Recently, light microscopy-based techniques have been extended to live mammalian models leading to the development
of a new imaging approach called intravital microscopy (IVM). Although IVM has been introduced at the beginning of
the last century, its major advancements have occurred in the last twenty years with the development of non-linear
microscopy that has enabled performing deep tissue imaging. IVM has been utilized to address many biological
questions in basic research and is now a fundamental tool that provide information on tissues such as morphology,
cellular architecture, and metabolic status. IVM has become an indispensable tool in numerous areas. This study presents
and describes the practical aspects of IVM necessary to visualize epithelial cells of live mouse mammary gland with
multiphoton techniques.
Here we show that a combination of two-photon microscopy and second harmonic generation can be successfully used
to study endocytosis in the submandibular salivary glands of live animals. First, we have characterized the threedimensional
structure of the acini and the ducts forming the parenchyma of the excised glands by exciting various
endogenous molecules, which highlight the shape of the cells and various components of the extracellular matrix. Next,
by time-lapse imaging we show the dynamic distribution of fluorescent probes injected systemically. This was achieved
by using a custom-made holder aimed to reduce the motion artifacts associated with the heartbeat and the respiration in
the live animals. Finally, we show that fluorescent dextrans are internalized primarily by the supporting cells in the
salivary glands, a characteristic shared by other secretory organs such as the pancreas.
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