Methods for dynamic and whole volume imaging of the zebrafish heart.

Tissue development and regeneration are dynamic processes involving complex cell migration and cell-cell interactions. We have developed a protocol for complementary time-lapse and three-dimensional (3D) imaging of tissue for developmental and regeneration studies which we apply here to the zebrafish cardiac vasculature. 3D imaging of fixed specimens is used to first define the subject at high resolution then live imaging captures how it changes dynamically. Hearts from adult and juvenile zebrafish are extracted and cleaned in preparation for the different imaging modalities. For whole-mount 3D confocal imaging, single or multiple hearts with native fluorescence or immuno-labeling are prepared for stabilization or clearing, and then imaged. For live imaging, hearts are placed in a prefabricated fluidic device and set on a temperature-controlled microscope for culture and imaging over several days. This protocol allows complete visualization of morphogenic processes in a 3D context and provides the ability to follow cell behaviors to complement in vivo and fixed tissue studies. This culture and imaging protocol can be applied to different cell and tissue types. Here, we have used it to observe zebrafish coronary vasculature and the migration of coronary endothelial cells during heart regeneration.

Intramyocardial Injection for the Study of Cardiac Lymphatic Function in Zebrafish.

Zebrafish have proved to be an important model for studying cardiovascular formation and function during postembryonic development and regeneration. The present protocol describes a method for injecting fluorescent tracers into the zebrafish myocardium to study interstitial fluid and debris uptake into cardiac lymphatic vessels. To do so, microspheres (200 nm diameter) and quantum dots (<10 nm diameter) are introduced into the myocardium of live zebrafish, which can be tracked using ex vivo confocal microscopy. These tracers are then tracked intermittently over several hours to follow clearance from the myocardium into cardiac lymphatic vessels. Quantum dots are transported through cardiac lymphatic vessels away from the heart, while larger microspheres remain at the injection site for over three weeks. This method of intramyocardial injection can be extended to other uses, including the injection of encapsulated MS or hydrogels to locally release cells, proteins, or compounds of interest to a targeted region of the heart.