Abstract
Neurovascular dysfunction in many neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease (AD), reduces blood flow to affected brain areas and causes neuronal dysfunction and loss. A new optical imaging technique is developed to activate astrocytes in live animal models in order to investigate the increase of local cerebral blood flow as a potential therapeutic strategy for AD. The technique uses fluorescent labeling of vasculature and astrocytes coupled with intravital 2-photon microscopy to visualize the astrocyte-vasculature interactions in live animals. Using femtosecond laser stimulation, calcium uncaging is applied to specifically target and activate astrocytes in vivo with high spatial and temporal resolutions. Intravital 2-photon microscopy imaging was employed to demonstrate that single endfoot optical activation around an arteriole induced a 25% increase in arteriole diameter, which in turn increased cerebral local blood flow in down-stream capillaries. This quantitative result indicates the potential of using optical activation of astrocytes in afflicted brain areas of neurodegeneration to restore normal neurovascular functions.
Original language | English (US) |
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Title of host publication | Photonic Therapeutics and Diagnostics IX |
Volume | 8565 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - May 30 2013 |
Event | Photonic Therapeutics and Diagnostics IX - San Francisco, CA, United States Duration: Feb 2 2013 → Feb 7 2013 |
Other
Other | Photonic Therapeutics and Diagnostics IX |
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Country/Territory | United States |
City | San Francisco, CA |
Period | 2/2/13 → 2/7/13 |
Keywords
- Astrocytes-vasculature
- Calcium uncaging
- Endfoot
- Femtosecond laser
- Intravital 2-photon microscopy
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Atomic and Molecular Physics, and Optics
- Electronic, Optical and Magnetic Materials
- Biomaterials
- Radiology Nuclear Medicine and imaging