Ana-Maria Pena

Imaging lipid bodies in cells and tissues using third-harmonic generation microscopy

Lipid bodies have an important role in energy storage and lipid regulation. Here we show that lipid bodies are a major source of contrast in third-harmonic generation (THG) microscopy of cells and tissues. In hepatocytes, micrometer-sized lipid bodies produce a THG signal 1–2 orders of magnitude larger than other structures, which allows one to image them with high specificity. THG microscopy with ∼1,200 nm excitation can be used to follow the distribution of lipid bodies in a variety of unstained samples including insect embryos, plant seeds and intact mammalian tissue (liver, lung). We found that epi-THG imaging is possible in weakly absorbing tissues because bulk scattering redirects a substantial fraction of the forward-generated harmonic light toward the objective. Finally, we show that the combination of THG microscopy with two-photon and second-harmonic imaging provides a new tool for exploring the interactions between lipid bodies, extracellular matrix and fluorescent compounds (vitamin A, NADH and others) in tissues.

Second harmonic imaging and scoring of collagen in fibrotic tissues

We compare second harmonic generation (SHG) to histological and immunohistochemical techniques for the visualization and scoring of collagen in biological tissues. We show that SHG microscopy is highly specific for fibrillar collagens and that combined SHG and two-photon excited fluorescence (2PEF) imaging can provide simultaneous three-dimensional visualization of collagen synthesis and assembly sites in transgenic animal models expressing GFP constructs. Finally, we propose several scores for characterizing collagen accumulation based on SHG images and appropriate for different types of collagen distributions. We illustrate the sensitivity of these scores in a murine model of renal fibrosis using a morphological segmentation of the tissue based on endogenous 2PEF signals.

Spectroscopic analysis of keratin endogenous signal for skin multiphoton microscopy

We recorded one-photon excited fluorescence (1PEF) and two-photon excited fluorescence (2PEF) spectra of purified keratin from human epidermis, and determined the action cross section of this endogenous chromophore. We used this spectroscopic analysis to analyse multiphoton images of skin biopsies and assign the intrinsic fluorescence signals in the epidermis. We observed a good agreement between in situ and in vitro 2PEF spectra of keratin. This study provides a comprehensive characterization of the 2PEF signal of the keratins from the epidermis, and will be of practical interest for multiphoton imaging of the skin.

Micrometer scale Ex Vivo multiphoton imaging of unstained arterial wall structure

We characterize the application of multiphoton microscopy to the observation of the extracellular matrix of fresh unstained vessels.

Multiphoton microscopy of engineered dermal substitutes: assessment of 3-D collagen matrix remodeling induced by fibroblast contraction

Dermal fibroblasts are responsible for the generation of mechanical forces within their surrounding extracellular matrix and can be potentially targeted by anti-aging ingredients. Investigation of the modulation of fibroblast contraction by these ingredients requires the implementation of three-dimensional in situ imaging methodologies. We use multiphoton microscopy to visualize unstained engineered dermal tissue by combining second-harmonic generation that reveals specifically fibrillar collagen and two-photon excited fluorescence from endogenous cellular chromophores. We study the fibroblast-induced reorganization of the collagen matrix and quantitatively evaluate the effect of Y-27632, a RhoA-kinase inhibitor, on dermal substitute contraction. We observe that collagen fibrils rearrange around fibroblasts with increasing density in control samples, whereas collagen fibrils show no remodeling in the samples containing the RhoA-kinase inhibitor. Moreover, we show that the inhibitory effects are reversible. Our study demonstrates the relevance of multiphoton microscopy to visualize three-dimensional remodeling of the extracellular matrix induced by fibroblast contraction or other processes.

Automatic 3D segmentation of multiphoton images: a key step for the quantification of human skin.

Multiphoton microscopy has emerged in the past decade as a useful noninvasive imaging technique for in vivo human skin characterization. However, it has not been used until now in evaluation clinical trials, mainly because of the lack of specific image processing tools that would allow the investigator to extract pertinent quantitative three‐dimensional (3D) information from the different skin components.

Fast nonlinear spectral microscopy of in vivo human skin

An optimized system for fast, high-resolution spectral imaging of in vivo human skin is developed and evaluated. The spectrograph is composed of a dispersive prism in combination with an electron multiplying CCD camera. Spectra of autofluorescence and second harmonic generation (SHG) are acquired at a rate of 8 kHz and spectral images within seconds. Image quality is significantly enhanced by the simultaneous recording of background spectra. In vivo spectral images of 224 × 224 pixels were acquired, background corrected and previewed in real RGB color in 6.5 seconds. A clear increase in melanin content in deeper epidermal layers in in vivo human skin was observed.

In vivo multiphoton imaging of human skin: assessment of topical corticosteroid-induced epidermis atrophy and depigmentation

Multiphoton microscopy has emerged in the past decade as a promising tool for noninvasive skin imaging. Our aim was to evaluate the potential of multiphoton microscopy to detect topical corticosteroids side effects within the epidermis and to provide new insights into their dynamics. Healthy volunteers were topically treated with clobetasol propionate on a small region of their forearms under overnight occlusion for three weeks. The treated region of each patient was investigated at D0, D7, D15, D22 (end of the treatment), and D60. Our study shows that multiphoton microscopy allows for the detection of corticoid-induced epidermis modifications: thinning of stratum corneum compactum and epidermis, decrease of keratinocytes size, and changes in their morphology from D7 to D22. We also show that multiphoton microscopy enables in vivo three-dimensional (3-D) quantitative assessment of melanin content. We observe that melanin density decreases during treatment and almost completely disappears at D22. Moreover, these alterations are reversible as they are no longer present at D60. Our study demonstrates that multiphoton microscopy is a convenient and powerful tool for noninvasive 3-D dynamical studies of skin integrity and pigmentation.

Segmentation of elongated objects using attribute profiles and area stability: Application to melanocyte segmentation in engineered skin

In this paper, a method to segment elongated objects is proposed. It is based on attribute profiles and area stability. Images are represented as component trees using a threshold decomposition. Then, some attributes are computed on each node of the tree. Finally, the attribute profile is analyzed to identify important events useful for segmentation tasks. In this work, a new attribute, combining geodesic elongation and area stability is defined. This methodology is successfully applied to the segmentation of cells in multiphoton fluorescence microscopy images of engineered skin. Quantitative results are provided, demonstrating the performance and robustness of the new attribute. A comparison with MSER is also given.

In vivo multiphoton microscopy associated to 3D image processing for human skin characterization

Multiphoton microscopy has emerged in the past decade as a promising non-invasive skin imaging technique. The aim of this study was to assess whether multiphoton microscopy coupled to specific 3D image processing tools could provide new insights into the organization of different skin components and their age-related changes. For that purpose, we performed a clinical trial on 15 young and 15 aged human female volunteers on the ventral and dorsal side of the forearm using the DermaInspectR medical imaging device. We visualized the skin by taking advantage of intrinsic multiphoton signals from cells, elastic and collagen fibers. We also developed 3D image processing algorithms adapted to in vivo multiphoton images of human skin in order to extract quantitative parameters in each layer of the skin (epidermis and superficial dermis). The results show that in vivo multiphoton microscopy is able to evidence several skin alterations due to skin aging: morphological changes in the epidermis and modifications in the quantity and organization of the collagen and elastic fibers network. In conclusion, the association of multiphoton microscopy with specific image processing allows the three-dimensional organization of skin components to be visualized and quantified thus providing a powerful tool for cosmetic and dermatological investigations.