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At least 109 records · Page 6Linked to original sources

Optical imaging of intracellular chloride in living brain slices.

We developed an optical imaging technique to measure changes in intracellular levels of Cl- in neurons within the living brain slice. After rat brain slices were incubated with the permeant form of the Cl(-)-sensitive dye, 6-methoxy-N-ethylquinolinium chloride (MEQ), neurons could be imaged within the hippocampus, cerebral cortex and cerebellum using fluorescence microscopy. Both soma and dendrites were clearly visible in pyramidal neurons, interneurons, Purkinje cells and cerebellar granule cells. Increased intracellular levels of Cl- were produced by bath application of the inhibitory neurotransmitter, gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA). Within hippocampal pyramidal neurons and interneurons, GABA produced a concentration-dependent decrease in fluorescence (EC50 = 200 microM). The GABA response was mediated via the GABA receptor since it was blocked by picrotoxin and mimicked by the agonist, muscimol. Muscimol, which is not transported by the GABA re-uptake pump, was approximately 20-fold more potent than GABA. The method developed was also used to image intracellular Cl- levels with UV laser scanning confocal microscopy. Even greater resolution was obtained and deeper structures could be imaged in cerebral cortex and hippocampus. This is the first demonstration of optical imaging to measure intracellular Cl- dynamics in living brain slices using fluorescence microscopy and laser scanning confocal microscopy.

Animals↗

Optical recording system based on a fiber optic image conduit: assessment of microscopic activation patterns in cardiac tissue.

Optical recording of transmembrane voltage changes with the use of potentiometric dyes has opened the possibility of determining spatial patterns of electrical activity in excitable tissues. To follow such activation patterns on the cellular/subcellular level in heart cell cultures, a recording system was developed that features both high spatial resolution (4-200 microm) and high temporal resolution (uncertainty in the determination of delays between fast rising signals of +/-1 micros). Central to the system is a fiber optic image conduit consisting of 379 individual optical fibers. At one end the fibers are fused to form an input window that matches the size of the field of view of the microscope. At the other end, the fibers are loose, permitting a selectable subset to be connected to 80 discrete photodetectors. This design allows the sensitive area of the imager to be adapted to regions of interest in a given preparation, thus making optimal use of the limited number of detectors. Furthermore, by using a second fiber optic imager, individual photodetectors can be assigned to different optical ports, thus providing the means for fast and simultaneous dual-emission wavelength measurements. This feature permitted the elimination of motion artifacts arising from the myocytes without the use of contraction-suppressing drugs.

Action Potentials↗

Retinotopy within rat primary visual cortex using optical imaging.

The purpose of this study was to determine the retinotopic organization of rat primary visual cortex (area 17) using optical imaging technology. Stimulating discrete regions of visual space resulted in localised changes in the remitted light during optical imaging of visual cortex in rat. From these localised changes, our results confirm previous electrophysiological studies on the location, size and organization of rat primary visual cortex. Small differences in the cortical magnification factor (CMF) were found between visual field areas with the highest CMF confined to the upper nasal region. No significant CMF differences were found within the horizontal and vertical visual field axes. No secondary visual areas were activated either anterior or medial to area 17 with the pattern stimuli used in the current study. However, there was evidence of activity to upper nasal stimulation on the posterior lateral extrastriate area. The location of area 17 from optical imaging activity was confirmed anatomically using conventional immunohistochemical techniques. This study shows the retinotopic organization of rat primary visual cortex and serves as a precursor before examining animal models of retinal degeneration and the effectiveness of potential therapies to stem retinal disease.

Animals↗

Optical imaging of epileptiform and functional activity in human cerebral cortex.

Optical imaging of animal somatosensory, olfactory and visual cortices has revealed maps of functional activity. In non-human primates, high-resolution maps of the visual cortex have been obtained using only an intrinsic reflection signal. Although the time course of the signal is slower than membrane potential changes, the maximum optical changes correspond to the maximal neuronal activity. The intrinsic optical signal may represent the flow of ionic currents, oxygen delivery, changes in blood volume, potassium accumulation or glial swelling. Here we use similar techniques to obtain maps from human cortex during stimulation-evoked epileptiform afterdischarges and cognitively evoked functional activity. Optical changes increased in magnitude as the intensity and duration of the afterdischarges increased. In areas surrounding the afterdischarge activity, optical changes were in the opposite direction and possibly represent an inhibitory surround. Large optical changes were found in the sensory cortex during tongue movement and in Broca's and Wernicke's language areas during naming exercises. The adaptation of high-resolution optical imaging for use on human cortex provides a new technique for investigation of the organization of the sensory and motor cortices, language, and other cognitive processes.

Brain Mapping↗

Near-infrared optical imaging of integrin alphavbeta3 in human tumor xenografts.

In vivo optical imaging is potentially useful for evaluating the presence of tumor markers that are targets of molecular medicine. Here we report the synthesis and characterization of integrin alphavbeta3-targeted peptide cyclo(Lys-Arg-Gly-Asp-Phe) [c(KRGDf )] labeled with fluorescence dyes with wavelength spanning from the visible/near infrared (Cy5.5) to the true near infrared (IRDye800) for optical imaging. In vitro, the peptide-dye conjugates bound specifically to tumor cells expressing alphavbeta3. When administered intravenously into mice at a dose of 6 nmol /mouse, the conjugates accumulated in tumors expressing alphavbeta3. The tumor-to-background ratios for human KS1767 Kaposi's sarcoma in mice injected with Cy5.5-c(KRGDf ) and Cy5.5 were 5.5 and 1.5, respectively. Preinjection of c(KRGDf ) blocked the uptake of Cy5.5-c(KRGDf ) in tumors by 89%. In alphavbeta3-positive M21 and alphavbeta3-negative M21-L human melanoma, fluorescence intensity in the tumor of mice injected with IRDye800 - c(KRGDf ) was 2.3 and 1.3 times that in normal tissue, respectively. Dynamic imaging revealed that Cy5.5- c(KRGDf ) was rapidly taken up by KS1767 tumor immediately after bolus injection. The rate of its uptake in the tumor was reduced by preinjection of c(KRGDf ) in an interval time-dependent manner. Our data suggest that near-infrared fluorescence imaging may be applied to the detection of tumors expressing integrin alphavbeta3 and to the assessment of the optimal biological dose and schedule of targeted therapies.

Animals↗

Atomic force-multi-optical imaging integrated microscope for monitoring molecular dynamics in live cells.

A novel hybrid imaging system is constructed integrating atomic force microscopy (AFM) with a combination of optical imaging techniques that offer high spatial resolution. The main application of this instrument (the NanoFluor microscope) is the study of mechanotransduction with an emphasis on extracellular matrix-integrin-cytoskeletal interactions and their role in the cellular responses to changes in external chemical and mechanical factors. The AFM allows the quantitative assessment of cytoskeletal changes, binding probability, adhesion forces, and micromechanical properties of the cells, while the optical imaging applications allow thin sectioning of the cell body at the coverslip-cell interface, permitting the study of focal adhesions using total internal reflection fluorescence (TIRF) and internal reflection microscopy (IRM). Combined AFM-optical imaging experiments show that mechanical stimulation at the apical surface of cells induces a force-generating cytoskeletal response, resulting in focal contact reorganization on the basal surface that can be monitored in real time. The NanoFluor system is also equipped with a novel mechanically aligned dual camera acquisition system for synthesized Forster resonance energy transfer (FRET). The integrated NanoFluor microscope system is described, including its characteristics, applications, and limitations.

Animals↗

Optical imaging of functional organization in the monkey inferotemporal cortex.

To investigate the functional organization of object recognition, the technique of optical imaging was applied to the primate inferotemporal cortex, which is thought to be essential for object recognition. The features critical for the activation of single cells were first determined in unit recordings with electrodes. In the subsequent optical imaging, presentation of the critical features activated patchy regions around 0.5 millimeters in diameter, covering the site of the electrode penetration at which the critical feature had been determined. Because signals in optical imaging reflect average neuronal activities in the regions, the result directly indicates the regional clustering of cells responding to similar features.

Animals↗

Real-time optical imaging of primary tumor growth and multiple metastatic events in a pancreatic cancer orthotopic model.

We report here whole-body optical imaging, in real time, of genetically fluorescent pancreatic tumors growing and metastasizing to multiple sites in live mice. The whole-body optical imaging system is external and noninvasive. Human pancreatic tumor cell lines, BxPC-3 and MiaPaCa-2, were engineered to stably express high-levels of the Aequorea victoria green fluorescent protein (GFP). The GFP-expressing pancreatic tumor cell lines were surgically orthotopically implanted as tissue fragments in the body of the pancreas of nude mice. Whole-body optical images visualized real-time primary tumor growth and formation of metastatic lesions that developed in the spleen, bowel, portal lymph nodes, omentum, and liver. Intravital images in the opened animal confirmed the identity of whole-body images. The whole-body images were used for real-time, quantitative measurement of tumor growth in each of these organs. Intravital imaging was used for quantification of growth of micrometastasis on the liver and stomach. Whole-body imaging was carried out with either a trans-illuminated epi-fluorescence microscope or a fluorescence light box, both with a thermoelectrically cooled color CCD camera. The simple, noninvasive, and highly selective imaging made possible by the strong GFP fluorescence allowed detailed simultaneous quantitative imaging of tumor growth and multiple metastasis formation of pancreatic cancer. The GFP imaging affords unprecedented continuous visual monitoring of malignant growth and spread within intact animals without the need for anesthesia, substrate injection, contrast agents, or restraint of animals required by other imaging methods. The GFP imaging technology presented in this report will facilitate studies of modulators of pancreatic cancer growth, including inhibition by potential chemotherapeutic agents.

Animals↗

Theory of near-field magneto-optical imaging.

Scanning near-field optical microscopy has been recently applied to the imaging of magnetic samples. It was shown experimentally that an apertureless microscope suffers a substantial loss of resolution when used for magneto-optical imaging compared with that for conventional imaging. No such change is observed for aperture microscopes. We explain this observation by developing a model for the imaging process that incorporates the response of the probe. We calculate real observable properties such as the rotation of polarization at the detector or the circular dichroism signal and thus simulate magneto-optical images of a domain structure in cobalt for both aperture and apertureless microscopes.

Journal Article↗

Optical imaging of intrinsic signals: recent developments in the methodology and its applications.

Since optical imaging (OI) of intrinsic signals was first developed in the 1980s, significant advances have been made regarding our understanding of the origins of the recorded signals. The technique has been refined and the range of its applications has been broadened considerably. Here we review recent developments in methodology and data analysis as well as the latest findings on how intrinsic signals are related to metabolic cost and electrophysiological activity in the brain. We give an overview of what optical imaging has contributed to our knowledge of the functional architecture of sensory cortices, their development and plasticity. Finally, we discuss the utility of OI for functional studies of the human brain as well as in animal models of neuropathology.

Animals↗

Mapping iso-orientation columns by contrast agent-enhanced functional magnetic resonance imaging: reproducibility, specificity, and evaluation by optical imaging of intrinsic signal.

Activation resembling ocular dominance or orientation columns has been mapped with high-resolution functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). However, the neuronal interpretation of these functional maps is unclear because of the poor sensitivity of fMRI, unknown point spread function (PSF), and lack of comparison with independent techniques. Here we show that cerebral blood volume (CBV)-weighted fMRI with a blood plasma contrast agent (monocrystalline iron oxide nanoparticles), in combination with continuous temporally encoded stimulation, can map columnar neuronal activity in the cat primary visual cortex with high sensitivity, selectivity, and reproducibility. We examined hemodynamic response PSF by comparing these CBV-based signals with oxygen metabolism-based negative blood oxygenation level-dependent signals. A significant positive correlation exists between CBV- and metabolism-based iso-orientation maps, suggesting that the hemodynamic PSF is narrower than intercolumn distances. We also compared CBV-based fMRI with optical intrinsic signal (OIS) imaging, a technique that identifies sites of increased neuronal activity, to investigate neuronal correlation. Iso-orientation maps obtained by fMRI and OIS were well matched, indicating that areas of the highest orientation-selective CBV signals correspond to sites of increased neural activity. Using CBV-based fMRI, we successfully mapped orientation-selective functional architecture in the medial bank of the visual cortex, an area inaccessible to OIS imaging. Thus, we conclude that contrast agent-based fMRI, in combination with continuous temporally encoded stimulation, is a highly sensitive technique capable of mapping neural activity at the resolution of functional columns without depth limitation.

Animals↗

Two-dimensional phased arrays of sources and detectors for depth discrimination in diffuse optical imaging.

We present a multisource, multidetector phased-array approach to diffuse optical imaging that is based on postprocessing continuous-wave data. We previously showed that this approach enhances the spatial resolution of diffuse optical imaging. We now demonstrate the depth discrimination capabilities of this approach and its potential to perform tomographic sectioning of turbid media. The depth discrimination results from the dependence of the sensitivity function on the depth coordinate z. To demonstrate the potential of this approach, we perform an experimental study of a turbid medium containing cylindrical inhomogeneities that are placed 2.0, 3.0, and 4.0 cm from a seven-element, 2-D source array. A single detector element is placed at a distance of 6.0 cm from the source array, and the measurement is repeated after switching the positions of the detector and the source array to simulate the case where both sources and detectors consist of a 2-D array of elements. We find that the proposed phased-array method is able to separate cylinders at different depths, thus showing cross-sectioning capabilities.

Equipment Design↗

Optical imaging of the heart.

Optical techniques have revolutionized the investigation of cardiac cellular physiology and advanced our understanding of basic mechanisms of electrical activity, calcium homeostasis, and metabolism. Although optical methods are widely accepted and have been at the forefront of scientific discoveries, they have been primarily applied at cellular and subcellular levels and considerably less to whole heart organ physiology. Numerous technical difficulties had to be overcome to dynamically map physiological processes in intact hearts by optical methods. Problems of contraction artifacts, cellular heterogeneities, spatial and temporal resolution, limitations of surface images, depth-of-field, and need for large fields of view (ranging from 2x2 mm2 to 3x3 cm2) have all led to the development of new devices and optical probes to monitor physiological parameters in intact hearts. This review aims to provide a critical overview of current approaches, their contributions to the field of cardiac electrophysiology, and future directions of various optical imaging modalities as applied to cardiac physiology at organ and tissue levels.

Action Potentials↗

High-resolution optical imaging of functional brain architecture in the awake monkey.

Optical imaging of the functional architecture of cortex, based on intrinsic signals, is a useful tool for the study of the development, organization, and function of the living mammalian brain. This relatively noninvasive technique is based on small activity-dependent changes of the optical properties of cortex. Thus far, functional imaging has been performed only on anesthetized animals. Here we establish that this technique is also suitable for exploring the brain of awake behaving primates. We designed a chronic sealed chamber and mounted it on the skull of a cynomolgus monkey (Macaca fascicularis) over the primary visual cortex to permit imaging through a transparent glass window. Restriction of head position alone was sufficient to eliminate movement noise in awake monkey imaging experiments. High-resolution imaging of the ocular dominance columns and the cytochrome oxidase blobs was achieved simply by taking pictures of the exposed cortex when the awake monkey was viewing video movies alternatively with each eye. Furthermore, the functional maps could be obtained without synchronization of the data acquisition to the animal's respiration and the electrocardiogram. The wavelength dependency and time course of the intrinsic signal were similar in anesthetized and awake monkeys, indicating that the signal sources were the same. We therefore conclude that optical imaging is well suited for exploring functional organization related to higher cognitive brain functions of the primate as well as providing a diagnostic tool for delineating functional cortical borders and assessing proper functions of human patients during neurosurgery.

Animals↗

Photodeposition of micrometer-scale polymer patterns on optical imaging fibers.

Microstructures were fabricated on optical imaging fibers with a photopolymerization technique. Monodisperse polymeric microarrays were produced containing spots of 2.5 micrometers in diameter spaced 4.5 micrometers apart. Polymer microarrays were also deposited on other substrates by using imaging fibers for light delivery. The technique allows micrometer-scale photopatterning with masks larger than the desired dimensions.

Fiber Optic Technology↗

Whole-body optical imaging of green fluorescent protein-expressing tumors and metastases.

We have imaged, in real time, fluorescent tumors growing and metastasizing in live mice. The whole-body optical imaging system is external and noninvasive. It affords unprecedented continuous visual monitoring of malignant growth and spread within intact animals. We have established new human and rodent tumors that stably express very high levels of the Aequorea victoria green fluorescent protein (GFP) and transplanted these to appropriate animals. B16F0-GFP mouse melanoma cells were injected into the tail vein or portal vein of 6-week-old C57BL/6 and nude mice. Whole-body optical images showed metastatic lesions in the brain, liver, and bone of B16F0-GFP that were used for real time, quantitative measurement of tumor growth in each of these organs. The AC3488-GFP human colon cancer was surgically implanted orthotopically into nude mice. Whole-body optical images showed, in real time, growth of the primary colon tumor and its metastatic lesions in the liver and skeleton. Imaging was with either a trans-illuminated epifluorescence microscope or a fluorescence light box and thermoelectrically cooled color charge-coupled device camera. The depth to which metastasis and micrometastasis could be imaged depended on their size. A 60-microm diameter tumor was detectable at a depth of 0.5 mm whereas a 1, 800-microm tumor could be visualized at 2.2-mm depth. The simple, noninvasive, and highly selective imaging of growing tumors, made possible by strong GFP fluorescence, enables the detailed imaging of tumor growth and metastasis formation. This should facilitate studies of modulators of cancer growth including inhibition by potential chemotherapeutic agents.

Adenocarcinoma↗

Agreement among 3 optical imaging methods for the assessment of optic disc topography.

PURPOSE: To assess the agreement of disc topography measurements between the Heidelberg Retina Tomograph (HRT II), Retinal Thickness Analyzer (RTA), and Optical Coherence Tomograph (StratusOCT). DESIGN: Observational cross-sectional study. PARTICIPANTS: Forty-two randomly chosen eyes of 42 subjects. METHODS: Each subject underwent HRT II, RTA, and StratusOCT examination. Two experienced examiners drew the contour lines for the HRT II and RTA. Bland and Altman plots were used to evaluate agreement for each topographic parameter among the instruments. The Spearman coefficient of rank correlation was evaluated for each topographic parameter. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Agreement in the measurement of optic disc topography among 3 imaging instruments, as evaluated by regression-based 95% limits of agreement. RESULTS: For optic disc area, the agreement between HRT II-RTA and StratusOCT-RTA revealed the existence of proportional bias, indicated by significant slopes of the regression lines (P = 0.01 and P = 0.02, respectively). The 95% limits of agreement between instruments varied with the actual optic disc size measurement. Heidelberg Retina Tomograph disc area measurements tended to be consistently lower than StratusOCT disc area measurements (fixed bias). The Spearman correlation coefficient between the instruments ranged from r = 0.35 (rim area, HRT II-StratusOCT) to r = 0.91 (cup area, HRT II-RTA). CONCLUSIONS: Moderate to high correlation was found in measurements of optic disc topography among different instruments. However, the analysis of agreement indicated important discrepancies among instruments. Therefore, these instruments should not be used interchangeably to obtain measurements of the optic disc for glaucoma diagnosis.

Aged↗

Epileptiform activity can be initiated in various neocortical layers: an optical imaging study.

The initiation site for triggering epileptiform activity was investigated via optical imaging using voltage-sensitive dyes in the neocortical slice perfused with artificial cerebral spinal fluid containing nominally zero magnesium. The neocortical slices (400-microm thick) were harvested from Sprague-Dawley rats (P21-28). Optical imaging was made by using a high speed photodiode array. Spontaneous epileptiform activity emerged 20-40 min after the preparation was perfused with zero-magnesium solution. There was a good correspondence between electrical and optical signals (n = 46), although the details of the two recordings were somewhat different. The initiation sites were measured optically in 11 preparations. Among them, four were found to be located in superficial layers, two were found in middle layers, and five were found in deep layers. Repeated recordings revealed that these initiation sites were relatively stable; shifting of the initiation site was not observed. Therefore spontaneous epileptiform activity could be initiated in various cortical layers, from layer I to layer VI. The activation started from a small area <0.04 mm(3) and spread smoothly from the initiation site to adjacent cortical areas, suggesting that the initiation site is very confined to one of the cortical layers. The initiation sites were distributed randomly in various cortical areas, and no higher probability was found in a special cortical region. Electrical stimulation delivered via a glass microelectrode filled with 2 M NaCl (2-5 MOhms) could reliably trigger epileptiform activity that had the same characteristics as the spontaneous activity. The cortical neurons activated directly by the stimulation were around the electrode's tip and estimated to be within a 50-microm area, suggesting that only a few neurons were needed to form an initiation site. Because the timing for stimulation was arbitrary and the evoked events were initiated independent of discharges of neurons in any other layers, it is likely that the initiation site for epileptiform activity in various cortical layers is independent of the control of layer V pyramidal neurons. Together these finding suggest that the epileptiform focus is confined and can be formed in several (probably all) neocortical layers and in many cortical areas. The initiating neurons may be of different types because neuronal types in various cortical layers are different.

Animals↗