Peti-Peterdi J, Burford JL, Hackl MJ. The first decade of using multiphoton microscopy for high-power kidney imaging. Am J Physiol Renal Physiol 302: F227-F233, 2012. First published October 26, 2011 doi:10.1152/ajprenal.00561.2011In this review, we highlight the major scientific breakthroughs in kidney research achieved using multiphoton microscopy (MPM) and summarize the milestones in the technological development of kidney MPM during the past 10 years. Since more and more renal laboratories invest in MPM worldwide, we discuss future directions and provide practical, useful tips and examples for the application of this still-emerging optical sectioning technology. Advantages of using MPM in various kidney preparations that range from freshly dissected individual glomeruli or the whole kidney in vitro to MPM of the intact mouse and rat kidney in vivo are reviewed. Potential combinations of MPM with micromanipulation techniques including microperfusion and micropuncture are also included. However, we emphasize the most advanced and complex, quantitative in vivo imaging applications as the ultimate use of MPM since the true mandate of this technology is to look inside intact organs in live animals and humans. intravital imaging; juxtaglomerular apparatus; podocyte; two-photon microscopy IT HAS BEEN MORE THAN 10 YEARS since two-or three-photon excitation, collectively called multiphoton microscopy (MPM), was first applied to the study of the living kidney tissue by the Peti-Peterdi-Bell (37, 38) and Dunn-Molitoris groups (6, 42) that pioneered several applications of this powerful new imaging technology. Over the past decade, MPM has provided stunning images and real-time movies of the structure and function of the intact kidney in unparalleled spatial and temporal resolution. Because of the ability of this noninvasive imaging approach to directly visualize dynamic intrarenal processes in vivo and in near real-time without causing tissue damage, MPM has revolutionized renal physiology research and served as the perfect complement to more traditional biological and histological techniques. MPM also opened the door to studying otherwise inaccessible cell types and complex tissue structures like the glomerular podocyte (30, 39) and the juxtaglomerular apparatus (JGA) (37) in their intact environment. Applications of MPM helped to change several paradigms in renal (patho)physiology. Imaging data have been incorporated into a number of textbooks on kidney function (3,8,41), and MPM videos (30,37,39,40) have been used as visual aid and teaching material in graduate and medical student classrooms worldwide.MPM offers a state-of-the-art imaging technique superior for deep optical sectioning of living tissues. The higher resolution and minimal phototoxicity of this method permit longer time periods of continuous tissue scanning with uses in near realtime imaging of intact organs in vivo. MPM has applications far beyond the generation of superior images: dynamic intracellular processes as well as more complex physiological ...