Institute of Brain Research, University of Leipzig, Jahnallee 59, 04109, Leipzig, Germany.
Cell Tissue Res. 2013 Aug;353(2):269-78. doi: 10.1007/s00441-013-1602-1. Epub 2013 Mar 26.
Many efforts have been made to improve the diagnostic tools used to identify and to estimate the progress of ganglion cell and nerve fibre degeneration in glaucoma. Imaging by optical coherence tomography and measurements of the dimensions of the optic nerve head and the nerve fibre layer in central retinal areas is currently used to estimate the grade of pathological changes. The visualization and quantification of ganglion cells and nerve fibres directly in patients would dramatically improve glaucoma diagnostics. We have investigated the optical properties of cellular structures of retinal tissue in order to establish a means of visualizing and quantifying ganglion cells in the living retina without staining. We have characterized the optical properties of retinal tissue in several species including humans. Nerve fibres, blood vessels, ganglion cells and their cell processes have been visualized at high image resolution by means of the reflection mode of a confocal laser scanning microscope. The potential of adaptive optics in current imaging systems and the possibilities of imaging single ganglion cells non-invasively in patients are discussed.
人们已经做出了许多努力来改进用于识别和估计青光眼的神经节细胞和神经纤维变性进展的诊断工具。目前，通过光学相干断层扫描成像和对中央视网膜区域的视神经头和神经纤维层的尺寸进行测量，来估计病变的程度。直接在患者体内可视化和量化神经节细胞和神经纤维，将极大地改善青光眼的诊断。我们已经研究了视网膜组织的细胞结构的光学特性，以便建立一种无需染色即可在活体视网膜中可视化和量化神经节细胞的方法。我们已经对包括人类在内的几种物种的视网膜组织的光学特性进行了表征。通过共焦激光扫描显微镜的反射模式，可以以高图像分辨率可视化神经纤维、血管、神经节细胞及其细胞突起。本文还讨论了当前成像系统中自适应光学的潜力以及在患者中非侵入性地成像单个神经节细胞的可能性。
