Imaging inflammation in mouse colon using a rapid stage-scanning confocal fluorescence microscope

• Published in: Journal of Biomedical Optics Vol. 17; no. 1; pp. 016006 - 016008
• Main Authors: Saldua, Meagan A, Olsovsky, Cory A, Callaway, Evelyn S, Chapkin, Robert S, Maitland, Kristen C
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers 01-01-2012
• Subjects: Animals; Beams (radiation); chronic inflammation; Colitis - pathology; Colon; Colon - pathology; Confocal; Confocal microscopy; Disease Models, Animal; Equipment Design; Fluorescence; Histocytochemistry; Image contrast; Imaging; Inflammation - pathology; inflammatory bowel disease; Inflammatory Bowel Diseases - pathology; large area microscopy; Mice; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Microscopes; Microscopy, Confocal - instrumentation; Microscopy, Confocal - methods; Microscopy, Fluorescence - instrumentation; Microscopy, Fluorescence - methods; Research Papers: Imaging; stage scanning
• ISSN: 1083-3668; 1560-2281
• DOI: 10.1117/1.JBO.17.1.016006

Large area confocal microscopy may provide fast, high-resolution image acquisition for evaluation of tissue in pre-clinical studies with reduced tissue processing in comparison to histology. We present a rapid beam and stage-scanning confocal fluorescence microscope to image cellular and tissue features along the length of the entire excised mouse colon. The beam is scanned at
by a polygon scanning mirror while the specimen is scanned in the orthogonal axis by a motorized translation stage with a maximum speed of
. A single
field of view image spanning the length of the mouse colon is acquired in 10 s. Z-projection images generated from axial image stacks allow high resolution imaging of the surface of non-flat specimens. In contrast to the uniform size, shape, and distribution of colon crypts in confocal images of normal colon, confocal images of chronic bowel inflammation exhibit heterogeneous tissue structure with localized severe crypt distortion.