In vivo longitudinal cellular imaging of small intestine by side-view endomicroscopy.
Visualization of cellular dynamics in the gastrointestinal tract of living mouse model to investigate the pathophysiology has been a long-pursuing goal. Especially, for chronic disease such as Crohn's disease, a longitudinal observation of the luminal surface of the small intestine in the single mouse is highly desirable to investigate the complex pathogenesis in sequential time points. In this work, by utilizing a micro-GRIN lens based side-view endomicroscope integrated into a video-rate confocal microscopy system, we successfully performed minimally-invasive in vivo cellular-level visualization of various fluorescent cells and microvasculature in the small intestinal villi. Also, with a transgenic mouse universally expressing photoconvertible protein, Kaede, we demonstrated repetitive cellular-level confocal endoscopic visualization of same area in the small intestinal lumen of a single mouse, which revealed the continuous homeostatic renewal of the small intestinal epithelium.
Graduate School of Nanoscience and Technology (GSNT), Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), 291 Deahak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, 305-701, South Korea.
Jinhyo
J
Ahn
Graduate School of Nanoscience and Technology (GSNT), Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), 291 Deahak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, 305-701, South Korea.
Kibaek
K
Choe
Division of Integrative Biosciences and Biotechnology, Pohang University of Science and Technology, San 31, Hyoja-dong, Nam-gu, Pohang, Gyeongbuk 790-784, South Korea.
Taejun
T
Wang
Graduate School of Nanoscience and Technology (GSNT), Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), 291 Deahak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, 305-701, South Korea.
Yoonha
Y
Hwang
Graduate School of Nanoscience and Technology (GSNT), Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), 291 Deahak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, 305-701, South Korea.
Eunjoo
E
Song
Division of Integrative Biosciences and Biotechnology, Pohang University of Science and Technology, San 31, Hyoja-dong, Nam-gu, Pohang, Gyeongbuk 790-784, South Korea ; Department of Mechanical Engineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology, San 31, Hyoja-dong, Nam-gu, Pohang, Gyeongbuk 790-784, South Korea.
Ki Hean
KH
Kim
Graduate School of Nanoscience and Technology (GSNT), Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), 291 Deahak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, 305-701, South Korea.
Pilhan
P
Kim
(110.2760) Gradient-index lenses; (170.1790) Confocal microscopy; (170.2150) Endoscopic imaging; (170.2520) Fluorescence microscopy; (170.2680) Gastrointestinal