Cardiac Failure in the Chick Embryo Resembles Heart Failure in Humans

Construction and Establishment of a New Environmental Chamber to Study Real-Time Cardiac Development

“…This is in contrast to all previous imaging techniques~i.e., video light microscopy, ultrasound, confocal and scanning electron microscopy, high resolution MRI, and optical coherence tomography! that we and others have used for imaging of the developing embryonic heart before~Kolker et al, 2000; Yelbuz et al, 2002aYelbuz et al, , 2002bYelbuz et al, , 2002cYelbuz et al, , 2003bYelbuz et al, , 2004Soufan et al, 2003;Efimov et al, 2004;Borg et al, 2005;Tutarel et al, 2005!. As cardiovascular physiology changes during embryonic development in a highly complex and carefully orchestrated manner, even minor negative factors or triggers could disrupt critical processes of heart development~De la Cruz & Markwald, 1998;Keller, 1998;Harvey & Rosenthal, 1999;Phoon, 2001;Tomanek & Runyan, 2001;Burggren & Warburton, 2005!. The major limitation in previous attempts to visualize the beating developing heart over short and long periods was that the embryos had to be moved repetitively from an conventional incubator to a special stage and reincubated~Leatherbury et al, 1990;Tomita et al, 1991;Conway et al, 1997;Yelbuz et al, 2002aYelbuz et al, , 2002bLi et al, 2003;Tutarel et al, 2005!.…”

“…This is true in studies of both chick and zebrafish embryos. Hereby measures such as a warm water bath, heat pellets, or lamps were used to maintain temperature stability~Leatherbury et al, 1990;Tomita et al, 1991;Conway et al, 1997;Yelbuz et al, 2002aYelbuz et al, , 2002bLi et al, 2003;Tutarel et al, 2005!. In our new environmental chamber the embryos could be kept in the same position in the chamber~Fig.…”

“…In the past, various imaging techniques have been employed to visualize the intricate processes of cardiovascular development in two or three dimensions to achieve a better understanding of the underlying mechanisms for the genesis of congenital heart defects during embryonic development~Kolker et al, 2000;Yelbuz et al, 2002aYelbuz et al, , 2002bYelbuz et al, , 2002cYelbuz et al, , 2003bYelbuz et al, , 2004Soufan et al, 2003;Efimov et al, 2004;Borg et al, 2005;Tutarel et al, 2005!. However, in most of these studies cardiac development could not be continuously documented over long time periods because nonbeating embryonic hearts were used or in vivo studies were conducted with long time gaps between periods of image collection.…”

“…However, in most of these studies cardiac development could not be continuously documented over long time periods because nonbeating embryonic hearts were used or in vivo studies were conducted with long time gaps between periods of image collection. In our previous attempts at in vivo visualization of cardiovascular development, frequent time intervals between images did not allow an accurate assessment of the developmental process because of methodological deficiencies resulting from unstable environmental conditions~Yel-buz et al, 2002aconditions~Yel-buz et al, , 2002bTutarel et al, 2005!. The goal of this study was to overcome these limitations by constructing and establishing a new environmental chamber that would guarantee both stable environmental conditions for the developing embryo and "live visualization" and recording of heart development over long periods of time by means of an integrated video microscope system. We present the first real-time images of heart development in chick embryos in shell-less culture~SC!…”

In ovo non‐invasive quantification of the myocardial function and mass of chick embryos using magnetic resonance imaging

“…The chick embryo is an attractive model because the developing chicks' requirements, with the exception of oxygen and heat, are provided by the egg contents and the surrounding eggshell. In addition, the basic mechanisms of foetal cardiovascular control have been found to be comparable between the chicken and mammals (7), with studies carried out either in ovo or ex ovo in shell-less culture (8). In chick embryos, the heart begins to develop and beat at about Hamburger-Hamilton (9) stage 9-10 (29-38 h) and by stage 16 (51-56 h) the circulation becomes well established.…”