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Non-invasive Optical Imaging of the Lymphatic Vasculature of a Mouse
Published on: March 8, 2013
Mouse phenotyping with near-infrared fluorescence lymphatic imaging
Sunkuk Kwon1, Eva M Sevick-Muraca
1Center for Molecular Imaging, The Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX 77584, USA.
Biomedical Optics Express
|June 24, 2011
Summary
Dynamic near-infrared imaging reveals abnormal lymphatic vessel structure and function in mice lacking Prox1. This technique quantifies lymphatic contractile function for studying lymphatic diseases.
Area of Science:
- Vascular Biology
- Medical Imaging
- Genetics
Background:
- Lymphatic vascular development is crucial for fluid homeostasis and immune function.
- Prox1 is a key transcription factor regulating lymphatic vessel development.
- Defects in lymphatic development are associated with lymphedema and other diseases.
Purpose of the Study:
- To demonstrate non-invasive, quantitative imaging of lymphatic architecture and contractile function.
- To compare lymphatic function in normal mice versus mice with Prox1 deficiency.
- To establish a method for assessing lymphatic function in disease models.
Main Methods:
- Dynamic near-infrared (NIR) fluorescence imaging.
- Injection of indocyanine green dye.
- Analysis of lymphatic drainage patterns and contraction waves in normal and Prox1-deficient mice.
Main Results:
- Normal mice exhibited well-defined lymphatic drainage and orthograde contraction.
- Prox1-deficient mice displayed tortuous, mispatterned lymphatic vessels.
- Persistent retrograde lymph flow was observed in Prox1-deficient mice.
Conclusions:
- NIR fluorescence imaging can quantitatively assess lymphatic architecture and contractile function.
- Prox1 deficiency leads to significant lymphatic vascular malformations and dysfunction.
- This imaging method is valuable for studying lymphatic disorders in murine models.
