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IR and Raman imaging of murine brains from control and ApoE/LDLR(-/-) mice with advanced atherosclerosis
Kamila Kochan1, Karolina Chrabaszcz, Barbara Szczur
1Jagiellonian University, Jagiellonian Centre for Experimental Therapeutics (JCET), 14 Bobrzyńskiego Str., 30-348 Krakow, Poland. katarzyna.marzec@jcet.eu marzec@chemia.uj.edu.pl.
Abstract:
Confocal Raman mapping and FT-IR imaging combined with chemometric analysis was used to study the alterations in murine brain tissue induced by the development of atherosclerosis. FT-IR imaging allowed us to obtain lower spatial resolution data (∼5.5 μm) from large, representative cross-sectional brain areas, while Raman mapping provided a more detailed insight into chosen regions of interest with high spatial resolution (∼0.4 μm). A comparison of white (WM) and grey matter (GM) from control (C57BL/6J) and ApoE/LDLR(-/-) mice with advanced atherosclerosis revealed disease-induced changes in both: GM and WM. The alterations included an increased lipid to protein ratio and higher total content of cholesterol.
Insights
Atherosclerosis causes significant changes in murine brain tissue, including increased lipid and cholesterol content in both grey and white matter. These findings highlight molecular alterations in the brain during disease progression.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Biochemistry
- Medical Imaging
Background:
- Atherosclerosis is a systemic disease that can affect the brain.
- Understanding brain tissue alterations in atherosclerosis is crucial for disease management.
- Current imaging techniques may lack the resolution to fully characterize these changes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate molecular and structural changes in murine brain tissue during atherosclerosis development.
- To compare alterations in grey matter (GM) and white matter (WM) using advanced imaging techniques.
Main Methods:
- Utilized Confocal Raman mapping for high-resolution (∼0.4 μm) analysis of selected brain regions.
- Employed Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR) imaging for lower-resolution (∼5.5 μm) analysis of large brain areas.
- Applied chemometric analysis to interpret spectral data from control (C57BL/6J) and atherosclerosis-prone (ApoE/LDLR(-/-)) mice.
Main Results:
- Disease-induced alterations were observed in both grey matter (GM) and white matter (WM) of atherosclerosis-prone mice.
- A significant increase in the lipid to protein ratio was detected in affected brain tissue.
- Elevated total cholesterol content was a key finding in the brains of mice with advanced atherosclerosis.
Conclusions:
- Confocal Raman mapping and FT-IR imaging are effective tools for studying brain tissue in atherosclerosis models.
- Atherosclerosis leads to distinct biochemical changes in both GM and WM, notably affecting lipid and cholesterol metabolism.
- These findings provide insights into the neuropathological consequences of atherosclerosis.
