Open AccessOptical visualization of Alzheimer’s pathology via multiphoton-excited intrinsic fluorescence and second harmonic generation
Author(s) -
Alex C. Kwan,
Karen Duff,
Gunnar K. Gouras,
Watt W. Webb
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
optics express
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.394
H-Index - 271
ISSN - 1094-4087
DOI - 10.1364/oe.17.003679
Subject(s) - autofluorescence , second harmonic generation , fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy , fluorescence , microscopy , multiphoton fluorescence microscope , optics , fluorescence microscope , materials science , biophysics , biology , physics , laser
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.