Optical visualization of Alzheimer's pathology via multiphoton-excited intrinsic fluorescence and second harmonic generation.
Intrinsic optical emissions, such as autofluorescence and second harmonic generation (SHG), are potentially useful for functional fluorescence imaging and biomedical disease diagnosis for neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease (AD). Here, using multiphoton and SHG microscopy, we identified sources of intrinsic emissions in ex vivo, acute brain slices from AD transgenic mouse models. We observed autofluorescence and SHG at senile plaques as well as characterized their emission spectra. The utility of intrinsic emissions was demonstrated by imaging senile plaque autofluorescence in conjunction with SHG from microtubule arrays to assess the polarity of microtubules near pathological lesions. Our results suggest that tissues from AD transgenic models contain distinct intrinsic emissions, which can provide valuable information about the disease mechanisms.
Kwan
Alex C
AC
School of Applied and Engineering Physics, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, USA.
Duff
Karen
K
Gouras
Gunnar K
GK
Webb
Watt W
WW
D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology*; D016564:Amyloid beta-Protein Precursor / Q000235:genetics; D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D036641:Microscopy, Fluorescence, Multiphoton / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D008870:Microtubules / Q000473:pathology; D009154:Mutation; D055620:Optical Phenomena; D058225:Plaque, Amyloid / Q000473:pathology; D058255:Protease Nexins; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface / Q000235:genetics; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000235:genetics
D016564:Amyloid beta-Protein Precursor; D058255:Protease Nexins; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface; D011994:Recombinant Proteins