In vivo characterization of atherosclerotic plaque depositions by Raman-probe spectroscopy and in vitro coherent anti-stokes Raman scattering microscopic imaging on a rabbit model.

Visualization as well as characterization of inner arterial plaque depositions is of vital diagnostic interest, especially for the early recognition of vulnerable plaques. Established clinical techniques provide valuable visual information but cannot deliver information about the chemical composition of individual plaques. Here, we employ Raman-probe spectroscopy to characterize the plaque compositions of arterial walls on a rabbit model in vivo, using a miniaturized filtered probe with one excitation and 12 collection fibers integrated in a 1 mm sleeve. Rabbits were treated with a cholesterol-enriched diet. The methodology can improve the efficiency of animal experiments and shows great potential for applications in cardiovascular research. In order to further characterize the plaque depositions visually, coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (CARS) microscopy images have been acquired and are compared with the Raman-probe results.

Immuno-surface-enhanced coherent anti-stokes Raman scattering microscopy: immunohistochemistry with target-specific metallic nanoprobes and nonlinear Raman microscopy.

Immunohistochemistry (IHC) is one of the most widely used staining techniques for diagnostic purposes. The selective localization of target proteins in tissue specimens by conventional IHC is achieved with dye- or enzyme-labeled antibodies in combination with light microscopy. In this contribution, we demonstrate the proof-of-principle for IHC based on surface-enhanced coherent Raman scattering for contrast generation. Specifically, antibody-labeled metallic nanoshells in conjunction with surface-enhanced coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (SECARS) microscopy are employed for the selective, sensitive, and rapid localization of the basal cell protein p63 in normal prostate tissue. Negative control experiments were performed in order to confirm the selective binding of the target-specific metal nanoprobes and to disentangle the role of plasmonic (metal) and molecular (Raman reporter) resonances in this plasmon-assisted four-wave mixing technique.

Quantitative detection of C-deuterated drugs by CARS microscopy and Raman microspectroscopy.

The introduction of carbon-deuterium (C-D) bonds into drug compounds by organic synthesis is a non-invasive labelling approach, which does not alter the chemical and physiological properties of the drug itself. C-deuterated drugs exhibit characteristic vibrational signatures in the C-D stretching region around 2100-2300 cm(-1), which avoids spectral interference with contributions from a complex biological environment. In this paper, the quantitative detection of C-deuterated drugs by Raman microspectroscopy and single-band CARS microscopy is examined. Concentration-dependent studies on drugs with aliphatic and aromatic C-D moieties were performed in a two-channel microfluidic chip, using the corresponding non-deuterated (C-H) isotopologues as an internal reference.

Fluorescence-based fixative and vital staining of lipid droplets in Caenorhabditis elegans reveal fat stores using microscopy and flow cytometry approaches.

The proportions of body fat and fat-free mass are determining factors of adiposity-associated diseases. Work in Caenorhabditis elegans has revealed evolutionarily conserved pathways of fat metabolism. Nevertheless, analysis of body composition and fat distribution in the nematodes has only been partially unraveled because of methodological difficulties. We characterized metabolic C. elegans mutants by using novel and feasible BODIPY 493/503-based fat staining and flow cytometry approaches. Fixative as well as vital BODIPY staining procedures visualize major fat stores, preserve native lipid droplet morphology, and allow quantification of fat content per body volume of individual worms. Colocalization studies using coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering microscopy, Raman microspectroscopy, and imaging of lysosome-related organelles as well as biochemical measurement confirm our approaches. We found that the fat-to-volume ratio of dietary restriction, TGF-ß, and germline mutants are specific for each strain. In contrast, the proportion of fat-free mass is constant between the mutants, although their volumes differ by a factor of 3. Our approaches enable sensitive, accurate, and high-throughput assessment of adiposity in large C. elegans populations at a single-worm level.