title: Live imaging of neural structure and function by fibred fluorescence microscopy.
abstract: Only a few methods permit researchers to study selected regions of the central and peripheral nervous systems with a spatial and time resolution sufficient to image the function of neural structures. Usually, these methods cannot analyse deep-brain regions and a high-resolution method, which could repeatedly probe dynamic processes in any region of the central and peripheral nervous systems, is much needed. Here, we show that fibred fluorescence microscopy-which uses a small-diameter fibre-optic probe to provide real-time images-has the spatial resolution to image various neural structures in the living animal, the consistency needed for a sequential, quantitative evaluation of axonal degeneration/regeneration of a peripheral nerve, and the sensitivity to detect calcium transients on a sub-second timescale. These unique features should prove useful in many physiological studies requiring the in situ functional imaging of tissues in a living animal.
authors.affiliation: Université Pierre et Marie Curie-Paris, ERT 1059, Boîte Courrier number 16, 9 Quai St Bernard, 75005 Paris, France. pierre.vincent@snv.jussieu.fr
authors.forename: Pierre
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Vincent
authors.forename: Uwe
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Maskos
authors.forename: Igor
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Charvet
authors.forename: Laurence
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bourgeais
authors.forename: Luc
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Stoppini
authors.forename: Nathalie
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Leresche
authors.forename: Jean-Pierre
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Changeux
authors.forename: Régis
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Lambert
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Meda
authors.forename: Danièle
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Paupardin-Tritsch
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000378:metabolism*; D004558:Electric Stimulation; D004848:Epithelium / Q000502:physiology; D005336:Fiber Optic Technology / Q000379:methods*; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D051379:Mice; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence / Q000379:methods*; D009417:Nerve Tissue / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D012038:Regeneration