Comparison of the new OPS imaging technique with intravital microscopy: analysis of the colon microcirculation.
BACKGROUND
The OPS imaging technique has been introduced for in vivo assessment of microcirculation in humans. The aim of this study was to validate the new technique against intravital fluorescence microscopy (IFM) for the visualization of colon microcirculation in a murine model of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).


METHODS
IBD was induced in Balb/c mice by dextran sulfate sodium, controls received normal water. In each animal, both the CYTOSCAN A/R and IFM were used to image the microcirculation (n = 7 in each group). The postcapillary venular diameter was analyzed on the colon muscularis and mucosa.


RESULTS
The venular diameter correlated significantly between both methods representing the good correspondence between both methods.


CONCLUSIONS
Our study demonstrates that the new technique for visualization of microcirculation without use of fluorescent dyes, the OPS imaging, allows for quantitative measurement of a key microcirculatory parameters of the mouse colon.
Biberthaler
P
P
Department of Surgery, Klinikum der Ludwig Maximilians Universität München-Innenstadt, Munich, Germany. Peter.Biberthaler@ch.i.med.uni-muenchen.de
Langer
S
S
D000818:Animals; D003092:Colitis / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000503:physiopathology; D003106:Colon / Q000098:blood supply*; D016264:Dextran Sulfate; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005260:Female; D015212:Inflammatory Bowel Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000503:physiopathology*; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008833:Microcirculation / Q000502:physiology; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence / Q000379:methods*; D010952:Plasma Substitutes
D010952:Plasma Substitutes; D016264:Dextran Sulfate