Intravital imaging of the kidney

- Two-photon intravital microscopy is a powerful tool to study renal physiology and pathophysiology.
- Tissue autofluorescence can be harnessed to delineate renal structures.
- Probe delivery remains very challenging in live kidney imaging.
- Prolonged time-lapse imaging is essential for detecting slow processes.
- Software is frequently used to correct for motion artifacts and tract moving objects.

Two-photon intravital microscopy is a powerful tool that allows the examination of dynamic cellular processes in the live animal with unprecedented resolution. Indeed, it offers the ability to address unique biological questions that may not be solved by other means. While two-photon intravital microscopy has been successfully applied to study many organs, the kidney presents its own unique challenges that need to be overcome in order to optimize and validate imaging data. For kidney imaging, the complexity of renal architecture and salient autofluorescence merit special considerations as these elements directly impact image acquisition and data interpretation. Here, using illustrative cases, we provide practical guides and discuss issues that may arise during two-photon live imaging of the rodent kidney.