apoptosis), which bind and inhibit anti-apoptotic members7,9. As most of the anti-apoptotic BCL-2 repertoire is localized to the OMM, the cellular decision to maintain survival or induce MOMP is dictated by multiple BCL-2 family interactions at this membrane.
 Large unilamellar vesicles (LUVs) are a biochemical model to explore relationships between BCL-2 family interactions and membrane permeabilization10. LUVs are comprised of defined lipids that are assembled in ratios identified in lipid composition studies from solvent extracted Xenopus mitochondria (46.5% phosphatidylcholine, 28.5% phosphatidylethanoloamine, 9% phosphatidylinositol, 9% phosphatidylserine, and 7% cardiolipin)10. This is a convenient model system to directly explore BCL-2 family function because the protein and lipid components are completely defined and tractable, which is not always the case with primary mitochondria. While cardiolipin is not usually this high throughout the OMM, this model does faithfully mimic the OMM to promote BCL-2 family function. Furthermore, a more recent modification of the above protocol allows for kinetic analyses of protein interactions and real-time measurements of membrane permeabilization, which is based on LUVs containing a polyanionic dye (ANTS: 8-aminonaphthalene-1,3,6-trisulfonic acid) and cationic quencher (DPX: p-xylene-bis-pyridinium bromide)11. As the LUVs permeabilize, ANTS and DPX diffuse apart, and a gain in fluorescence is detected. Here, commonly used recombinant BCL-2 family protein combinations and controls using the LUVs containing ANTS/DPX are described.

Biochemically-defined large unilamellar vesicles (LUVs) are a convenient model system to analyze BCL-2 family interactions with immediate implications in better understanding the mitochondrial pathway of apoptosis. A method to produce LUVs, along with standard BCL-2 family protein combinations and controls to examine LUV permeabilization, are presented.

The BCL-2 (B cell CLL/Lymphoma) family is comprised of approximately twenty proteins that collaborate to either maintain cell survival or initiate ...

Culturing of Human Nasal Epithelial Cells at the Air Liquid Interface

In vitro models using human primary epithelial cells are essential in understanding key functions of the respiratory epithelium in the context of microbial infections or inhaled agents. Direct comparisons of cells obtained from diseased populations allow us to characterize different phenotypes and dissect the underlying mechanisms mediating changes in epithelial cell function. Culturing epithelial cells from the human tracheobronchial region has been well documented, but is limited by the availability of human lung tissue or invasiveness associated with obtaining the bronchial brushes biopsies. Nasal epithelial cells are obtained through much less invasive superficial nasal scrape biopsies and subjects can be biopsied multiple times with no significant side effects. Additionally, the nose is the entry point to the respiratory system and therefore one of the first sites to be exposed to any kind of air-borne stressor, such as microbial agents, pollutants, or allergens. 
Briefly, nasal epithelial cells obtained from human volunteers are expanded on coated tissue culture plates, and then transferred onto cell culture inserts. Upon reaching confluency, cells continue to be cultured at the air-liquid interface (ALI), for several weeks, which creates more physiologically relevant conditions. The ALI culture condition uses defined media leading to a differentiated epithelium that exhibits morphological and functional characteristics similar to the human nasal epithelium, with both ciliated and mucus producing cells. Tissue culture inserts with differentiated nasal epithelial cells can be manipulated in a variety of ways depending on the research questions (treatment with pharmacological agents, transduction with lentiviral vectors, exposure to gases, or infection with microbial agents) and analyzed for numerous different endpoints ranging from cellular and molecular pathways, functional changes, morphology, etc. 
In vitro models of differentiated human nasal epithelial cells will enable investigators to address novel and important research questions by using organotypic experimental models that largely mimic the nasal epithelium in vivo.

Nasal epithelial cells, obtained through superficial scrape biopsy of human volunteers, are expanded and transferred onto tissue culture inserts. Upon reaching confluency, cells are grown at air liquid interface, yielding cultures of ciliated and non-ciliated cells. Differentiated nasal epithelial cell cultures provide viable experimental models for studying the respiratory mucosa.

In vitro models using human primary  epithelial cells are essential in understanding key functions of the respiratory  epithelium in the context of ...

Assessment of Calcium Sparks in Intact Skeletal Muscle Fibers

Maintaining homeostatic Ca2+ signaling is a fundamental physiological process in living cells. Ca2+ sparks are the elementary units of Ca2+ signaling in the striated muscle fibers that appear as highly localized Ca2+ release events mediated by ryanodine receptor (RyR) Ca2+ release channels on the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) membrane. Proper assessment of muscle Ca2+ sparks could provide information on the intracellular Ca2+&#160;handling properties of healthy and diseased striated muscles. Although Ca2+ sparks events are commonly seen in resting cardiomyocytes, they are rarely observed in resting skeletal muscle fibers; thus there is a need for methods to generate and analyze sparks in skeletal muscle fibers.
Detailed here is an experimental protocol for measuring Ca2+ sparks in isolated flexor digitorm brevis (FDB) muscle fibers using fluorescent Ca2+ indictors and laser scanning confocal microscopy. In this approach, isolated FDB fibers are exposed to transient hypoosmotic stress followed by a return to isotonic physiological solution. Under these conditions, a robust Ca2+ sparks response is detected adjacent to the sarcolemmal membrane in young healthy FDB muscle fibers. Altered Ca2+ sparks response is detected in dystrophic or aged skeletal muscle fibers. This approach has recently demonstrated that membrane-delimited signaling involving cross-talk between inositol (1,4,5)-triphosphate receptor (IP3R) and RyR contributes to Ca2+ spark activation in skeletal muscle. In summary, our studies using osmotic stress induced Ca2+ sparks showed that this intracellular response reflects a muscle signaling mechanism in physiology and aging/disease states, including mouse models of muscle dystrophy (mdx mice) or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS model).

Described here is a method to directly measure calcium sparks, the elementary units of Ca2+ release from sarcoplasmic reticulum&#160;in intact skeletal muscle fibers. This method utilizes osmotic-stress-mediated triggering of Ca2+ release from ryanodine receptor in isolated muscle fibers. The dynamics and homeostatic capacity of intracellular Ca2+ signaling can be employed to assess muscle function in health and disease.

Maintaining homeostatic Ca2+ signaling is a fundamental physiological process in living cells. Ca2+ sparks are the elementary units of Ca2+ signaling in ...

Fundamental Technical Elements of Freeze-fracture/Freeze-etch in Biological Electron Microscopy

Freeze-fracture/freeze-etch describes a process whereby specimens, typically biological or nanomaterial in nature, are frozen, fractured, and replicated to generate a carbon/platinum &#8220;cast&#8221; intended for examination by transmission electron microscopy. Specimens are subjected to ultrarapid freezing rates, often in the presence of cryoprotective agents to limit ice crystal formation, with subsequent fracturing of the specimen at liquid nitrogen cooled temperatures under high vacuum. The resultant fractured surface is replicated and stabilized by evaporation of carbon and platinum from an angle that confers surface three-dimensional detail to the cast. This technique has proved particularly enlightening for the investigation of cell membranes and their specializations and has contributed considerably to the understanding of cellular form to related cell function. In this report, we survey the instrument requirements and technical protocol for performing freeze-fracture, the associated nomenclature and characteristics of fracture planes, variations on the conventional procedure, and criteria for interpretation of freeze-fracture images. This technique has been widely used for ultrastructural investigation in many areas of cell biology and holds promise as an emerging imaging technique for molecular, nanotechnology, and materials science studies.

Basic techniques and refinements of freeze-fracture processing of biological specimens and nanomaterials for examination by transmission electron microscopy are described. This technique is a preferred method for revealing ultrastructural features and specializations of biological membranes and for obtaining ultrastructural level dimensional and spatial data in materials sciences and nanotechnology products.

Freeze-fracture/freeze-etch describes a process whereby specimens, typically biological or nanomaterial in nature, are frozen, fractured, and replicated ...

Isolation of Mitochondria from Minimal Quantities of Mouse Skeletal Muscle for High Throughput Microplate Respiratory Measurements

Dysfunctional skeletal muscle mitochondria play a role in altered metabolism observed with aging, obesity and Type II diabetes. Mitochondrial respirometric assays from isolated mitochondrial preparations allow for the assessment of mitochondrial function, as well as determination of the mechanism(s) of action of drugs and proteins that modulate metabolism. Current isolation procedures often require large quantities of tissue to yield high quality mitochondria necessary for respirometric assays. The methods presented herein describe how high quality purified mitochondria (~ 450 &#181;g) can be isolated from minimal quantities (~75-100 mg) of mouse skeletal muscle for use in high throughput respiratory measurements. We determined that our isolation method yields 92.5&#177; 2.0% intact mitochondria by measuring citrate synthase activity spectrophotometrically. In addition, Western blot analysis in isolated mitochondria resulted in the faint expression of the cytosolic protein, GAPDH, and the robust expression of the mitochondrial protein, COXIV. The absence of a prominent GAPDH band in the isolated mitochondria is indicative of little contamination from non-mitochondrial sources during the isolation procedure. Most importantly, the measurement of O2 consumption rate with micro-plate based technology and determining the respiratory control ratio (RCR) for coupled respirometric assays shows highly coupled (RCR; &#62;6 for all assays) and functional mitochondria. In conclusion, the addition of a separate mincing step and significantly reducing motor driven homogenization speed of a previously reported method has allowed the isolation of high quality and purified mitochondria from smaller quantities of mouse skeletal muscle that results in highly coupled mitochondria that respire with high function during microplate based respirometirc assays.

Here, we present a modification of a previously reported method that allows for the isolation of high quality and purified mitochondria from smaller quantities of mouse skeletal muscle. This procedure results in highly coupled mitochondria that respire with high function during microplate based respirometirc assays.

Dysfunctional skeletal muscle mitochondria play a role in altered metabolism observed with aging, obesity and Type II diabetes. Mitochondrial ...

The c-FOS Protein Immunohistological Detection: A Useful Tool As a Marker of Central Pathways Involved in Specific Physiological Responses In Vivo and Ex Vivo

Many studies seek to identify and map the brain regions involved in specific physiological regulations. The proto-oncogene c-fos, an immediate early gene, is expressed in neurons in response to various stimuli. The protein product can be readily detected with immunohistochemical techniques leading to the use of c-FOS detection to map groups of neurons that display changes in their activity. In this article, we focused on the identification of brainstem neuronal populations involved in the ventilatory adaptation to hypoxia or hypercapnia. Two approaches were described to identify involved neuronal populations in vivo in animals and ex vivo in deafferented brainstem preparations. In vivo, animals were exposed to hypercapnic or hypoxic gas mixtures. Ex vivo, deafferented preparations were superfused with hypoxic or hypercapnic artificial cerebrospinal fluid. In both cases, either control in vivo animals or ex vivo preparations were maintained under normoxic and normocapnic conditions. The comparison of these two approaches allows the determination of the origin of the neuronal activation i.e., peripheral and/or central. In vivo and ex vivo, brainstems were collected, fixed, and sliced into sections. Once sections were prepared, immunohistochemical detection of the c-FOS protein was made in order to identify the brainstem groups of cells activated by hypoxic or hypercapnic stimulations. Labeled cells were counted in brainstem respiratory structures. In comparison to the control condition, hypoxia or hypercapnia increased the number of c-FOS labeled cells in several specific brainstem sites that are thus constitutive of the neuronal pathways involved in the adaptation of the central respiratory drive.

The c-FOS Protein Immunohistological Detection: A Useful Tool As a Marker of Central Pathways Involved in Specific Physiological Responses In Vivo and Ex Vivo

Here, we present a protocol based on c-FOS protein immunohistological detection, a classical technique used for the identification of neuronal populations involved in specific physiological responses in vivo and ex vivo.

Many studies seek to identify and map the brain regions involved in specific physiological regulations. The proto-oncogene c-fos, an immediate early gene, ...

In Vivo Study of Human Endothelial-Pericyte Interaction Using the Matrix Gel Plug Assay in Mouse

Angiogenesis is the process by which new blood vessels are formed from existing vessels. New vessel growth requires coordinated endothelial cell proliferation, migration, and alignment to form tubular structures followed by recruitment of pericytes to provide mural support and facilitate vessel maturation. Current in vitro cell culture approaches cannot fully reproduce the complex biological environment where endothelial cells and pericytes interact to produce functional vessels. We present a novel application of the in vivo matrix gel plug assay to study endothelial-pericyte interactions and formation of functional blood vessels using severe combined immune deficiency mutation (SCID) mice. Briefly, matrix gel is mixed with a solution containing endothelial cells with or without pericytes followed by injection into the back of anesthetized SCID mice. After 14 days, the matrix gel plugs are removed, fixed and sectioned for histological analysis. The length, number, size and extent of pericyte coverage of mature vessels (defined by the presence of red blood cells in the lumen) can be quantified and compared between experimental groups using commercial statistical platforms. Beyond its use as an angiogenesis assay, this matrix gel plug assay can be used to conduct genetic studies and as a platform for drug discovery. In conclusion, this protocol will allow researchers to complement available in vitro assays for the study of endothelial-pericyte interactions and their relevance to either systemic or pulmonary angiogenesis.

In Vivo Study of Human Endothelial-Pericyte Interaction Using the Matrix Gel Plug Assay in Mouse

We present a protocol to study human endothelial-pericyte interactions in mouse using a variation of the matrix gel plug angiogenesis assay.