Wang Shang, Larina Irina V
Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA.
Methods Mol Biol. 2018;1752:53-62. doi: 10.1007/978-1-4939-7714-7_5.
The oviduct (or fallopian tube) serves as the site where a number of major reproductive events occur for the start of a new life in mammals. Understanding the oviduct physiology is essential to uncover hidden mechanisms of the human reproduction and its disorders, yet the current analysis of the oviduct that is largely limited to in vitro imaging is a significant technical hurdle. To overcome this barrier, we have recently developed in vivo approaches based on optical coherence tomography for structural and functional imaging of the mouse oviduct. In this chapter, we describe the details of such live imaging methods that allow for three-dimensional visualization of the oviduct wall morphology, microscale mapping of the oviduct cilia beat frequency, and high-resolution observation of the cumulus-oocyte complex at the cellular level. We expect this set of imaging tools will enable novel studies toward a comprehensive knowledge of the mammalian reproduction.
输卵管是哺乳动物开启新生命历程中许多重要生殖事件发生的场所。了解输卵管生理学对于揭示人类生殖及其紊乱的潜在机制至关重要，然而目前对输卵管的分析很大程度上局限于体外成像，这是一个重大的技术障碍。为了克服这一障碍，我们最近开发了基于光学相干断层扫描的体内方法，用于小鼠输卵管的结构和功能成像。在本章中，我们将详细描述这种实时成像方法，该方法能够对输卵管壁形态进行三维可视化、对输卵管纤毛摆动频率进行微观测绘，并在细胞水平上对卵丘-卵母细胞复合体进行高分辨率观察。我们期望这一套成像工具能够推动对哺乳动物生殖进行全面了解的新研究。
