title: High-resolution intravital imaging for monitoring the transplanted islets in mice.
abstract: Intravital imaging techniques will be a valuable tool to monitor the post-transplantation dynamics of the cells/tissues in regenerative medicine research. Among the conventional live imaging techniques, the cranial window model has various advantages regarding resolution, longevity, and easy manipulability. We describe the use of the cranial window model to visualize the post-transplantation processes of primary pancreatic islets in the living mouse. Macroscopic or microscopic analyses were performed to evaluate the post-transplantation dynamics of primary murine islets, including the revascularization process inside the cranium. Consistent with earlier literature on clinical outcomes of islet transplantation, marked loss of transplanted islets was observed within 7 days. Intravital confocal microscope analysis revealed that functional revascularization seldom occurred in the central regions of the transplants. Our results suggest that the cranial window model offers an ideal platform for understanding cellular dynamics, through the possibility of long-term imaging studies over time scales. This platform is possibly applied not only for transplant studies of pancreatic islets, but also for other endodermal cell/tissue types in vivo.
authors.affiliation: Department of Regenerative Medicine, Yokohama City University Graduate School of Medicine, Yokohama, Japan.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Takahashi
authors.affiliation: Department of Regenerative Medicine, Yokohama City University Graduate School of Medicine, Yokohama, Japan; Advanced Medical Research Center, Yokohama City University, Yokohama, Japan; PRESTO, Japan Science and Technology Agency, Kawaguchi, Japan.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Takebe
authors.affiliation: Department of Regenerative Medicine, Yokohama City University Graduate School of Medicine, Yokohama, Japan.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Enomura
authors.affiliation: Department of Regenerative Medicine, Yokohama City University Graduate School of Medicine, Yokohama, Japan; Department of Surgery, Seirei Sakura Citizen Hospital, 2-36-2 Ebaradai, Sakura, Japan.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Koike
authors.affiliation: Regenerative Medicine Laboratory, Center for Stem Cell Research, Department of Biomedical Science and Technology, Institute of Biomedical Science and Technology (IBST), Konkuk University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Regenerative Medicine Laboratory, Center for Stem Cell Research, Department of Biomedical Science and Technology, Institute of Biomedical Science and Technology (IBST), Konkuk University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: J G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Nemeno
authors.affiliation: Department of Regenerative Medicine, Yokohama City University Graduate School of Medicine, Yokohama, Japan.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sekine
authors.affiliation: Regenerative Medicine Laboratory, Center for Stem Cell Research, Department of Biomedical Science and Technology, Institute of Biomedical Science and Technology (IBST), Konkuk University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: J I
authors.initials: JI
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Department of Regenerative Medicine, Yokohama City University Graduate School of Medicine, Yokohama, Japan; Advanced Medical Research Center, Yokohama City University, Yokohama, Japan. Electronic address: rtanigu@yokohama-cu.ac.jp.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Taniguchi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D006085:Graft Survival; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D007515:Islets of Langerhans / Q000098:blood supply / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D016381:Islets of Langerhans Transplantation; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D016688:Mice, Inbred NOD; D016513:Mice, SCID; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D018613:Microscopy, Confocal; D023421:Models, Animal; D018919:Neovascularization, Physiologic; D012886:Skull / Q000098:blood supply / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D013997:Time Factors; D014022:Tissue Survival
chemical_list: C485184:enhanced green fluorescent protein; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins