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Clinical assessment of flap perfusion by fiberoptic fluorometry.

Perfusion fluorometry, a method which quantifies tissue fluorescence after intravenous fluorescein injection, has been highly predictive of skin flap survival in animals. It is advantageous because it is objective, simple, noninvasive, repeatable, and can be used to monitor flap perfusion constantly by following both uptake and elimination of dye. We applied this method clinically to a variety of flaps used in head and neck surgery. All flaps with good fluorometric values survived totally. Based on experience with 37 flaps, fluorometric indices have been established that accurately predict necrosis. Serial dye injections have been used to document transient flap ischemia in the early postoperative period. Representative cases illustrating the advantages of fluorometry in flap assessment are presented.

Aged↗

Ocular fluorometry methodological improvements and clinical studies--with special reference to the blood-retina barrier permeability to fluorescein and fluorescein glucuronide.

The measurement of fluorescence in the human eye can be made using relatively simple instruments. Fluorescence is evoked when illumination is absorbed by intrinsic fluorophores in the eye or by artificially introduced extrinsic fluorophores. Intrinsic fluorescence is evidence of important molecular characteristics of the ocular tissues, whereas the extrinsic fluorophores are used primarily in the study of the barriers between the anatomical and physiological compartments of the eye. Blood-retina barrier leakage of fluorescein can be examined after the intravenous injection of fluorescein by quantitative determination of fluorescence in plasma and in the vitreous. From these measurements of the distribution of fluorescein, the permeability of a hypothetical spherical interface between the blood and the retina can be estimated using a mathematical model of the barrier. The use of fluorescein as a tracer is problematic because of its rapid metabolic conversion to fluorescein glucuronide. This metabolite disturbs ocular fluorescence measurements because it fluoresces over the same part of the spectrum as the parent compound. Additionally, the glucuronide occurs in markedly different concentrations depending upon the patient's renal function. With the previously used fluorometry techniques it has been impossible to determine the contribution of fluorescein glucuronide to the vitreous fluorescence. The primary objective of the studies described in this thesis was to develop a method for the determination of fluorescein and fluorescein glucuronide in the human eye and in plasma, and to calculate the blood-retina barrier permeabilities of the two substances. The necessary methodological improvements included a detailed description of the geometrical optics of the eye and the optical filter properties of the lens. A new method was developed for the determination of the spatial locations of ocular fluorescence measurements and the intrinsic lens fluorescence was used to estimate lens transmittance. The new techniques were applied to clinical studies in patients with diabetic retinopathy. It was shown that in insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus, the apparent rate whereby fluorophores are accumulated in the lens is increased in inverse proportion to the quality of metabolic control, i.e. patients who have had consistently poor control have higher fluorescence than patients who have been in good control. An increase in lens fluorescence was also found in the presence of diabetic nephropathy. The results support the assumption that lens fluorometry can provide a rough estimate of cumulative glycaemia and that glucose is involved in certain age-related changes in the lens.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Adult↗

Kinetics of adhesion molecule expression and spatial organization using targeted sampling fluorometry.

Cellular interactions with the vascular wall under flow conditions are controlled, in part, by the density of adhesion molecules on endothelial cells. The spatial arrangement and absolute levels of these molecules over the endothelium are therefore important determinants of cellular localization. Many biochemical and functional studies have characterized the interactions between leukocytes and endothelial monolayers, but no reliable method has been reported for quantifying the spatial expression of adhesion molecules on intact endothelial cell monolayers. We report the development of targeted sampling fluorometry (TSF), which uses standard immunostaining, fluorescence microscopy and digital image analysis techniques to analyze cell surface molecule expression on a cell-by-cell basis. This technique is performed on an intact monolayer and results in cellular intensity distributions that reflect spatial heterogeneity in adhesion molecule expression. We demonstrate the use of targeted sampling fluorometry in a study of the kinetics of tumor necrosis factor alpha-induced activation of human umbilical vein endothelial cell monolayers and show that the spatial patterns of adhesion molecule expression correlate with the locations of bound lymphocytes.

Cell Adhesion Molecules↗

Fluorometry of the crystalline lens for correcting blue-on-yellow perimetry results.

PURPOSE: Optical and neural sources of short wavelength sensitivity should be separated in the assessment of the results of blue-on-yellow (B/Y) perimetry. It has been shown previously that lens autofluorescence is related directly to lens yellowing and age. The aim of this study was to find out if B/Y perimetry results can be better corrected by using lens fluorometry than by age. METHODS: The authors evaluated one randomly chosen eye of 40 normal subjects and 39 age-matched patients with ocular hypertension and different stages of glaucoma. The authors obtained the mean sensitivity (MS) of the 24-2 B/Y visual fields with a Humphrey perimeter and determined the lens transmission index (LTI) from the ratio between posterior and anterior autofluorescence peaks measured with their fluorometer. A multiple regression analysis was used to evaluate the variability of the B/Y MS by age and LTI in normal subjects. RESULTS: The authors found a statistically highly significant linear correlation of B/Y MS to LTI in healthy subjects (R = 0.83; P < 0.0001). The 95% prediction interval of the normal subjects was determined. The majority of the MS values of the ocular hypertensives were inside the prediction limits, whereas approximately half of the patients (4 of 9) with early glaucoma and the majority of patients (14 of 15) with moderate and advanced glaucoma were below the prediction interval. The residual standard deviation of the B/Y MS with age alone was larger than that with LTI alone in the model (3.66 dB and 3.22 dB, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: The interindividual variation of the lens transmission properties increases with age. The reference level for correcting B/Y perimetry results can be determined more precisely using fluorometry of the lens than with age alone.

Adult↗

Preliminary examination of time-resolved fluorometry for protein array applications.

The advantages of time-resolved fluorometry over conventional fluorometric analysis are well known. However, time-resolved fluorescence has not as yet found wide applications in protein microarray or other multiparametric methods of analysis. Here we describe a general method which is suitable for multiparametric and microarray analysis, based on time-resolved fluorometry. A polystyrene surface is coated with different monoclonal antibodies, specific for certain analytes. The analyte mixtures are then universally biotinylated, using an active biotin ester. After removing excess biotin, the biotinylated samples are applied on the polystyrene surface, incubated and the excess is washed away. The bound moieties are then quantified by adding a universal detection reagent containing streptavidin, labelled with a fluorescent europium chelate. After washing and drying of the solid surface, the immobilized moieties are detected by using solid-phase, laser-excited time-resolved fluorometric analysis. In a preliminary examination of this principle, we have demonstrated that we can correctly identify upregulation of three secreted proteins, following stimulation of a breast carcinoma cell line with various steroids. Our method should be suitable for high-density microarray analysis of proteins, captured by specific monoclonal antibodies or other binding reagents.

Animals↗

Assessment of sperm quality through fluorometry and sperm chromatin structure assay in relation to field fertility of frozen-thawed semen from Swedish AI bulls.

We investigated fluorometry to study sperm viability and flow cytometry to study sperm chromatin structure. We also assessed sperm quality after thawing relative to field fertility after AI as shown by 56-day non-return rates (56-d NRR) Frozen-thawed semen samples were obtained from 20 Swedish Red and White bulls (1 to 3 semen batches/bull) and the fertility data were based on 6,369 AIs. Fluorometry enabled simultaneous detection of sperm viability and concentration in Hoechst 33258-stained semen samples. Sperm chromatin structure assay (SCSA) evaluated denaturability of sperm nuclear DNA in situ after acid treatment. The intensity of fluorescence in non-permeabilized samples was negatively (r = -0.60, P < 0.001) correlated with microscopically-assessed sperm viability, and the fluorescence of permeabilized semen samples significantly (r = 0.67, P < 0.001) correlated with sperm concentration as assessed by hemocytometry. From the fluorescence output, the calculated percentage of damaged cells was negatively (r = -0.71, P < 0.001) correlated with the number of live cells derived from the microscopic assessment of sperm viability and concentration. This variable was significantly correlated with fertility results both at batch (r = -0.39, P < 0.05), and bull (r = -0.57, P < 0.01) levels. The SCSA variables SDalphat and COMPalphat were significantly (r = -0.59-0.64, P < 0.001) correlated with sperm viability variables after thawing but only the COMPalphat correlated significantly (r = -0.53, P < 0.05) with fertility results and solely at the bull level. The results indicate that fluorometric assessment is in good agreement with other practiced procedures and can be performed with sufficient accuracy. The SCSA may be a valuable complement for routinely practiced microscopic evaluation of sperm morphology of AI bull semen

Animals↗

Pyridine nucleotide fluorometry in preserved porcine liver with fluorocarbon emulsion.

Oxidation-reduction changes in pyridine nucleotide fluorescence were investigated in perfused and preserved porcine liver. A fluorocarbon emulsion (FC-43) was administered to the perfusate as an oxygen carrier to obtain full oxidation level by portal perfusion at a physiological low flow rate. A satisfactory reading was obtained by portal perfusion with EuroCollins' solution containing 10% v/v FC-43 at a rate of 0.5 ml/min/g liver. The amplitude (R x A) and the changing velocity (R x V) from full oxidation to full reduction were determined in the resultant trace curve. Both R x A and R x V decreased in inverse proportion to the duration of preservation period (3, 6, 12 hr). Adenine nucleotide content, hepatic energy charge level, and ketone body ratio in the tissue were simultaneously measured, and they also decreased proportionally to the duration of preservation. There were close positive correlations between R x A and total adenine nucleotide concentration (r = 0.841, P less than 0.01), between R x V and energy charge (r = 0.787, P less than 0.01), and between R x V and tissue ketone body ratio (r = 0.881, P less than 0.01). These results suggest that pyridine nucleotide fluorometry can accurately follow the cellular function of isolated porcine liver by administration of FC-43 in perfusate. This fluorometry may also have potential application in evaluating viability of a large organ like the human liver graft.

Adenine Nucleotides↗

Diabetic macular oedema: a comparison of vitreous fluorometry, angiography, and retinopathy.

AIM: To evaluate the relation between the quantitative measurement of vitreous fluorescein with fluorescein angiography and retinopathy in diabetic patients with and without clinically significant macular oedema (CSMO). METHODS: In a prospective cross sectional study, passive permeability and active, outward transport of fluorescein across the blood-retinal barrier were quantitated with vitreous fluorometry in 61 eyes from 48 patients with CSMO and 22 fellow eyes without CSMO, after exclusion of eyes with previous macular laser treatment and vitreous liquification. All patients were recruited from the university hospital's outpatient clinic. Retinopathy and fluorescein angiograms were evaluated on 60 degree photographs. RESULTS: The passive permeability in CSMO was significantly correlated with the severity of leakage on fluorescein angiograms (r=0.73), the level of retinopathy (r=0.61), and visual acuity (r=0.45). Significant differences between eyes with CSMO and eyes without CSMO were found for passive permeability (p<0.001), fluorescein leakage (p<0.001), visual acuity (p=0.02), and retinopathy (p=0.002). CONCLUSION: Passive permeability of fluorescein quantitated with vitreous fluorometry was correlated both with semiquantitative fluorescein angiography and retinopathy, and a significant increase in passive permeability was found when comparing eyes with CSMO to eyes without CSMO. No such pattern was found for the active transport indicating that passive and not the outward, active transport is the factor of most importance in the development of CSMO.

Adult↗

Quantifying DNA concentrations using fluorometry: a comparison of fluorophores.

Detection of low concentrations of DNA is important in vision research because many animal models only provide scant samples of ocular tissue. Quantitative analysis of low concentrations of double stranded DNA is now feasible using fluorometry with newer fluorophores. This technique offers a rapid way to evaluate the DNA content of samples based on the measurement of fluorescence enhancement emitted by fluorophore-bound DNA and is more sensitive than absorption spectrometry. The purpose of this study was to compare the sensitivity of several different fluorophores for measuring DNA concentrations by fluorometry. Based on our studies, we conclude that SYBR Green I and PicoGreen are substantially more sensitive for quantifying DNA concentrations than ethidium bromide and Hoechst 33258.

Animals↗

Dipolar relaxation in proteins on the nanosecond timescale observed by wavelength-resolved phase fluorometry of tryptophan fluorescence.

We used phase fluorometry to investigate the wavelength dependence of the fluorescence lifetimes of N-acetyl-L-tryptophanamide (NATA) in solvents of varying viscosity and the lifetimes of tryptophan in human serum albumin, melittin, and liver alcohol dehydrogenase. In highly fluid solvents, and in completely vitrified solvents, the lifetime of NATA was constant across its emission spectrum. In viscous solvents, such as propylene glycol at -9 degrees C, the lifetimes of NATA increased across its emission spectrum, with the values being 3.3, 5.5, and 8.1 ns at 317, 344, and 400 nm, respectively. These wavelength-dependent lifetimes appear to be a result of reorientations of solvent dipoles around the excited state dipole moment of the indole moiety. For the three proteins investigated, the fluorescence lifetimes of tryptophan increased with increasing wavelength in a manner comparable to that observed for NATA in propylene glycol. These observations indicate that these protein matrices can reorientation around their tryptophan residues on the nanosecond timescale, and illustrate the potential of phase fluorometry for quantifying the details of these dipolar relaxation processes.

Alcohol Oxidoreductases↗

Two-dimensional fluorometry coupled with artificial neural networks: a novel method for on-line monitoring of complex biological processes.

The use of two-dimensional scanning fluorometry as an on-line, noninvasive, in situ bioreactor monitoring technique is extended to complex bioprocesses using mixed cultures, with particular attention to biofilm systems. Using the example of spectra subtraction, it is demonstrated that established methods for fluorescence data analysis have a limited capability of utilizing overall fluorometric information. Artificial neural networks (ANNs) are introduced as a novel nonlinear and nonmechanistic technique for interpreting the highly complex fluorescence maps. It is shown that ANNs are able to infer process performance parameters in a pattern recognition approach, based on the entire fluorescence "fingerprint" of the biological system. The studies were carried out using an extractive membrane bioreactor (EMB) for the degradation of chlorinated organic compounds, operating with mixed cultures. Model pollutants em- ployed were 1,2-dichloroethane, 3-chloro-4-methylaniline, and p-toluidine.

Biodegradation, Environmental↗

DNA torsional dynamics by multifrequency phase fluorometry.

The time decay of the fluorescence polarization anisotropy of calf thymus DNA-ethidium complexes is obtained from measurements with sine-modulated excitation employing the so-called multifrequency phase fluorometry. A torsional dynamics model developed by J. M. Schurr [(1984) Chemical Physics, Vol. 84, pp. 71-96] and translated into the frequency domain is found here to describe accurately DNA-ethidium fluorescence data collected under modulated excitation. At a low dye/DNA ratio (1:400) the value of the DNA torsional constant (alpha = 4.63 +/- 0.2 10(-12) dyne cm) fitting the data agrees very well with the known values of alpha. When the measurements are extended to a higher ethidium/DNA ratio, energy transfer effects between intercalated dyes are observed. A theoretical prediction of the donor and acceptor dye contributions to the fluorescence polarization anisotropy is made here, taking into account also dye-dye distance distributions.

Animals↗

Time-resolved fluorometry in the diagnosis of Leber hereditary optic neuroretinopathy.

We have applied time-resolved fluorometry (TRF) to construct a DNA hybridization assay for the diagnosis of Leber hereditary optic neuroretinopathy (LHON). A rapid and reliable detection of the most prevalent mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) point mutation associated with LHON is demonstrated. In addition, the TRF-method can be used in the quantification of heteroplasmy, a phenomenon commonly present in mtDNA mutations. The assay includes PCR amplification of a fragment encompassing the mutation site followed by hybridization reactions with allele-specific europium (Eu)-labelled oligonucleotide probes. A time-resolved fluorometer is used to measure the bound label. The TRF assay was successfully used to demonstrate the ND4/11778 mutation in patient samples. For quantification of heteroplasmy, synthetic target oligonucleotide mixtures with known ratios of wild-type and mutated sequences were used as standards to control the hybridization step. The assay allowed the detection of heteroplasmy ranging from 5 to 95%. This was also shown in a family with several heteroplasmic members.

Base Sequence↗

Monitoring myocardial reperfusion injury with NADH fluorometry.

Using NADH fluorometry to monitor myocardial metabolism, the mechanism of reperfusion injury was investigated after the delivery of an experimental reperfusate. Using an isolated working heart preparation, rat hearts underwent 15 min of global ischemia at 37 degrees C. Following the ischemic insult, an oxygenated enriched reperfusion solution was given for 5 min. The hearts were then returned to a working state and aortic flow recorded to evaluate recovery. NADH levels were monitored throughout the experiment with a fluorometer and glycogen, AMP, ADP, and ATP were measured biochemically pre- and postischemia, after reperfusion and after recovery. In this study, reperfusion injury was best abated by an enriched reperfusate. Our results indicate the mechanism for this amelioration is not high-energy phosphate replenishment. Rather, as indicated by NADH fluorescence, the hearts attain an intermediate level of metabolism that permits glycogen to be restored and functional recovery to be improved.

Animals↗

Determination and bioimaging method for nitric oxide in biological specimens by diaminofluorescein fluorometry.

A simple and sensitive assay and a cellular bioimaging method for nitric oxide (NO) were developed using a novel diaminofluorescein DAF-FM and its diacetate. DAF-FM is converted via an NO-specific mechanism to an intensely fluorescent triazole derivative. For the measurement of NO, the triazole derivative of DAF-FM was determined by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection. In the presence of 1 microM DAF-FM, the concentrations of NOR-1, an NO donor, in the range of 2-200 nM were linearly related to the fluorescence intensity. This sensitive NO assay enabled us to detect the spontaneous and substance P-induced NO release from isolated porcine coronary arteries, both of which were dependent entirely on the NO synthase activity in vascular endothelial cells. We also obtained fluorescence images of cultured smooth muscle cells of the rat urinary bladder after loading with DAF-FM diacetate. In the cells pretreated with cytokines, the fluorescence intensity increased with time after DAF-FM loading. This increase in the fluorescence intensity was blocked by prior treatment of the muscle cells with an NO synthase inhibitor, N(G)-nitro-l-arginine methyl ester. Therefore, the present novel diaminofluorescein fluorometry should be useful not only for sensitive NO assay, but also for NO imaging in a variety of biological specimens.

Animals↗

Time-resolved sperm responses to an egg peptide measured by stopped-flow fluorometry.

Speract, a decapeptide from sea urchin egg jelly, induces various sperm responses. Stopped-flow fluorometry was used to examine the binding of labeled speract and the intracellular changes in pH (pH(i)) and Ca2+ ([Ca2+]i) it induces in sperm. We observed significant time delays for the increase in pH(i) and [Ca2+]i induced by 200 nM speract (69 and 190 ms, respectively). Also, we found that the receptor undergoes a pH(i)-dependent affinity change at around 129 ms. These time delays probably reflect biochemical processes underlying each sperm response to speract that circumscribe the time sequence of the signaling events.

Animals↗

A comparison of biodistribution of liposomal and soluble IL-2 by a new method based on time-resolved fluorometry of europium.

A novel method was developed to determine the pharmacokinetics and biodistribution of cytokines and lymphokines based on time-resolved fluorometry (TRF) of europium (Eu). The comparison of two formulations of IL-2 was used to illustrate the sensitivity and applicability of this method as well as to extend the information on the pharmacokinetics of liposomal IL-2 and soluble IL-2. The blood kinetics and biodistribution of liposomal and soluble IL-2 in lymphoid organs and kidneys as measured by TRF were similar to those determined by the radioisotopic method. In both instances, the formulation of IL-2 into liposomes increased its serum half-life and accumulation in reticuloendothelial and lymphoid organs. The increased sensitivity of the Eu/TRF method permitted the extension of observational time points and the analysis of biodistribution in organs such as lymph nodes and bone marrow. These results suggest that Eu-labelled proteins in conjunction with TRF offer a suitable alternative to radiolabelled proteins for pharmacokinetics and tissue distribution studies in animals. This method offers distinct advantages over traditional techniques employing radioistopes since it has greater sensitivity, no half-life limitations and no radioactive or hazardous waste disposal.

Animals↗

Unfolding pathway of apomyoglobin. Simultaneous characterization of acidic conformational states by frequency domain fluorometry.

The dynamic properties of the conformational states co-existing during the acid-induced unfolding of tuna apomyoglobin, a single tryptophan-containing protein, have been investigated simultaneously by frequency domain fluorometry. In the transition region, in the absence of salt, the tryptophanyl fluorescence emission arises from a bimodal lifetime distribution. The pH decrease causes a marked broadening of the short-lived distribution component whereas the other component, i.e. the long-lived one, remains unchanged and represented by a very narrow lifetime distribution whose width is similar to that of the native protein. The broadening of the short-lived distribution component observed on lowering the pH indicated that this component arises from fully unfolded molecules. This was further corroborated by acrylamide quenching studies at acidic pH. The collisional quenching rate constant of the short-lived distribution component, i.e. 8.9 x 10(9) M-1s-1, was found to be similar to that observed for a fully exposed residue. The long-lived distribution component was characterized by a lower collisional quenching rate constant, i.e. 2.3 x 10(9) M-1s-1. This value if compared to that determined for the native apoprotein at neutral pH, i.e. 4.0 x 10(8) M-1s-1, indicates that the native-like structure surviving the acid-induced transition possesses a large molecular flexibility.

Animals↗