In Vivo Imaging of Retinal Microglia in a Mouse Model of Glaucoma

Source: Bosco, A., et al. In Vivo Dynamics of Retinal Microglial Activation During Neurodegeneration: Confocal Ophthalmoscopic Imaging and Cell Morphometry in Mouse Glaucoma. J. Vis. Exp. (2015) This video demonstrates in vivo imaging of retinal microglia in a mouse model of glaucoma. A transgenic mouse with fluorescent protein-expressing retinal microglia is positioned under an ophthalmoscope. Infrared illumination is used to locate the optic nerve head (ONH), and the focal plane is established using retinal blood vessels as landmarks. Fluorescent imaging is then employed to visualize the fluorescent microglia. Activated microglia, characterized by enlarged cell bodies and reduced branching complexity, are assessed.