Longitudinal <em>In Vivo</em> Imaging of the Cerebrovasculature: Relevance to CNS Diseases

Margarita Arango-Lievano; Patrizia Giannoni; Sylvie Claeysen; Nicola Marchi; Freddy Jeanneteau

doi:10.3791/54796

Longitudinal In Vivo Imaging of the Cerebrovasculature: Relevance to CNS Diseases

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Longitudinal In Vivo Imaging of the Cerebrovasculature: Relevance to CNS Diseases

Longitudinal In Vivo Imaging of the Cerebrovasculature: Relevance to CNS Diseases

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07:47 min

December 6, 2016

DOI: 10.3791/54796-v

Margarita Arango-Lievano^1,2,3, Patrizia Giannoni^1,2,3, Sylvie Claeysen^1,2,3, Nicola Marchi^1,2,3, Freddy Jeanneteau^1,2,3

¹Inserm, U1191,Institute of Functional Genomics, ²CNRS,UMR-5203, ³Université de Montpellier

Overview

This manuscript describes a procedure to track the remodeling of the cerebrovasculature during amyloid plaque accumulation in vivo using longitudinal two-photon microscopy. This method is minimally invasive and allows for the visualization of vascular changes in a mouse model of Alzheimer's disease.

Key Study Components

Area of Science

Neuroscience
Vascular biology
Alzheimer's disease research

Background

Understanding cerebrovascular remodeling is crucial in chronic diseases.
Inflammation plays a significant role in central nervous system pathologies.
Longitudinal imaging techniques enhance the study of vascular dynamics.
Two-photon microscopy allows for real-time observation of vascular changes.

Purpose of Study

To track cerebrovascular remodeling during amyloid plaque accumulation.
To assess the progression of cerebrovascular damage in Alzheimer's disease.
To provide insights into the role of vasculature in neurodegenerative diseases.

Methods Used

Longitudinal two-photon microscopy.
Thinned-skull preparation for in vivo imaging.
Visualization of fluorescent dyes to assess vascular changes.
Mouse model of Alzheimer's disease for experimentation.

Main Results

Successful tracking of cerebrovascular remodeling over time.
Identification of vascular damage associated with amyloid plaque accumulation.
Demonstration of the technique's effectiveness in a live animal model.
Contribution to understanding the interplay between vasculature and neurodegeneration.

Conclusions

The method provides a valuable tool for studying cerebrovascular changes in neurodegenerative diseases.
Minimally invasive techniques can yield significant insights into disease mechanisms.
Future research can build on these findings to explore therapeutic interventions.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the significance of cerebrovascular remodeling?

Cerebrovascular remodeling is crucial for understanding the progression of neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's.

How does two-photon microscopy work?

Two-photon microscopy allows for high-resolution imaging of live tissues, enabling real-time observation of vascular changes.

What are the advantages of using a thinned-skull preparation?

It is minimally invasive and reduces neural inflammation, making it ideal for studying chronic diseases.

Who conducted the study?

The procedure was demonstrated by Margarita Arango-Lievano, a post-doc from the laboratory.

What role does inflammation play in this research?

Inflammation is a key factor in many central nervous system diseases, and understanding its relationship with vascular changes is important.

Can this method be applied to other diseases?

Yes, the technique can be adapted to study various pathologies involving vascular changes.

This manuscript describes a procedure to track the remodeling of the cerebrovasculature during amyloid plaque accumulation in vivo using longitudinal two-photon microscopy. A thinned-skull preparation enables the visualization of fluorescent dyes to assess the progression of cerebrovascular damage in a mouse model of Alzheimer's disease.

The overall goal of this procedure is to track the remodeling of the vasculature in the mouse brain during the progression of a chronic disease over extended periods of time. This method can help answer key questions in the field of neuroscience, such as the role of cerebral vasculature remodeling in diseases of the central nervous system. The main advantage of this technique is that it is minimally invasive and without neural inflammation, making it ideal to study pathologies where inflammation is actually implicated.

This technique allows the visualization of pial and and penetrating cortical vessels, complementing histological techniques direct at the visualization of microcapillaries in the parenchymal of the blood-brain barrier. Demonstrating the procedure will be Margarita Arango-Lievano. She's a post-doc from my laboratory.

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