Intravital imaging of cardiac tissue utilizing tissue-stabilized heart window chamber in live animal model.

Aims: To develop and validate an optimized intravital heart microimaging protocol using a suction-based tissue motion-stabilizing cardiac imaging window to facilitate real-time observation of dynamic cellular behaviours within cardiac tissue in live mouse models.

Methods And Results: Intravital heart imaging was conducted using dual-mode confocal and two-photon microscopy. Mice were anesthetized, intubated, and maintained at a stable body temperature during the procedure.

Endothelial progenitor cell transplantation decreases lymphangiogenesis and adverse myocardial remodeling in a mouse model of acute myocardial infarction.

Cardiac lymphatic system in the remodeling after acute myocardial infarction (AMI) has been overlooked. We wanted to investigate the role of bone marrow-derived endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) and their contribution to lymphatic distribution in myocardial remodeling after AMI. Mouse (C57bl/6J) MI models were created by ligation of the left anterior descending coronary artery and were treated with phosphate buffered saline (PBS) or EPCs.