Nakamura Ryosuke, Oyagi Seiji, Katsuno Tatsuya, Kishimoto Yo, Omori Koichi
New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, United States.
Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan.
Methods Cell Biol. 2023;175:33-43. doi: 10.1016/bs.mcb.2022.07.019. Epub 2022 Sep 2.
Ciliated cells in the airway epithelium generate mucus streams to remove extraneous particles and microorganisms by beating the motile cilia. This defense mechanism is crucial for maintaining homeostasis and preventing infection in the airway. Conventional methods to assess ciliary beating have revealed that rapid (>10 times per second) and metachronal beating of cilia enables efficient mucus transport. Cilia are oriented to excrete mucus toward the outside of the body. However, conventional methods to directly observe ciliary movements uses transmitted light, which requires translucent samples. Sliced or fragmented tissues are used to observe ciliary movements in thick human airway tissues. Therefore, conventional methods are unsuitable for assessing in situ orientation of ciliary movements. The orientation of ciliary beating can be indirectly analyzed by tracking particles spread onto the epithelium; however, the particles are not efficiently transported by immature cilia. To address this issue, we developed a method for labeling airway motile cilia with fluorescently labeled wheat germ agglutinin (FL-WGA). The new method enables microscopic observation of ciliary movements without slicing or fragmenting the airway tissues. Since the airway epithelium is observed from the apical side, in situ orientation of ciliary beating can be analyzed using this method. Additionally, epithelial damage, and the number and maturity of cilia can be assessed during the observation of ciliary beating. The new method, in combination with other methods, can provide more comprehensive data regarding ciliary movements.
气道上皮中的纤毛细胞通过摆动运动性纤毛产生黏液流,以清除外来颗粒和微生物。这种防御机制对于维持气道内环境稳定和预防感染至关重要。传统的评估纤毛摆动的方法表明,纤毛快速(每秒>10次)且同步摆动能够实现高效的黏液运输。纤毛的定向是将黏液排出体外。然而,传统的直接观察纤毛运动的方法使用透射光,这需要半透明的样本。在厚的人体气道组织中,使用切片或破碎的组织来观察纤毛运动。因此,传统方法不适用于评估纤毛运动的原位方向。纤毛摆动的方向可以通过追踪散布在上皮细胞上的颗粒来间接分析;然而,未成熟的纤毛不能有效地运输颗粒。为了解决这个问题,我们开发了一种用荧光标记的小麦胚芽凝集素(FL-WGA)标记气道运动性纤毛的方法。这种新方法能够在不切片或破碎气道组织的情况下对纤毛运动进行显微镜观察。由于从顶端观察气道上皮,因此可以使用这种方法分析纤毛摆动的原位方向。此外,在观察纤毛摆动的过程中,可以评估上皮损伤以及纤毛的数量和成熟度。这种新方法与其他方法相结合,可以提供关于纤毛运动更全面的数据。