title: Optical coherence tomography guided microinjections in live mouse embryos: high-resolution targeted manipulation for mouse embryonic research.
abstract: The ability to conduct highly localized delivery of contrast agents, viral vectors, therapeutic or pharmacological agents, and signaling molecules or dyes to live mammalian embryos is greatly desired to enable a variety of studies in the field of developmental biology, such as investigating the molecular regulation of cardiovascular morphogenesis. To meet such a demand, we introduce, for the first time, the concept of employing optical coherence tomography (OCT)-guide microinjections in live mouse embryos, which provides precisely targeted manipulation with spatial resolution at the micrometer scale. The feasibility demonstration is performed with experimental studies on cultured live mouse embryos at E8.5 and E9.5. Additionally, we investigate the OCT-guided microinjection of gold–silica nanoshells to the yolk sac vasculature of live cultured mouse embryos at the stage when the heart just starts to beat, as a potential approach for dynamic assessment of cardiovascular form and function before the onset of blood cell circulation. Also, the capability of OCT to quantitatively monitor and measure injection volume is presented. Our results indicate that OCT-guided microinjection could be a useful tool for mouse embryonic research.
authors.affiliation: Baylor College of Medicine, Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, Texas 77030, United States.
authors.forename: Saba H
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Syed
authors.affiliation: Duke University, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Hudson Hall, Durham, North Carolina 27708, United States.
authors.forename: Andrew J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Coughlin
authors.affiliation: Baylor College of Medicine, Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, Texas 77030, United States.
authors.forename: Monica D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Garcia
authors.affiliation: Baylor College of Medicine, Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, Texas 77030, United States.
authors.forename: Shang
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Duke University, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Hudson Hall, Durham, North Carolina 27708, United States.
authors.forename: Jennifer L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: West
authors.affiliation: Baylor College of Medicine, Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, Texas 77030, United StatescUniversity of Houston, Department of Biomedical Engineering, 4605 Cullen Boulevard, Houston, Texas 77204, United States.
authors.forename: Kirill V
authors.initials: KV
authors.lastname: Larin
authors.affiliation: Baylor College of Medicine, Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, Texas 77030, United States.
authors.forename: Irina V
authors.initials: IV
authors.lastname: Larina
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003911:Dextrans / Q000008:administration & dosage; D004622:Embryo, Mammalian / Q000473:pathology*; D004867:Equipment Design; D006046:Gold / Q000737:chemistry; D006321:Heart / Q000196:embryology; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional; D053768:Metal Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry; D051379:Mice; D008845:Microinjections; D050997:Nanomedicine; D012822:Silicon Dioxide / Q000737:chemistry; D012965:Sodium Chloride / Q000008:administration & dosage; D013997:Time Factors; D041623:Tomography, Optical Coherence / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods*; D015017:Yolk Sac / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D003911:Dextrans; D012965:Sodium Chloride; D006046:Gold; D012822:Silicon Dioxide