title: Fibre optic confocal imaging (FOCI) of keratinocytes, blood vessels and nerves in hairless mouse skin in vivo.
abstract: Fibre optic confocal imaging (FOCI) enabled subsurface fluorescence microscopy of the skin of hairless mice in vivo. Application of acridine orange enabled imaging of the layers of the epidermis. The corneocytes of the stratum corneum, the keratinocytes in the basal layers and redundant hair follicles were visualised at depths greater than 100 microm. Cellular and nuclear membranes of keratinocytes of the skin were visualised by the use of acridine orange and DIOC5(3). Imaging of the skin after injection of FITC-dextran revealed an extensive network of blood vessels with a size range up to 20 microm. Blood cells could be seen moving through dermal vessels and the blood circulation through the dermal vascular bed was video-taped. The fluorescent dye 4-di-2-ASP showed the presence of nerves fibres around the hair follicles and subsurface blood vessels. Comparison was made between images obtained in vivo using FOCI and in vitro scanning electron microscopy and conventional histology. FOCI offers the potential to study dynamic events in vivo, such as blood flow, skin growth, nerve regeneration and many pathological processes, in ways which have not previously been possible.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: L J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Bussau
authors.forename: L T
authors.initials: LT
authors.lastname: Vo
authors.forename: P M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Delaney
authors.forename: G D
authors.initials: GD
authors.lastname: Papworth
authors.forename: D H
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Barkla
authors.forename: R G
authors.initials: RG
authors.lastname: King
mesh_terms: D000287:Administration, Topical; D000818:Animals; D001775:Blood Circulation; D001808:Blood Vessels / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D004396:Coloring Agents; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D005260:Female; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes / Q000008:administration & dosage; D018859:Hair Follicle / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D007275:Injections, Intravenous; D015603:Keratinocytes / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008812:Mice, Hairless / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D018613:Microscopy, Confocal; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence; D018715:Microscopy, Video; D009412:Nerve Fibers / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D012867:Skin / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000098:blood supply / Q000166:cytology / Q000294:innervation
chemical_list: D004396:Coloring Agents; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes