High-resolution intravital imaging of the murine hypothalamus using GRIN lenses and confocal microscopy

Intravital studies of cellular morphology in structures such as the hypothalamus are challenging because of their location at the bottom of the brain. Here, we describe an intravital imaging protocol based on gradient refractive index (GRIN) lenses in conjunction with confocal microscopy to inspect fluorescent cells at high resolution in deep-brain areas. The approach relies on implanted guide-tubes for the interchangeable use of GRIN lenses, thereby allowing imaging at different magnifications and increasing the effective field of view. For complete details on the use and execution of this profile, please refer to Butiaeva et al. (2021).