Monitoring blood-flow in the mouse cochlea using an endoscopic laser speckle contrast imaging system

PLoS One. 2018 Feb 28;13(2):e0191978. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0191978. eCollection 2018.

Abstract

Laser speckle contrast imaging (LSCI) enables continuous high-resolution assessment of microcirculation in real-time. We applied an endoscope to LSCI to measure cochlear blood-flow in an ischemia-reperfusion mouse model. We also explored whether using xenon light in combination with LSCI facilitates visualization of anatomical position. Based on a previous preliminary study, the appropriate wavelength for penetrating the thin bony cochlea was 830 nm. A 2.7-mm-diameter endoscope was used, as appropriate for the size of the mouse cochlea. Our endoscopic LSCI system was used to illuminate the right cochlea after dissection of the mouse. We observed changes in the speckle signals when we applied the endoscopic LSCI system to the ischemia-reperfusion mouse model. The anatomical structure of the mouse cochlea and surrounding structures were clearly visible using the xenon light. The speckle signal of the cochlea was scattered, with an intensity that varied between that of the stapes (with the lowest signal), the negative control, and the stapedial artery (with the highest signal), the positive control. In the cochlear ischemia-reperfusion mouse model, the speckle signal of the cochlea decreased during the ischemic phase, and increased during the reperfusion phase, clearly reflecting cochlear blood-flow. The endoscopic LSCI system generates high-resolution images in real-time, allowing visualization of blood-flow and its changes in the mouse cochlea. Anatomical structures were clearly matched using LSCI along with visible light.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Cochlea / blood supply*
  • Endoscopy / instrumentation*
  • Lasers
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred BALB C

Grants and funding

This work was supported by the Gangwon Institute for Regional Program Evaluation grant funded by the Korea government (Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy) (No. R0005797) and by the Technology Innovation Program (or Industrial Strategic Technology Development Program (10070232) funded By the Ministry of Trade, Industry & Energy (MOTIE, Korea). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.