In vivo bioluminescence imaging of bone marrow-derived cells in brain inflammation

Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 2009 Mar 20;380(4):844-9. doi: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2009.01.181. Epub 2009 Feb 5.

Abstract

It has been accepted that bone marrow cells infiltrate the brain and play important roles in neuroinflammation. However, there is no good tool for the visualization of these cells in living animals. In this study, we generated mice that were transplanted with GFP- or luciferase-expressing bone marrow cells, and performed in vivo fluorescence imaging (FLI) and in vivo bioluminescence imaging (BLI) to visualize the infiltrated cells. Brain inflammation was induced by intrahippocampal injection of lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Immunohistochemical investigation demonstrated an increase in the infiltration of bone marrow cells into the hippocampus because of the LPS injection and differentiation of the infiltrated cells into microglia, but not into neurons or astrocytes. BLI, but not FLI, successfully detected an increase in signal intensity with the LPS injection, and the increase of BLI coincided with that of luciferase activity in hippocampus. BLI could quantitatively and continuously monitor bone marrow-derived cells in vivo.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Bone Marrow Cells / metabolism
  • Bone Marrow Cells / pathology*
  • Bone Marrow Cells / physiology*
  • Cell Movement
  • Encephalitis / pathology*
  • Green Fluorescent Proteins / analysis
  • Green Fluorescent Proteins / genetics
  • Hippocampus / pathology
  • Immunohistochemistry
  • Lipopolysaccharides / immunology
  • Luciferases / analysis
  • Luciferases / genetics
  • Luminescence
  • Male
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • Mice, Transgenic

Substances

  • Lipopolysaccharides
  • Green Fluorescent Proteins
  • Luciferases