{"title":"Enhanced flavoprotein autofluorescence imaging in rats using a combination of thin skull window and skull-clearing reagents","authors":"Yuto Ogawa , Kazuaki Nagasaka , Daisuke Ishii , Ayane Nagao , Hitomi Ikarashi , Naofumi Otsuru , Hideaki Onishi","doi":"10.1016/j.neulet.2025.138239","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Flavoprotein autofluorescence (FA) imaging is a powerful technique for investigating neural activity in vivo. However, its application in rats is limited by the thickness of the intact skull, which reduces light transmission and signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). In this study, we introduce a novel approach that integrates a thin skull window (TSW) with a skull-clearing reagent (CTSW) to enhance FA imaging in rats. The FA signals evoked by somatosensory stimulation were recorded under both TSW and CTSW conditions. The results demonstrate that CTSW significantly improved the SNR of FA signals compared to TSW alone, enabling more precise detection of neural activity. Notably, the enhanced signal clarity facilitated robust imaging in the secondary motor cortex (M2), a region where activity is barely detectable using conventional TSW. By better preserving intracranial physiological conditions than craniotomy, CTSW minimizes postoperative complications and supports longitudinal imaging. Furthermore, this technique may be applicable to other optical imaging modalities, including calcium and vascular imaging. The ability to enhance cortical signal detection while maintaining a minimally invasive preparation positions CTSW as a promising tool for functional mapping and long-term studies in behaving rats.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":19290,"journal":{"name":"Neuroscience Letters","volume":"856 ","pages":"Article 138239"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5000,"publicationDate":"2025-04-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Neuroscience Letters","FirstCategoryId":"3","ListUrlMain":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0304394025001272","RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q3","JCRName":"NEUROSCIENCES","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Flavoprotein autofluorescence (FA) imaging is a powerful technique for investigating neural activity in vivo. However, its application in rats is limited by the thickness of the intact skull, which reduces light transmission and signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). In this study, we introduce a novel approach that integrates a thin skull window (TSW) with a skull-clearing reagent (CTSW) to enhance FA imaging in rats. The FA signals evoked by somatosensory stimulation were recorded under both TSW and CTSW conditions. The results demonstrate that CTSW significantly improved the SNR of FA signals compared to TSW alone, enabling more precise detection of neural activity. Notably, the enhanced signal clarity facilitated robust imaging in the secondary motor cortex (M2), a region where activity is barely detectable using conventional TSW. By better preserving intracranial physiological conditions than craniotomy, CTSW minimizes postoperative complications and supports longitudinal imaging. Furthermore, this technique may be applicable to other optical imaging modalities, including calcium and vascular imaging. The ability to enhance cortical signal detection while maintaining a minimally invasive preparation positions CTSW as a promising tool for functional mapping and long-term studies in behaving rats.
期刊介绍:
Neuroscience Letters is devoted to the rapid publication of short, high-quality papers of interest to the broad community of neuroscientists. Only papers which will make a significant addition to the literature in the field will be published. Papers in all areas of neuroscience - molecular, cellular, developmental, systems, behavioral and cognitive, as well as computational - will be considered for publication. Submission of laboratory investigations that shed light on disease mechanisms is encouraged. Special Issues, edited by Guest Editors to cover new and rapidly-moving areas, will include invited mini-reviews. Occasional mini-reviews in especially timely areas will be considered for publication, without invitation, outside of Special Issues; these un-solicited mini-reviews can be submitted without invitation but must be of very high quality. Clinical studies will also be published if they provide new information about organization or actions of the nervous system, or provide new insights into the neurobiology of disease. NSL does not publish case reports.