Two-photon excitation imaging of pancreatic islets with various fluorescent probes.

Various fluorescent probes were assessed for investigating intact islets of Langerhans using two-photon excitation imaging. Polar fluorescent tracers applied on the outside rapidly (within 3 min) penetrated deep into the islets via microvessels. Likewise, an adenovirus carrying a Ca(2+)-sensitive green fluorescent protein mutant gene, yellow cameleon 2.