We describe a method to target drugs to the central nervous system by either implanting a catheter or performing a bolus injection into the right lateral ventricle in mice. We focus specifically on the delivery of antisense oligonucleotides. This technique is readily adaptable to other drugs and to rats.
Due to an inability to cross the blood brain barrier, certain drugs need to be directly delivered into the central nervous system (CNS). Our lab focuses specifically on antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs), though the techniques shown in the video here can also be used to deliver a plethora of other drugs to the CNS. Antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs) have the capability to knockdown sequence-specific targets 1 as well as shift isoform ratios of specific genes 2. To achieve widespread gene knockdown or splicing in the CNS of mice, the ASOs can be delivered into the brain using two separate routes of administration, both of which we demonstrate in the video.
The first uses Alzet osmotic pumps, connected to a catheter that is surgically implanted into the lateral ventricle. This allows the ASOs to be continuously infused into the CNS for a designated period of time. The second involves a single bolus injection of a high concentration of ASO into the right lateral ventricle. Both methods use the mouse cerebral ventricular system to deliver the ASO to the entire brain and spinal cord, though depending on the needs of the study, one method may be preferred over the other.
Some drugs are unable to cross the blood brain barrier (BBB), requiring direct Central Nervous System (CNS) delivery. To circumvent the BBB, drugs can be delivered directly into the brain using the described methods. While our lab and the paper detailed herein focus on Antisense Oligonucleotides (ASOs), other drugs, such as small molecules, antibodies, gene therapy vectors, etc., can also be delivered through the exact same approach.
Certain proteins play an instrumental role in the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases. Such proteins often form toxic species and accumulate into aggregates, leading to eventual neuronal death and subsequent neurological disease 3-4. In an effort to slow or even halt the progression of these diseases, one therapeutic option may be to directly target and decrease the causative protein. However, these proteins are often found ubiquitously through the CNS, making it difficult to effectively target them on a global scale.
In order to target genes throughout the entire CNS, we administer ASOs into mouse cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) via the lateral ventricle to bypass the BBB. This specific method takes advantage of the mouse ventricular system that bathes the entire brain and spinal cord, allowing widespread distribution of the ASOs. We use ASOs that are 18-20 mer RNA-like molecules that directly bind the target mRNA sequence and, depending on the ASO chemical modifications, either A) recruit RNase-H to degrade the mRNA leading to knockdown or B) shift alternative splicing 1,2,16,17. It should be noted that multiple molecules exist for knocking down a specific protein in vivo, including shRNA. Since these molecules are not the focus of this article, we direct the reader to review articles that better detail knockdown mechanisms of action and the advantages/disadvantages of each 5-6.
In prior work, we have used ASOs to target the protein superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1) in a transgenic rat model of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) 7 (Figure 4). Mutations in SOD1 occur in approximately 2% of all ALS cases 8, though it has been recently hypothesized that SOD1 may play an important role in sporadic ALS as well 9-10. By decreasing total SOD1 levels in the ALS transgenic rat, survival after onset was significantly increased 7. These important data were the first to show that an ASO treatment in the CNS could have a profound positive impact on a neurological disease model. Since then, ASOs targeted to human SOD1 have entered and successfully completed a Phase I human clinical trial with minimal side effects (Clnicaltrails.gov NCT01041222), as presented at the 2012 64th Annual American Academy of Neurology. Plans to move the ASOs forward to Phase II trials are currently underway.
While targeting SOD1 was the first demonstration of using ASOs to treat a neurological disease, several other studies have since been performed looking at different diseases and their respective protein targets. In 2010 and 2011, ASOs that shift splicing of the protein survival of motor neuron 2 (SMN2)were used in transgenic mouse models of spinal muscle atrophy (SMA) and resulted in a significant improvement in the disease phenotypes 11,12. These splicing ASOs are now in Phase I clinical trials in children with SMA (Clinicaltrails.gov NCT01494701). Additionally, it was recently shown that transient administration of ASOs targeted against the huntingtin gene were able to dramatically rescue the Huntington’s mouse model, even after the huntingtin protein levels returned to baseline 13.
In all of these studies, ASOs were delivered to the lateral ventricle to decrease total gene levels or alter gene splicing through the entire CNS. Both osmotic pumps and a single bolus injection can be used to deliver ASOs to the CSF. Pumps allow for a slow, continuous delivery, whereas the intracerebroventricular (ICV) bolus is a fast, one-time injection. We have used both of these methods with success, though we have not reported the direct comparison between pump and bolus in a single transgenic line.
Using ASOs in the CNS is a powerful way to decrease total protein levels and/or change splicing of several proteins. While we use ASOs exclusively as a treatment for neurological disorders, we recognize that other fields may also benefit from this technique. As long as the protein of interest is expressed in the CNS and the ultimate goal is to achieve CNS-wide changes in gene expression, using ASOs in the demonstrated techniques may be very useful.
The protocol below has been approved by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committees at Washington University in St Louis and is in compliance with the National Institutes of Health guidelines for the use of experimental animals. If this is your first time performing surgeries, we recommend looking at the JoVE article on rodent surgeries as an introduction before beginning 14.
ASOs can be delivered to the mouse CNS through both osmotic pump infusion and a single ICV bolus injection. Because of this, the procedure detailed below is broken up into two segments. Pros and cons for each method will be touched on in the Discussion section. The coordinates used in the protocols are for adult C57BL6 and B6C3 mice. Corresponding rat coordinates can be found in Table 1.
ALZET OSMOTIC PUMP
1. Preparation of Alzet Osmotic Pumps
2. Pre-surgical Procedure
3. Implantation of Alzet Osmotic Pump
4. Post-operative Care
5. Changing or Removing Alzet Osmotic Pump
After the pump is done actively infusing ASO, it can be either changed or completely removed.
ICV BOLUS
6. Pre-surgical Procedure
7. Bolus Injection of ASO
After pump infusion or a designated time after the ICV bolus injection (we routinely use four weeks), it is important to test the efficacy of the ASOs. We recommend taking various regions of brain and spinal cord to measure levels/isoforms of the target gene, both at the mRNA level using quantitative real-time PCR as well as the protein level using either Western Blot or ELISA (Figure 4 for a published example). This will help determine ASO efficacy throughout the different CNS regions. If the half-life of the targeted protein is long, we advise waiting longer after ASO infusion in order to assess maximum protein knockdown or splicing.
It is also important to test oligo distribution. Pump infusions result in distribution through both ipsilateral and contralateral hemispheres, though a higher ASO concentration is often seen in areas closer to the ventricular system 16. ICV bolus injections yield a more uniform distribution of oligo through the CNS 16, though the effects may not last as long. We direct the reader to Southwell et al. to see a direct comparison of pump versus bolus oligo distribution 16.
We also recommend testing multiple doses as well as the duration of action of the ASOs since each ASO will behave slightly differently in vivo. ASOs typically have a relatively long duration of action, with target knockdown or splicing lasting several months post ASO delivery. In addition, some ASOs will work better than others and some gene targets will be easier to knockdown than others. Because of this, when screening ASOs to determine the lead candidate, we recommend testing at least 3-5 ASOs in vivo with an n = 4-6 adult mice per ASO as a first pass.
If using a drug other than ASOs, it will also be important to pilot the ideal drug concentration, drug duration of action, and CNS drug distribution for that specific compound.
Table 1. Surgery Coordinates. The coordinates used to hit the right lateral ventricle in both mice and rats when implanting osmotic pumps as well as performing an intracerebroventricular (ICV) bolus. Both coordinates, for pumps and ICV bolus, target the right lateral ventricle. We use two different sets because these are what we have the most experience with and know provide excellent distribution of ASO.
Figure 1. Stereotaxic Setup. (A) The necessary stereotaxic equipment for Alzet pump and Bolus injection surgeries. i) Glass Bead Sterilizer. ii) Digital Readout. iii) Stereotaxic base with moving arms. iv)Temperature Controlled Heating Pad. v)Isoflurane/Oxygen System. vi)Isoflurane Chamber. (B) Close up of the nose cone and ear bars. (C) Two attachments required. Left: Syringe/needle holder for ICV bolus injections. Right: Cannula Driver for Osmotic pump implantation.
Figure 2. Alzet Osmotic Pump Implantation. (A) Alzet osmotic pump options for mice. 14 day pumps (0.25 μl/hr), 28 day pumps (0.25 μl/hr), 42 day pumps (0.15 μl/hr). (B) Coordinates for pump implantation from bregma: -0.5 mm Posterior, -1.1 mm Lateral (Right), and -2.5 mm Ventral (length of catheter). (C) After driving the catheter through the skull and gluing the cannula, dye is flushed through the catheter to assess proper placement of the catheter in the lateral ventricle. (D) Perfused brain immediately after dye administered as in (C). If catheter is successfully placed in ventricle, the dye will be distributed throughout the mouse ventricular system.
Figure 3. Intracerebroventricular Bolus Injection. (A) Coordinates for bolus injection from bregma: +0.3 mm Anterior, -1.0 mm Lateral (Right), and -3.0 mm Ventral. (B) After driving the needle through the skull -3.0 mm ventral, dye is pushed through the syringe to assess proper placement of the needle in the later ventricle. (C) Perfused brain shortly after dye administered as in (B). If needle is successfully placed in ventricle, the dye will be distributed throughout the mouse ventricular system.
Figure 4. Antisense Oligonucleotides reduce rat SOD1 in vivo (figure taken directly from Smith et al. 7). (A-D) Antisense SOD1 oligonucleotides SODr146192 or SODscrambled were infused for 28 days into the right lateral ventricle of normal rats at 100 μg/day. (A) Endogenous SOD1 mRNA levels from brain and spinal cord as measured by qRT-PCR. (B) SOD1 and a-tubulin protein levels following ASO infusion. (C and D) Protein levels for tubulin and SOD1 quantified for different regions of the brain following infusion. (E) ASOs against presenilin 1 or GSK-3β were infused for 2 weeks into the right lateral ventricle of nontransgenic mice and mRNA levels assessed in the right frontal/temporal cortex. Reproduced with permission from the American Society for Clinical Investigation. Click here to view larger figure.
Figure 5. Running Horizontal Mattress Suture. 5-0 nylon suture thread is weaved in and out of the skin, starting anterior and working posterior, concentrating more over the cannula. Once having reached the most posterior point, the suture thread is then brought back up and threaded over the cannula once more. This ensures proper wound closure and prevents the cannula/tubing from working through the skin.
The ability to deliver drugs globally in the CNS as shown in the video is an extremely powerful technique that is easy to both learn and use. With practice, a single pump implantation or an ICV bolus can be completed in 10 min, allowing for large cohorts of mice to be treated at the same time. This is especially useful for studies with a behavioral readout, as larger numbers for mouse behavior are critical to help see significant differences.
Based on our experiences delivering ASOs via pumps and bolus injections, we have observed some pros and cons to each method. It should be noted that these are the opinions in our lab and may not be true for all mouse and rat models.
We find an advantage of using the pumps is their ability to deliver a high amount of ASO since the ASO is distributed over a much longer period of time. This usually equates to longer sustained knockdown or splicing after active ASO infusion, though this may not always be the case. The pumps also allow for a precise time frame of ASO delivery (14 days, 28 days, or 42 days) and the pumps can be changed once to allow for even longer active ASO infusion. However, we have noticed that changing pumps more than once increases the variability due to the formation of fibrous pockets around the pump that prevent the pump from properly absorbing fluid. A disadvantage of the pumps is that some mice do not tolerate the pump as well as others. If the transgenic line you are working with is more fragile, a pump may be too cumbersome. The pumps also need to be removed after the final infusion, subjecting the mice to another surgery and added anesthesia. If doing behavior work, it is especially important to remove the pump and allow for at least 1-2 weeks of recovery since the presence of the pump will affect some behaviors in the mice.
With ICV bolus injections, one advantage is cost. There is an upfront investment to purchase the syringes and needles, but over time, bolus injections are more cost-effective since there are no pumps/tubing/catheters to purchase. Overall, there is less up-keep with the ICV bolus injections due to the lack of cannulas and pumps. We also find that ICV bolus can be used to deliver ASOs to younger and/or more fragile mice. A disadvantage of the ICV bolus is that it is a single injection. Not as much overall ASO can be delivered through this route, and if the duration of action of the ASO being used is short, the knockdown/splicing effects will also be short-lived.
Both the osmotic pumps as well as the ICV bolus have the capability to deliver ASOs that can knockdown proteins or alter splicing of genes in the entire rodent CNS, a technique that has wide applications in multiple neuroscience-related fields. We suggest piloting both methods of delivery if you are unsure which route of administration is best suited for your specific study.
The authors have nothing to disclose.
We would like to thank Curt Mazer from Isis Pharmaceuticals for providing advice pertaining to the ICV bolus surgery, as well as Isis Pharmaceuticals as a whole for supplying our lab with ASOs. Further, we would like to thank Carey Shaner for reviewing this article. TMM and SLD are supported by NIH Grants P50AG005681, K08NS074194, and R01NS078398.
Name of Reagent/Material | Company | Catalog Number | コメント |
PREPARING ALZET OSMOTIC PUMPS | |||
Alzet Osmotic Pump 14 days | DURECT | Model 1002 | |
Alzet Osmotic Pump 28 days | DURECT | Model 2004 | |
Alzet Osmotic Pump 42 days | DURECT | Model 2006 | |
2.5 mm Catheters | PlasticsOne | 3280PM/SPC | Custom ordered to 2.5 mm Catheter Length |
Vinyl Catheter Tubing | DURECT | 7760 | ID: 0.027″, OD: 0.045″ |
0.9% Sodium Chloride, Irrigation, USP | Baxter | 2F7124 | NOT to be used in pumps or tubing |
0.9% Sodium Chloride, Injection, USP | Hospira | NDC 0409-4888-10 | |
p60 Petri Dish (Sterilized) | TRP | 93060 | |
Surgical Blades (Sterile) | Butler Schein | #007319 | |
Latex Surgical Gloves (Sterile) | Micro-Touch | CatNo will depend on size of the gloves needed | |
Sterile Towel Drape | Dynarex | 4410 | |
.2um Syringe Filters | PALL | 4192 | |
1 ml Syringe (Sterile) | BD | 309625 | |
50 ml Conical Tubes | |||
100% Ethanol | |||
PUMP & BOLUS SURGERY PROTOCOLS | |||
Curved Forceps | Fine Science Tools | 11001-12 | |
Curved Hemostat | Fine Science Tools | 13009-12 | |
Fine Sharp Scissors | Fine Science Tools | 14060-09 | |
Curved Blunt Scissors | Fine Science Tools | 14029-10 | |
Bone Cutter | Fine Science Tools | 16104-14 | |
Straight Hemostat | Fine Science Tools | 12002-12 | |
Syringe | Hamilton | 7653-01 | 10 μl gas-tight with removable needles |
Needles | Hamilton | 7758-04 | 26 gauge, Point Style: 2 |
5-0 Nylon Suture Thread | Covidient | SN-871 | |
Alcohol Pads | Select | #521 | |
Cotton Swabs (sterile) | Puritan | REF 806-WC | |
Super Glue | Loctite | Longneck Bottles | |
CAUTION: FastGreen Dye | Sigma | F7252-5G | Wear Eyeshields and Gloves when handling this product |
Antibiotic Cream | |||
Eye Ointment | |||
Electric Shaver | |||
70% Ethanol | |||
10% Provadone Iodine | |||
3% Hydogen Peroxide | |||
Warming Pad | |||
Bead Sterilizer | SouthPointe Surgical | GRM5-1450 | |
Small Animal Stereotaxic | Kopf | Model 940 | |
Nose Cone | Kopf | Model 923-B | |
Ear Bars | Kopf | Model 921 | This model is optional |
Cannula Driver | Kopf | Model 1966 | |
Syringe Holder | Kopf | Model 1972 | |
Temperature Control System | Kopf | Model TCAT-2LV | Optional |
Oxygen/Isoflurane System |