Quail Chorioallantoic Membrane - A Tool for Photodynamic Diagnosis and Therapy

Summary

The chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) of the avian embryo is a very useful and applicable tool for various areas of research. A special ex ovo model of Japanese quail CAM is suitable for photodynamic treatment investigation.

Abstract

The chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) of an avian embryo is a thin, extraembryonic membrane that functions as a primary respiratory organ. Its properties make it an excellent in vivo experimental model to study angiogenesis, tumor growth, drug delivery systems, or photodynamic diagnosis (PDD) and photodynamic therapy (PDT). At the same time, this model addresses the requirement for the replacement of experimental animals with a suitable alternative. Ex ovo cultivated embryo allows easy substance application, access, monitoring, and documentation. The most frequently used is chick CAM; however, this article describes the advantages of the Japanese quail CAM as a low-cost and high-throughput model. Another advantage is the shorter embryonic development, which allows higher experimental turnover. The suitability of quail CAM for PDD and PDT of cancer and microbial infections is explored here. As an example, the use of the photosensitizer hypericin in combination with lipoproteins or nanoparticles as a delivery system is described. The damage score from images in white light and changes in fluorescence intensity of the CAM tissue under violet light (405 nm) was determined, together with analysis of histological sections. The quail CAM clearly showed the effect of PDT on the vasculature and tissue. Moreover, changes like capillary hemorrhage, thrombosis, lysis of small vessels, and bleeding of larger vessels could be observed. Japanese quail CAM is a promising in vivo model for photodynamic diagnosis and therapy research, with applications in studies of tumor angiogenesis, as well as antivascular and antimicrobial therapy.

Introduction

The chicken chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) model is well known and widely used in various areas of research. It is a richly vascularized extraembryonic organ that provides gas exchange and mineral transport¹. Due to the transparency and accessibility of this membrane, individual blood vessels and their structural changes can be observed in real time². Despite the advantages, chick CAM also has some limitations (e.g., larger breeding facilities, egg production, and feed consumption) that could be avoided by using other avian species. In this protocol, an alternative ex ovo CAM model using Japanese quail (Coturnix japonica) embryo is described. Due to its small size, it allows the use of a much larger number of experimental individuals than chicken CAM. Moreover, the shorter 16-day embryonic development of quail embryos is another advantage. The first larger vessels on quail CAM appear on embryonic day (ED) 7. This can be directly compared with chick embryo development (stages 4-35); however, the later stages of development are no longer comparable and require less time for the quail embryo³. Of interest is the regular occurrence of microvascular branching similar to that of chicken CAMs^4,5,6. Rapid sexual maturation, high egg production, and low-cost breeding are other examples that favor the use of this experimental model⁷.

An avian CAM model is often used in photodynamic therapy (PDT) studies⁸. PDT is used to treat several forms of cancer (small localized tumors) and other non-oncological diseases. Its principle is in the delivery of a fluorescent drug, a photosensitizer (PS), to the damaged tissue and its activation with light of the appropriate wavelength. One prospective PS used in research is hypericin, originally isolated from the medicinal plant St. John's wort (Hypericum perforatum)⁹. The strong photosensitizing effects of this compound are based on its photochemical and photophysical properties. These are characterized by multiple fluorescence excitation peaks in the 400-600 nm range, which induce the emission of fluorescence at about 600 nm. The absorption maxima of hypericin within the spectral band are in the 540-590 nm range, and the fluorescence maxima are in the 590-640 nm range⁹. To achieve these photosensitizing effects, hypericin is excited by laser light at a wavelength of 405 nm after local administration¹⁰. In the presence of light, hypericin can exhibit virucidal, antiproliferative, and cytotoxic effects¹¹, while there is no systemic toxicity, and it is rapidly released from the organism. Hypericin is a lipophilic substance that forms water-insoluble, non-fluorescent aggregates, which is why several types of nanocarriers, such as polymeric nanoparticles^12,13 or high- and low-density lipoproteins (HDL, LDL)^14,15, are used to help its delivery and penetration into the cells. Since CAM is a naturally immunodeficient system, tumor cells can be implanted directly on the membrane surface. The model is also well suited for recording the extent of PDT-induced vascular damage according to a defined score^16,17. Light of lower intensity compared to PDT can be used for photodynamic diagnosis (PDD). Monitoring the tissue under violet excitation LED light also leads to photoactivation of photosensitizers^18,19,20 that results in an emission of fluorescent light, yet it does not provide enough energy to start a PDT reaction and damage the cells. It makes it a good tool for tumor visualization and diagnosis or monitoring the pharmacokinetics of used PSs^14,15.

This article describes the preparation of the quail ex ovo CAM assay with survival rates over 80%. This ex ovo culture was successfully applied in a large number of experiments.

Protocol

The research was performed in compliance with institutional guidelines. All equipment and reagents must be autoclaved or sterilized with 70% ethanol or UV light. 1. Egg incubation Store fertilized quail eggs at 10-15 °C for a maximum of 4-5 days before starting incubation. Use only clean and undamaged eggs. Incubate the eggs in a forced draught incubator for ~ 53-54 h. Lay the eggs horizontally with the egg rotation switched off, at 50%-60% humidity …

Representative Results

The localization of the tumor on the CAM surface is difficult in white light. Photosensitizer (here, hypericin) used in PDD is expected to be taken up selectively by the tumor and helps visualize the tumor. The addition of hypericin and the use of fluorescent light (e.g., 405 nm) showed the tumor (squamous cell carcinoma TE1) position very well (Figure 6A). Histological analysis showed vital tumor cells invading healthy tissues. Concentric structures of abnormal squamous cells, often de…

Discussion

For successful ex ovo cultivation, it is important to follow the protocol above. Moreover, if the eggs are not opened carefully enough or there is insufficient humidity during the cultivation, the yolk sack sticks to the shell and often ruptures. The start of an ex ovo cultivation at the time of about 60 h of egg incubation ensures the high survival rate of the embryos, as they are already large enough to survive the handling. At the later developmental stages, the CAM becomes thinner and adheres to the…

Materials

6-Well Cell Culture Plate	Sarstedt	83.392	Transparent polystyrene, sterile
CO2 Incubator ESCO CCL-0508	ESCO, Singapore	CCL-050B-8	CO2 cell culture incubator
cryocut Leica CM 1800	Reichert-Jung, USA
digital camera Canon EOS 6D II	Canon, Japan
diode laser 405 nm	Ocean Optics, USA
DMSO	Sigma-Aldrich	67-68-5	dimethyl sulfoxid
eosin	Sigma-Aldrich	15086-94-9
ethanol	Sigma-Aldrich	64-17-5
fine brush size 2	Faber-Castell	281802	brush for CAM separation and manipulation
glutaraldehyde	Sigma-Aldrich	111-30-8
hematoxylin	Sigma-Aldrich	517-28-2
hypericin	Sigma-Aldrich	84082-80-4
incubator Bios Midi	Bios Sedlany, Czech Republic		Forced draught incubator for initial incubation
incubator Memmert IF160	Memmert, Germany		Forced air circulation incubator for CAM incubation
Kaiser slimlite plano, LED light box	Kaiser, Germany	2453	Transilluminator
LED light 405 nm			custom made circular LED light
macro lens Canon MP- E 65 mm f/2.8	Canon, Japan
microscope Kapa 2000	Kvant, Slovakia		optical microscope
microtome Auxilab 508	Auxilab, Spain		manual rotary microtome
paraformaldehyde	Sigma-Aldrich	30525-89-4
Paraplast Plus	Sigma-Aldrich	P3683	parafin medium for tissue embedding
PBS	Sigma-Aldrich	P4417	Phosphate saline buffer
scissors Castroviejo	Orimed	OR66-108	micro scissors for CAM separation
software ImageJ 1.53	public domain		image processing and analysis program
stock solution HDL	Sigma-Aldrich	437641-10MG	high density lipoproteins
stock solution LDL	Sigma-Aldrich	437644-10MG	low density lipoproteins
Tissue-Tek O.C.T. Compound	Sakura Finetek	4583	Optimal Cutting Temperature Compound 118 mL squeeze bottles