Fiber-coupled confocal microscope for intravital imaging of cell signals

Abstract

To study cellular morphology and functions in vivo in realtime, we developed a fiber-coupled confocal microscope (FCM), and observed fluorescently-labeled cells inside the body of anesthetized animal. We developed an imaging fiber bundle (IFB), which consisted of an objective lens and a flexible multi-fiber assembly (unit fiber: NA=0.4, 3.75 micron in diameter). By combining the IFB with Nipkow disk confocal scanner, we detected fluorescent signals of an intracellular molecular messenger in real time (30 frames/sec), and the death processes in the form of fluorescence changes even from cells located deep (2 mm) inside the solid organs. The FCM we developed is very promising for detailed studies in both the cell-based researches and clinical researches. [J Physiol Sci. 2007;57 Suppl:S245]