Second harmonic generation microscopy analysis of extracellular matrix changes in human idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (original) (raw)

Second harmonic generation microscopy reveals altered collagen microstructure in usual interstitial pneumonia versus healthy lung

Respiratory Research, 2015

Background: It is not understood why some pulmonary fibroses such as cryptogenic organizing pneumonia (COP) respond well to treatment, while others like usual interstitial pneumonia (UIP) do not. Increased understanding of the structure and function of the matrix in this area is critical to improving our understanding of the biology of these diseases and developing novel therapies. The objectives herein are to provide new insights into the underlying collagen-and matrix-related biological mechanisms driving COP versus UIP.

A robust collagen scoring method for human liver fibrosis by second harmonic microscopy

Optics Express, 2010

Second Harmonic Generation (SHG) microscopy offers the opportunity to image collagen of type I without staining. We recently showed that a simple scoring method, based on SHG images of histological human liver biopsies, correlates well with the Metavir assessment of fibrosis level (Gailhouste et al., J. Hepatol., 2010). In this article, we present a detailed study of this new scoring method with two different objective lenses. By using measurements of the objectives point spread functions and of the photomultiplier gain, and a simple model of the SHG intensity, we show that our scoring method, applied to human liver biopsies, is robust to the objective's numerical aperture (NA) for low NA, the choice of the reference sample and laser power, and the spatial sampling rate. The simplicity and robustness of our collagen scoring method may open new opportunities in the quantification of collagen content in different organs, which is of main importance in providing diagnostic information and evaluation of therapeutic efficiency. Stone, "Urinary assays for desmosine and hydroxylysylpyridinoline in the detection of cirrhosis,"

Determination of extracellular matrix collagen fibril architectures and pathological remodeling by polarization dependent second harmonic microscopy

Scientific Reports, 2017

Polarization dependence second harmonic generation (P-SHG) microscopy is gaining increase popularity for in situ quantification of fibrillar protein architectures. In this report, we combine P-SHG microscopy, new linear least square (LLS) fitting and modeling to determine and convert the complex second-order non-linear optical anisotropy parameter ρ of several collagen rich tissues into a simple geometric organization of collagen fibrils. Modeling integrates a priori knowledge of polyhelical organization of collagen molecule polymers forming fibrils and bundles of fibrils as well as Poisson photonic shot noise of the detection system. The results, which accurately predict the known sub-microscopic hierarchical organization of collagen fibrils in several tissues, suggest that they can be subdivided into three classes according to their microscopic and macroscopic hierarchical organization of collagen fibrils. They also show, for the first time to our knowledge, intrahepatic spatial discrimination between genuine fibrotic and non-fibrotic vessels. CCl 4-treated livers are characterized by an increase in the percentage of fibrotic vessels and their remodeling involves peri-portal compaction and alignment of collagen fibrils that should contribute to portal hypertension. This integrated P-SHG image analysis method is a powerful tool that should open new avenue for the determination of pathophysiological and chemo-mechanical cues impacting collagen fibrils organization. Collagens play a central role in the formation of fibrils networks involved in the architecture of tissues and organs. In extracellular matrixes (ECM), the physical compressive and tensile strains generated by cell traction are key mechanisms involved in the long-range ordering and remodeling of collagen fibrils 1,2. These fibrils, consisting of long and filamentous polymers of collagen molecules, are arrays of axial and lateral supramolecular assembly of quarter-staggered collagen molecules resulting in 67 nm periodic striation observed at ultrastructural level with transmission electron microscopy. While much is known about the different hierarchical level of fibrillogenesis, comparatively little is known about how collagen fibrils assemble together into the diverse supramolecular arrangements found in the body. Moreover, remodeling of collagen fibrils involved in several pathologies encompassing fibrosis, cancer, bone and several connective tissues diseases also awaits a precise 3D description. Label-free second harmonic generation (SHG) process relies on a nonlinear optical interaction with hyperpolarizable non centrosymetric endogenous fibrillar proteins like collagen and myosin causing scattered coherent radiation at twice the fundamental frequency 3,4. Thus, it has proved to be an extremely beneficial contrast mechanism for label-free imaging of these endogenous molecules in situ, in vivo, in physiological as well as in disease state. Polarization dependence second harmonic generation (P-SHG) microscopy that enables quantification of

Quantitative and qualitative analysis of pulmonary arterial hypertension fibrosis using wide-field second harmonic generation microscopy

Scientific Reports

We demonstrated that wide-field second harmonic generation (SHG) microscopy of lung tissue in combination with quantitative analysis of SHG images is a powerful tool for fast and label-free visualization of the fibrosis pathogenesis in pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). Statistical analysis of the SHG images revealed changes of the collagen content and morphology in the lung tissue during the monocrotaline-induced PAH progression in rats. First order statistics disclosed the dependence of the collagen overproduction on time, the second order statistics indicated tightening of collagen fiber network around blood vessels and their spreading into the alveolar region. Fourier analysis revealed that enhancement of the fiber orientation in the collagen network with PAH progression was followed with its subsequent reduction at the terminating phase of the disease. Proposed approach has potential for assessing pulmonary fibrosis in interstitial lung disease, after lung(s) transplantatio...

Minimally invasive multiphoton and harmonic generation imaging of extracellular matrix structures in lung airway and related diseases

Pulmonary Pharmacology & Therapeutics, 2011

Multiphoton microscopy has become a powerful imaging method for minimally invasive evaluation of extracellular matrix (ECM) and cellular structures deep within tissues in their native environments. This technology, which uses ultra-short femto-second laser pulses as the excitation source, is efficient in multiphoton excitation fluorescence (MPEF) of endogenously fluorescent macromolecular systems and induction of highly specific second harmonic generation (SHG) signals from non-centrosymmetric macromolecules such as fibrillar collagens. Both these signals can be captured simultaneously to provide spatially resolved 3D structural organization of ECM as well as cellular morphologies in lung or airway tissue with spectral specificity and sensitivity. These imaging modalities are minimally invasive since structures deep within tissues can be visualized without the need for tissue fixation and/or sectioning. Much of the traditional histological and chemical procedures associated with conventional microscopy methods, which may alter native structure of lung tissue samples, can be circumvented to generate more accurate 3D morphological and fine structural information. In addition to outlining basic principles associated with MPEF and SHG microscopy methods, this review reports potential uses of these high resolution imaging modalities in lung structural imaging. We place special emphasis on imaging 3D structural features of airways, visualizing and quantifying ECM remodeling associated with mouse asthma model as well as the potential uses for multiphoton microscopy in in vitro airway applications.

Characterization of Collagen I Fiber Thickness, Density, and Orientation in the Human Skin In Vivo Using Second-Harmonic Generation Imaging

Photonics

The assessment of dermal alterations is necessary to monitor skin aging, cancer, and other skin diseases and alterations. The gold standard of morphologic diagnostics is still histopathology. Here, we proposed parameters to distinguish morphologically different collagen I structures in the extracellular matrix and to characterize varying collagen I structures in the skin with similar SAAID (SHG-to-AF Aging Index of Dermis, SHG—second-harmonic generation; AF—autofluorescence) values. Test datasets for the papillary and reticular extracellular matrix from images in 24 female subjects, 35 to 60 years of age, were generated. Parameters for SAAID, edge detection, and fast Fourier transformation directionality were determined. Additionally, textural analyses based on the grey level co-occurrence matrix (GLCM) were conducted. At first, changes in the GLCM parameters were determined in the native greyscale images and, furthermore, in the Hilbert-transformed images. Our results demonstrate a...