Endoscopic Time-Lapse Imaging of Immune Cells in Infarcted Mouse Hearts

Abstract

The time-lapse analysis of flowing and rolling (patrolling) monocytes in the heart and the peripheral circulation provides evidence that the massively recruited monocytes come first from the vascular reservoir and later from the spleen. The imaging method requires minimal surgical preparation and can be implemented into standard intravital microscopes. Our results demonstrate the applicability of our imaging method for a wide range of cardiovascular research.