Optical coherence tomography for assessment of microbicide safety in a small animal model

Brent A. Bell; Kathleen L. Vincent; Nigel Bourne; Gracie Vargas; Massoud Motamedi

doi:10.1117/1.JBO.18.4.046010

15 April 2013 Optical coherence tomography for assessment of microbicide safety in a small animal model

Brent A. Bell, Kathleen L. Vincent, Nigel Bourne, Gracie Vargas, Massoud Motamedi

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Journal of Biomedical Optics, Vol. 18, Issue 4, 046010 (April 2013). https://doi.org/10.1117/1.JBO.18.4.046010

Abstract

Sensitive imaging techniques for small animals are needed to assess drug toxicity in preclinical studies. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) provides a noninvasive tool for high-resolution, depth-resolved visualization of drug-induced changes in tissue morphology. In a mouse model, we utilize OCT to assess vaginal tissue integrity following the application of topical microbicides (drugs used to prevent infection). Mice are challenged with herpes simplex virus-2 (HSV-2) to determine the correlation of tissue damage as quantified by OCT to increased susceptibility. The microbicide benzalkonium chloride (BZK) (0.02, 0.2, or 2%) or phosphate buffered saline control is administered intravaginally. In vivo OCT imaging and collection of tissue samples are performed after treatment. A quantitative OCT scoring system is applied to assess epithelial damage, and the results are compared with those of histology. A separate group of mice are treated similarly then challenged with HSV-2. Epithelial morphology quantified noninvasively by OCT and histology are dose-dependent (p<0.0001 ). The OCT scoring system detected a significant increase in epithelial damage with increasing BZK concentration (p<0.0001 ). These results paralleled an increase in HSV-2 susceptibility (p<0.005 ). OCT can be used as a noninvasive tool to assess topical drug toxicity in a small animal model with potential to predict increased susceptibility to vaginal infection.

CC BY: © The Authors. Published by SPIE under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 Unported License. Distribution or reproduction of this work in whole or in part requires full attribution of the original publication, including its DOI.

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Brent A. Bell, Kathleen L. Vincent, Nigel Bourne, Gracie Vargas, and Massoud Motamedi "Optical coherence tomography for assessment of microbicide safety in a small animal model," Journal of Biomedical Optics 18(4), 046010 (15 April 2013). https://doi.org/10.1117/1.JBO.18.4.046010

Published: 15 April 2013

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