Photoacoustic imaging for in vivo quantification of placental oxygenation in mice [Research]

Accurate analysis of placental and fetal oxygenation is critical during pregnancy. Photoacoustic imaging (PAI) combines laser technology with ultrasound in real time. We tested the sensitivity and accuracy of PAI for analysis of placental and fetal O₂ saturation (sO₂) in mice. The placental labyrinth (L) had a higher sO₂ than the junctional zone plus decidua region (JZ+D) in C57Bl/6 mice. Changing maternal O₂ from 100 to 20% in C57Bl/6 mice lowered sO₂ in these regions. C57Bl/6 mice were treated with the NO synthase inhibitor L-N^G-nitroarginine methyl ester (L-NAME) from gestational day (GD) 11 to GD18 to induce hypertension. L-NAME decreased sO₂ in L and JZ+D at GD14 and GD18 in association with fetal growth restriction and higher blood pressure. Hypoxia-inducible factor 1α immunostaining was higher in L-NAME vs. control mice at GD14. Fetal sO₂ levels were similar between l-NAME and control mice at GD14 and GD18. In contrast to untreated C57Bl/6, L-NAME decreased placental sO₂ at GD14 and GD18 vs. GD10 or GD12. Placental sO₂ was lower in fetal growth restriction in an angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 knockout mouse model characterized by placental hypoxia. On phantom studies, patterns of sO₂ measured directly correlated with those measured by PAI. In summary, PAI enables the detection of placental and fetal oxygenation during normal and pathologic pregnancies in mice.—Yamaleyeva, L. M., Sun, Y., Bledsoe, T., Hoke, A., Gurley, S. B., Brosnihan, K. B. Photoacoustic imaging for in vivo quantification of placental oxygenation in mice.

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