Two-photon intravital microscopy (2P-IVM) is an effective technique for real time imaging of cell-to-cell interactions as they occur in their natural environment1. One of the main advantages of this method is that it allows the study of cellular processes at a greater specimen depth (500 µm to 1 mm) compared with other traditional imaging techniques2. At the same time, the use of two low-energy photons generated by the two-photon laser minimizes the tissue photo-damage typically associated with the image acquisition process2. During the last decade, 2P-IVM has been applied to study different types of cell-cell interactions in several disciplines3,4,5. These studies have been especially relevant to investigate immune cells, which are characterized by their high dynamism and the formation of prominent contacts following the signals generated by other cells and the environment. 2P-IVM has been also applied to study the interactions between pathogen and host6. Indeed, it has been previously shown that some pathogens can alter the type and duration of the contacts between immune cells, hampering, as a result, the immune response7.
The airway mucosa is the first site in which the immune response against airborne pathogens is generated8. Therefore, in vivo analysis of pathogen-host interactions in this tissue is critical to understand the initiation of the host defense mechanisms during infection. However, 2P-IVM of the airways is challenging mainly due to the artifacts produced by the breathing cycle of the animal, which compromises the process of image acquisition. Recently, different surgical models have been described for imaging murine trachea9,10,11,12 and lungs13,14,15,16. Tracheal 2P-IVM models represent an excellent set-up to visualize the initial phase of the immune reaction in the upper airways, while lung-alveoli 2P-IVM models are more suitable to study the late phase of infections. The developed lung models present a limitation associated with the presence of air-filled alveoli, which restrict the optical penetration of the laser and make the mucosal layer of the intrapulmonary airways inaccessible for in vivo imaging17. Conversely, the structure of the trachea, formed by a continuous epithelium, facilitates image acquisition.
Here, we present a protocol that includes a detailed description of the steps required to perform influenza infection, surgical preparation of the animals, and 2P-IVM of the trachea. In addition, we describe a specific experimental set-up for the visualization of neutrophils and dendritic cells (DC), two immune cell types that play an important role as mediators of the defense mechanism against influenza virus18,19. Finally, we describe a procedure to analyze neutrophil-DC interactions. These contacts have been shown to modulate DC activation and, subsequently, to affect the immune responses against pathogens20.