Although melanin is a complex biopolymer, its optical properties make it a potential biomarker under pump-probe imaging 18, 19, 20. Pump-probe microscopy uses two ultrafast laser pulses (pump and probe) to study the transient excited and ground-state photodynamics of pigment molecules 16, 17. By taking advantage of high molecular selectivity and spatial resolution, it has become a powerful tool for disease identification, noninvasive assessment, and monitoring of the morphological and functional status of live tissues 14, 15. Multiphoton microscopy based on pump-probe imaging is one of the most important inventions in the field of label-free optical imaging in recent years 13. In this study, a reliable noninvasive quantitative method will enable direct in vivo studies of human dark circles, the evolution of dark circles, and the pathophysiology of dark circles, without relying on invasive procedures in animal models. In addition, currently, the lack of animal model to human dark circles influences the progress of experimental research on the pathophysiology of dark circles, which in turn hinders the development of clinical applications. Although dark circles are very common, no quantitative analysis was conducted on the severity of dark circles, and its pathogenesis is unclear 1, 4, 11, 12. Despite the multitude of treatment methods, the specific dose is not clear and accurate enough, and broadly applicable and effective treatments are lacking. At present, dark circles can be treated by various methods, such as normobaric oxygen therapy, depigmenting agents, chemical peeling, lasers, hyaluronic fillers, autologous fat transplantation and blepharoplasty 4, 7, 8, 9, 10. Dark circles are caused by various factors, including infection, inflammation, allergies and some specific lifestyle (such as insufficient sleep, smoking and mental stress), which can lead to excessive pigmentation of the eyes, a common manifestation of dark circles 3, 4, 5, 6. Dark circles around the eyes are not a health threat, but they can affect the quality of life and appearance, as they can make sufferers look tired or sad. “Dark circles” is not an official medical term but a common condition that has been used to express the relative darkness of the skin around the eyes, which affects patients of all ages, especially women 1, 2. Significant differences were noted between the pigmented type of dark circles and the other two groups (normal skin and the vascular type of dark circles), while no significant differences were found between normal skin and the vascular type of dark circles. Pump-probe imaging could be used for the analysis of the microstructure and spectral characteristics of melanin granules in skin with dark circles. These differences can be used to distinguish the skin with dark circles from the normal skin. Meanwhile, the tissues of the skin with dark circles and normal skin demonstrated significant differences in MCI and MFI. The distribution of melanin granules in the pump-probe image and FeSO 4 staining was consistent. Subsequently, the melanin content index (MCI) and mean fluorescence intensity (MFI) were quantitatively analyzed by the pump-probe imaging. Furthermore, adjacent slices were respectively treated with hematoxylin–eosin (HE) and ferrous sulfate (FeSO 4) staining for cross-references. Specimens obtained from 15 patients undergoing blepharoplasty were examined using pump-probe imaging. This study aimed to compare the distribution characteristics in melanin of lower eyelid skin tissues and to determine whether pump-probe imaging has potential for the classification of dark circles in vivo. Pump-probe imaging was first used for quantitative analysis of melanin in dark circles’ skin to improve the ability to diagnose and treat dark circles on human skin.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |