Quantitative live imaging of mouse embryo heart development

During morphogenesis, visceral organs fold into complex shapes that are critical for their proper function. Genetic signals are known to govern shape, but the influence of mechanical signals used to regulate those genetic signals remains elusive. Here, we utilize the mouse embryo as a model system to determine the role of hemodynamics in heart development. Utilizing ultra-fast optical coherence tomography, we image mouse embryo cardiodynamics at a 19 Hz volume rate. At this temporal resolution, real time cardiac contraction and blood cell flow are visualized without the need for post-processing synchronization. Using this approach, we can visualize how hemodynamics differentiates as blood cells travel through the heart. With this information, we aim to develop an anatomical speed map of blood cell velocities. The impact of this work is to provide a direct measurement of shear stress in the developing heart and determine whether high shear stress coincides with areas of heart that fold as it proceeds through cardiac looping.