Simultaneous two-photon imaging of cerebral oxygenation and capillary blood flow in atherosclerotic mice

摘要

Gradual changes in brain microvasculature and cerebral capillary blood flow occurring with atherosclerosis may significantly contribute to cognition decline due to their role in brain tissue oxygenation. However, previous studies of the relationship between cerebral capillary blood flow and brain tissue oxygenation are limited. This study aimed to investigate vascular and concomitant changes in brain tissue pO_2 with atherosclerosis. Experiments in young healthy C57B1/6 mice (n=6 , WT), young atherosclerotic mice (n=6 , ATX_Y) and old atherosclerotic mice (n=6 , ATX_O) were performed imaging on the left sensory-motor cortex at resting state under urethane (1.5 g/kg) anesthesia using two-photon fluorescence microscopy. The results showed that pO_2 around capillaries, correlated with red blood cell (RBC) flux, increased with atherosclerosis.