在肠神经系统的原位 ^钙成像

The methodologies described in this manuscript provide a consistent approach to effectively study neurons and enteric glia in the ENS. Although imaging neurons and enteric glia in culture has yielded a wealth of insight into the function of individual cells, studying these cells in their native, multi-cellular environment is crucial for our understanding their physiology and pathophysiology. Fluorescence microscopy is a crucial technique for assessing multidirectional interactions of cells in the ENS. Loading cells of the ENS with selective fluorescent markers and image acquisition with high-resolution microscopy permits quantitative observations of cellular activity in the ENS. Imaging live tissue samples of the ENS is performed relatively quickly and generates large amounts of in-depth functional and spatial data. Mouse myenteric and submucosal plexus preparations used in these experiments allow for molecular and genetic manipulation approaches. Ca²⁺ imaging in whole-mount preparations provides a useful tool for the assessment of neuron-glia interactions.

In advanced experimental paradigms, several probes can be combined to obtain information about different events within the cells. Fluorescence microscopy can record images with enhanced contrast of specific molecules, if an appropriate fluorescent label is used. Fluo-4 was chosen because it possesses a large dynamic range. Sufficient incubation time is vital when using the AM dyes in ENS. Dye concentration and loading method may need to be adjusted to achieve best results. Ideal preparations should be loaded with sufficient dye to visualize changes in fluorescence but not so much so that the dye chelates the target ions and interferes with intracellular signaling. Exposure to fluorescent light should be limited to prevent phototoxicity in cells and photobleaching of dyes.

Investigators must be careful with several steps of this experiment, especially solution and tissue preparation. Particular care has to be taken during processing and dissection of ENS tissue in order to maintain cellular functions. The GI tract contains several layers and tissue varieties, which pose challenges for dissection and imaging quality in these whole-mount preparations ²⁷. Furthermore, the interconnecting fiber tracts of the MP are wider and ganglia are larger than those of the SMP ². The neuronal density of the myenteric plexus is higher compared to that of the submucosal plexus ²⁸. Slow and imprecise dissections will have detrimental effects on the quality of the plexus preparations and thus the overall success of the experiments. Therefore, clean/undamaged tools, practice and manual dexterity are critical to this procedure.

In whole-mount tissue preparations, careful consideration should be taken when drawing the regions of interest (ROI) to correctly assess the kinetics and degree of observed change in fluorescence intensity of the desired cell type. As the ganglia are located on a contractile muscle layer, motion artifacts caused by gut motility are a primary concern during in situ imaging. Thus, suppressing these motion disturbances through re-pinning tissue preparations after incubation with enzymes and the addition of pharmacological inhibition (nicardipine/scopolamine) to buffers permits clear and reliable image acquisition. Aside from pharmacology and mechanical approaches to prevent tissue movement, recent studies illustrate the application of advanced software methodologies and cell type response characteristics to correct for residual tissue movement in the recordings and improve the accuracy of analysis ²⁹. Barring these technical hurdles, this method provides physiologically relevant conditions to assess morphologic and quantitative characteristics of neurons and enteric glia in the ENS.