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Confocal microscopy. Applications in research and practice of pathology
1Department of Pathology and Cell Regulation, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Japan. ttakam@basic.kpu-m.ac.jp
Objective:
To discuss recent advances in the use of confocal microscopy to perform quantitative analysis of physiologic and pathologic intracellular events in the living organ.
Study Design:
We developed a new confocal microscope system equipped with a microlens-arrayed multipinhole scanning disc and water-immersion objective lenses. The confocal microscope enables us to quantitate nonhomogeneous changes in the three-dimensional intracellular calcium ion concentration in a living, whole heart.
Results:
The new system allows in situ quantitative imaging of the calcium wave in the living heart at a full video rate. Calcium waves propagating from cell to cell were frequently interrupted by calcium transients from spontaneous sinus rhythm, but low transparency of the living tissues and cell injury with laser light still remained unsolved.
Conclusion:
The evolution of the confocal microscope with high spatial and temporal resolution renders the investigation of biologic phenomena even in the living organ.