Figure 2. Imaging the architecture of the tissues in live animals.

a–i Excitation of intrinsic fluorescence to image tissue architecture. Rats were anesthetized and various organs such as liver (a), kidney (b), brain cortex (c), skeletal muscle (d), epididymis (f), bladder (g), prostate (h) and lacrimal glands (i) were imaged at a low magnification by using 740 nm as excitation wavelength. Scale bar - 100 μm. (i) The submandibular glands were imaged at a higher magnification (i) and details of the structure the acini (i′) and the large striated ducts (i″) are compared with the classical H&E staining (j). Scale bars - 10 μm. k–m Imaging the vasculature in live animal. Texas-Red dextran was systemically injected in anesthetized rats and the liver (k), the kidney (l) and the brain cortex (m) were imaged using 740 nm (k,l) or 920 nm (m) as excitation wavelength. n- Vasculature and salivary ducts in live animals. FITC dextran was injected systemically in anesthetized rats, whereas Texas-Red dextran was injected into the Wharton’s duct as described in Sramkova et al. 2009. The salivary glands were imaged by MPM using 920 nm as excitation wavelength. Scale bars 20 μm.