Simultaneous observation of collagen and elastin based on the combined nonlinear optical imaging technique coupled with two-channel synchronized detection method

Collagen and elastin are the most important proteins of the connective tissues in higher vertebrates. In this paper, we present a combined nonlinear optical imaging technique of second-harmonic generation and two-photon excited fluorescence to simultaneously observe the collagen and elastic fiber of dermis in a freshly excised human skin and rabbit aorta using a two-channel synchronized detection method. The obtained two-channel overlay image in the backward direction can clearly distinguish the morphological structure and distribution of collagen and elastic fibers. Tissue spectrum further confirms the obtained structural information. These results suggest that the combined nonlinear optical imaging technique coupled with two-channel synchronized detection method can be an effective tool for detecting collage and elastic fibers without any invasive tissue procedure of slicing, embedding, fixation and staining when two structural proteins are simultaneously present in the biological tissue.