Intravital Microscopy
A sophisticated research tool to visualize and directly observe the microcirculation of organs in anesthetized or conscious animals in vivo, and to analyze complex biological interactions and the potential mechanisms of disease.
Intravital microscopy does not require, like most ex vivo microscopy, the use of anticoagulants or fication of tissue samples when used to observe somatic tissues. The most crucial piece of specialized equipment for intravital microscopy is the camera; it needs to be extremely fast shutter speeds are necessary to allow one to see all the events that occur in real-time with good resolution.
Since many immunological disease mechanisms are reflected by primary interactions at the microcirculatory level, intravital microscopy visualization of leukocyte trafficking and adherence can be used to study the underlying trigger and effector mechanisms, their contributions to tissue damage and implications to the immune response. The processes of leukocyte rolling, tethering, activation, adhesion, and migration through the endothelium involve several molecular signals that aid leukocyte-endothelial cell interactions. This cell adhesion molecule-regulated process of leukocyte recruitment often results in endothelial cell dysfunction, and enhanced expression of these molecules has been implicated in vascular disorders such as atherosclerosis, and has been associated with risk factors for cardiovascular disease such as hypertension.
References:
1. Kubes, P. et al. 2001. Leukocyte recruitment in the microcirculation: the rolling paradigm revisited. News Physiol. Sci. 16: 76-80.
2. Menger, M.D. et al. 1993. Scope and perspectives of intravital microscopyt - bridge over from in vitro and in vivo. Immunology Today. 11: 519-522.