title: Near real-time in vivo confocal imaging of mouse mammary tumors.
abstract: The goal of this study was to evaluate the ability of near real-time reflectance confocal microscopy to image tumor metastasis in vivo in an animal model. We used an epi-illumination confocal microscope to capture images of mouse mammary tumors in nude immunodeficient and Balb/C immunocompetent mice. In vivo confocal images and videos of normal and neoplastic areas were obtained before and after the application of a 6% acetic acid solution, with a lateral resolution of 0.8 microns and an axial resolution of 2-3 microns. Average imaging depths ranged from 150 microns to greater than 300 microns. We were able to differentiate between normal and abnormal tissue areas within the mammary gland, including areas of adipose tissue, fibroblasts and connective tissue, neoplastic tissue, and blood flow within blood vessels. Intravital imaging with reflectance confocal microscopy appears to be a useful tool to study tumor metastasis in vivo.
authors.affiliation: Biomedical Engineering Program, Department of Biomedical Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin Texas 78712, USA. a.lacy@mail.utexas.edu
authors.forename: Alicia A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Lacy
authors.forename: Tom
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Collier
authors.forename: Janet E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Price
authors.forename: Su
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Dharmawardhane
authors.forename: Rebecca
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Richards-Kortum
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000556:secondary; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods*; D015674:Mammary Neoplasms, Animal / Q000473:pathology* / Q000556:secondary; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008819:Mice, Nude; D018613:Microscopy, Confocal / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods*