Longitudinal three-photon imaging for tracking amyloid plaques and vascular degeneration in a mouse model of Alzheimer's disease
Significance: Vascular abnormalities may contribute to amyloid-beta accumulation and neurotoxicity in Alzheimer's disease (AD). The ability to monitor vascular degeneration as AD progresses is essential. Three-photon fluorescence microscopy (3PM) enables high-resolution deep tissue imaging with minimal invasiveness and photodamage. Aim: This study established a longitudinal 3P imaging pipeline to quantify vascular degeneration and amyloid plaque formation in the APP NL-G-F mouse model. Approach: A cranial window allowed repeated 3P imaging at four-week intervals beginning at five weeks after surgery. Vessels labelled with Texas-Red were segmented using DeepVess, while plaques labelled with methoxy-XO4 were segmented using custom scripts. Quantitative analyses assessed vascular parameters (diameter, density, tortuosity, length, inter-vessel distance) and plaque metrics (radius, nearest plaque-to-vessel distance). Results: We imaged the same field over 4 weeks quantifying a decrease in vasculature and increase in amyloid plaque formation with age. Significant decreases in vessel diameter, increases in inter-vessel distance, and alterations in vessel length were observed. Changes in vessel tortuosity, plaque radius, and plaque proximity to vessels were not significant. Conclusions: This pipeline tracks vascular remodeling and amyloid pathology in deep cortical structures. It offers a tool for studying the interplay between vascular and amyloid pathologies in AD, supporting future research into disease mechanisms and therapeutic strategies.