Optical metabolic imaging of neutrophil activation and effector function

This study employs the optical redox ratio and fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy of intrinsic metabolic coenzymes NAD(P)H and FAD to assess the metabolic state of human neutrophils in vitro, under a variety of activation conditions and targeted metabolic pathway inhibition at the single-cell level. By measuring effector functions such as oxidative burst, neutrophil activation could be confirmed. In addition, identical metabolic changes were detected in zebrafish larvae neutrophils following activation, confirming the validity of these findings in vivo.