A Novel Intravital Imaging Window for Longitudinal Microscopy of the Mouse Ovary

Abstract

The ovary is a dynamic organ that undergoes dramatic remodeling throughout the ovulatory cycle. Maturation of the ovarian follicle, release of the oocyte in the course of ovulation as well as formation and degradation of corpus luteum involve tightly controlled remodeling of the extracellular matrix and vasculature. Ovarian tumors, regardless of their tissue of origin, dynamically interact with the ovarian microenvironment. Their activity in the tissue encompasses recruitment of host stroma and immune cells, attachment of tumor cells to mesothelial layer, degradation of the extracellular matrix and tumor cell migration. High-resolution dynamic imaging of such processes is particularly challenging for internal organs. The implementation of a novel imaging window as reported here enabled longitudinal microscopy of ovarian physiology and orthotopic tumor invasion.

Intravital imaging of vascular anomalies and extracellular matrix remodeling in orthotopic pancreatic tumors

“…Intravital imaging of the pancreas enabled longitudinal detection of neoangiogenic events occurring in both transgenic and orthotopically injected preclinical pancreatic cancer models. Application of the abdominal window originally reported for the ovary facilitated localization of the lesions within the transparent tissue topography of the splenic lobes of the pancreas and enabled longitudinal imaging without motion artifacts. Visualization of the vasculature in live animals provided more accurate estimation of the blood vessel morphology than ex vivo techniques, as the highly dilated tumor blood vessels collapsed when excised, altering the morphological features.…”

“…We have formerly reported the use of a novel intravital imaging window for the longitudinal imaging of ovarian cancer in mice . The MR‐compatible adaptation of this window was recently applied for pancreas imaging of β‐cell activity with MRI .…”

Imaging the pharmacology of nanomaterials by intravital microscopy: Toward understanding their biological behavior

“…Abdominal imaging windows are similar in structure to the mammary window but larger, and are useful for imaging abdominal organs including the intestine [241], liver [146], kidney [145]. spleen [145], pancreas [145], and ovary [242]. Due to extensive organ movement, it is frequently necessary to immobilize target imaging sites to the window with cyanoacrylate glue, Vetbond tissue adhesive, surgical suturing to the abdominal wall, and also to prevent the window from being occluded by fluid pooling.…”

Surgical preparation of rats and mice for intravital microscopic imaging of abdominal organs

“…The reader is referred to the chapter by Vrisekoop et al in this volume for a description of an abdominal imaging window that has been used for sequential imaging of the liver, intestines, kidney, spleen and pancreas. This system remains functional for a minimum of 4 weeks [30], and with various modifications can study liver metastasis [55], pancreatic islets transplanted under the capsule of the kidney [58] and ovarian physiology [59]. …”