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Agradecimentos: The equipment used for the development of this work was purchased with the help of Fapesp (the São Paulo Research Foundation; 08/57906-3) and CNPq (the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development; 573913/2008-0). We reviewed the content of the manuscript, followed by Ms Diane Ellis, B.A. in education. Biostatistician Cleide Aparecida Moreira Silva, Research Committee, Biostatistics Division, Medical Sciences School, Unicamp, provided statistical consultation Abstract: Solid tumors typically contain high levels of fibrillar collagen. The increased stromal collagen deposition usually promotes cancer progression since biochemical and biophysical cues from tumor-associated collagen fibers stimulate neoplastic cells. Few studies have investigated the relationship between Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) and the extracellular matrix (ECM), but there are no works evaluating collagen. This is an observational, analytical, retrospective study including 11 patients with MCC. Primary tumor-stained sections were evaluated by second harmonic generation microscopy and texture analysis. Peritumoral texture features (area fraction, mean gray value, entropy, and contrast) showed much lower values than normal skin (P < .0001) revealing extensively altered structure of peritumoral collagen fibers. These differences were not significant between tumors with unfavorable and favorable known prognostic factors. Profound changes in collagen fibers present in the stroma accompanying primary MCC may contribute to the aggressive behavior of this tumor. Our results indicate that whatever MCC histological subtype, size or anatomical location, MCC promotes the same type of ECM for its development. As an outlook, therapies using ECM macromolecules or fibroblasts (the architects of ECM remodeling) as target could be useful in the treatment of MCC FUNDAÇÃO DE AMPARO À PESQUISA DO ESTADO DE SÃO PAULO - FAPESP CONSELHO NACIONAL DE DESENVOLVIMENTO CIENTÍFICO E TECNOLÓGICO - CNPQ Aberto

Agradecimentos: The authors are members of Centros de Pesquisa, Inovação e Difusão Redoxoma-Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP) Grant 2013/07937-8 and received further support from Fundação Zerbini. L. Y. Tanaka, T. L. S. Araujo, and A. I. Rodriguez were supported by FAPESP Scholarship Grants 2013/17115-5, 2015/06210-2, and 2013/06241-0. M. C. C. Morais was supported by Programa de Pós-Graduação em Oncologia, Instituto do Câncer do Estado de São Paulo, by a Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) scholarship grant, Programa Nacional de Pós-Doutoramento. A. F. Ramos is thankful to CAPES for financial support Abstract: Although redox processes closely interplay with mechanoresponses to control vascular remodeling, redox pathways coupling mechanostimulation to cellular cytoskeletal organization remain unclear. The peri/epicellular pool of protein disulfide isomerase-A1 (pecPDIA1) supports postinjury vessel remodeling. Using distinct models, we investigated whether pecPDIA1 could work as a redox-dependent organizer of cytoskeletal mechanoresponses. In vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs), pecPDIA1 immunoneutralization impaired stress fiber assembly in response to equibiaxial stretch and, under uniaxial stretch, significantly perturbed cell repositioning perpendicularly to stretch orientation. During cyclic stretch, pecPDIA1 supported thiol oxidation of the known mechanosensor beta(1)-integrin and promoted polarized compartmentalization of suifenylated proteins. Using traction force microscopy, we showed that pecPDIA1 organizes intracellular force distribution. The net contractile moment ratio of platelet-derived growth factor-exposed to basal VSMCs decreased from 0.90 +/- 0.09 (IgG-exposed controls) to 0.70 +/- 0.08 after pecPDIA1 neutralization (P < 0.05), together with an enhanced coefficient of variation for distribution of force modules, suggesting increased noise. Moreover, in a single cell model, pecPDIA1 neutralization impaired migration persistence without affecting total distance or velocity, whereas siRNA-mediated total PDIA1 silencing disabled all such variables of VSMC migration. Neither expression nor total activity of the master mechanotransmitter/regulator RhoA was affected by pecPDIA1 neutralization. However, cyclic stretch-induced focal distribution of membrane-bound RhoA was disrupted by pecPDI inhibition, which promoted a nonpolarized pattern of RhoA/caveolin-3 cluster colocalization. Accordingly, FRET biosensors showed that pecPDIA1 supports localized RhoA activity at cell protrusions versus perinuclear regions. Thus. pecPDI acts as a thiol redox-dependent organizer and noise reducer mechanism of cytoskeletal repositioning, oxidant generation, and localized RhoA activation during a variety of VSMC mechanoresponses. NEW & NOTEWORTHY Effects of a peri/epicellular pool of protein disulfide isomerase-A1 (pecPDIA1) during mechanoregulation in vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) were highlighted using approaches such as equibiaxial and uniaxial stretch, random single cell migration, and traction force microscopy. pecPDIA1 regulates organization of the cytoskeleton and minimizes the noise of cell alignment, migration directionality, and persistence. pecPDIA1 mechanisms involve redox control of beta(1)-integrin and localized RhoA activation. pecPDIA1 acts as a novel organizer of mechanoadaptation responses in VSMCs COORDENAÇÃO DE APERFEIÇOAMENTO DE PESSOAL DE NÍVEL SUPERIOR - CAPES FUNDAÇÃO DE AMPARO À PESQUISA DO ESTADO DE SÃO PAULO - FAPESP Fechado

Agradecimentos: FAPESP (2013/16911-2); Instituto Nacional de Fotônica Aplicada à Biologia Celular-INFABIC (CNPq grant 465699/2014-6, FAPESP grant 2014/50938-8); Biologia das Doenças Neoplásicas da Medula Óssea (FAPESP grant 11/51959-0); CLC - CNPq produtividade grant (312049/2014-5); and Centro de Óptica e Fotônica - CEPOF (FAPESP grant 05/51689-2) Abstract: Acquiring images of biological tissues and cells without the assistance of exogenous labels with a fast repetition rate and chemical specificity is what coherent anti-Stokes Raman Scattering (CARS) imaging offers. Nonresonant background (NRB) is one of the main drawbacks of the CARS microscopy technique because it limits the detection of weak Raman lines and the detection of low-concentration molecules. We show that a six-wave mixing process with two beams, which is a cascade effect of CARS, show better signal/NRB ratio and can be utilized for biological tissues imaging. The cascade CARS (CCARS) depends on chi-3 to the fourth power, instead of chi-3 squared as in the usual CARS signal||therefore, the contrast ratio with NRB is higher for CCARS than for CARS. We present analytic calculations showing that CCARS have better contrast over CARS in any situation. Comparison of the signals of both techniques generated on water-ethanol solutions confirm these results. Finally, we acquired CCARS images of fresh biological tissues, attesting that it is a useful tool for biological studies FUNDAÇÃO DE AMPARO À PESQUISA DO ESTADO DE SÃO PAULO - FAPESP CONSELHO NACIONAL DE DESENVOLVIMENTO CIENTÍFICO E TECNOLÓGICO - CNPQ Aberto

Agradecimentos: The author(s) disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: The authors thank the National Institute of Science and Technology on Photonics Applied to Cell Biology (INFABiC) at the State University of Campinas for access to equipment and assistance; INFABiC is co-funded by Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP) (08/57906-3) and Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq) (573913/2008-0). Rodrigo A Natal and José Vassallo contributed equally to this article Abstract: Second-harmonic generation microscopy represents an important tool to evaluate extracellular matrix collagen structure, which undergoes changes during cancer progression. Thus, it is potentially relevant to assess breast cancer development. We propose the use of second-harmonic generation images of tumor stroma selected on hematoxylin and eosin–stained slides to evaluate the prognostic value of collagen fibers analyses in peri and intratumoral areas in patients diagnosed with invasive ductal breast carcinoma. Quantitative analyses of collagen parameters were performed using ImageJ software. These parameters presented significantly higher values in peri than in intratumoral areas. Higher intratumoral collagen uniformity was associated with high pathological stages and with the presence of axillary lymph node metastasis. In patients with immunohistochemistry-based luminal subtype, higher intratumoral collagen uniformity and quantity were independently associated with poorer relapse-free and overall survival, respectively. A multivariate response recursive partitioning model determined 12.857 and 11.894 as the best cut-offs for intratumoral collagen quantity and uniformity, respectively. These values have shown high sensitivity and specificity to differentiate distinct outcomes. Values of intratumoral collagen quantity and uniformity exceeding the cut-offs were strongly associated with poorer relapse-free and overall survival. Our findings support a promising prognostic value of quantitative evaluation of intratumoral collagen by second-harmonic generation imaging mainly in the luminal subtype breast cancer CONSELHO NACIONAL DE DESENVOLVIMENTO CIENTÍFICO E TECNOLÓGICO - CNPQ FUNDAÇÃO DE AMPARO À PESQUISA DO ESTADO DE SÃO PAULO - FAPESP Aberto

Agradecimentos: This study was funded by the São Paulo Research Foundation (08/57906–3), the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (573913/2008–0), and the Biologia das Doenças Neoplásicas da Medula Óssea (FAPESP grant 11/51959-0) project with fellowship support from CNPq (310518/2015-6) Abstract: Background: The diagnosis of idiopathic atrophoderma of Pasini and Pierini (IAPP) relies on typical clinical features, particularly distinctive pigmented ovular/round depressed plaques. Histologic examination often reveals no obvious changes, but patterns of collagen distribution, using multiphoton imaging and second harmonic generation can help track hidden details of tissue organization contributing to atrophy. Objective: To identify histologic features that distinguish IAPP from unaffected skin. Methods: Eleven patients were included for conventional analyses. Masson trichromee and Unna-Tanzer orcein-stained sections were evaluated using automated morphometry. Hematoxylin-eosinestained sections were analyzed by multiphoton imaging using 2-photon excited fluorescence and second harmonic generation. Results: No abnormalities were found under light microscopy or by automated quantification. Multiphoton imaging revealed no difference in optical density of either collagen or elastic fibers in lesioned and unaffected skin; however, horizontal collagen fiber organization in lesion specimens increased toward the lower dermis, whereas elastic fibers featured greater disorganization within the upper dermis. Limitations: The low number of patients evaluated. Conclusion: The atrophic appearance of IAPP lesions reflects changes in organization, but not in collagen and elastic tissue content. Minute organizational differences that are imperceptible to the experienced pathologist and undetectable by automated analyses were revealed by multiphoton analyses, particularly second harmonic generation, in association with texture analyses FUNDAÇÃO DE AMPARO À PESQUISA DO ESTADO DE SÃO PAULO - FAPESP CONSELHO NACIONAL DE DESENVOLVIMENTO CIENTÍFICO E TECNOLÓGICO - CNPQ Fechado

Agradecimentos: Contract grant sponsor: FAPESP; Contract grant number: 2009/16150-6 (to H.F.C.); Contract grant sponsor: FAPESP; Contract grant number: 2011/51591-3; Contract grant sponsors: CEPOF (Optics and Photonics Research Center, FAPESP), INFABIC (National Institute of Photonics Applied to Cell Biology, FAPESP and CNPq), PICTO UNER-INTA-CAFEGS; Contract grant number: 2009-209; Contract grant sponsor: PIO CONICET-UNER Res: 4337/15; Contract grant number: No 14620140100004 CO) Abstract: A plethora of optical techniques is currently available to obtain non-destructive, contactless, real time information with subcellular spatial resolution to observe cell processes. Each technique has its own unique features for imaging and for obtaining certain biological information. However none of the available techniques can be of universal use. For a comprehensive investigation of biological specimens and events, one needs to use a combination of bioimaging methods, often at the same time. Some modern confocal/multiphoton microscopes provide simultaneous fluorescence, fluorescence lifetime imaging, and four-dimensional imaging. Some of them can also easily be adapted for harmonic generation imaging, and to permit cell manipulation technique. In this work we present a multimodal optical workstation that extends a commercially available confocal microscope to include nonlinear/multiphoton microscopy and optical manipulation/stimulation tools. The nonlinear microscopy capabilities were added to the commercial confocal microscope by exploiting all the flexibility offered by the manufacturer. The various capabilities of this workstation as applied directly to reproductive biology are discussed FUNDAÇÃO DE AMPARO À PESQUISA DO ESTADO DE SÃO PAULO - FAPESP CONSELHO NACIONAL DE DESENVOLVIMENTO CIENTÍFICO E TECNOLÓGICO - CNPQ Fechado

Agradecimentos: A.A.d.T. was a recipient of a fellowship of the State of Sao Paulo Funding Agency (FAPESP). FAPESP and National Research Council (CNPq) grants to H.F.C. and to C.L.C. (FAPESP Grant Nos. 08/57906-3 and 09/54164-9) are acknowledged. INFABIC is cofounded by CNPq and FAPESP Abstract: One of the most important properties of quantum dots (QDs) is their size. Their size will determine optical properties and in a colloidal medium their range of interaction. The most common techniques used to measure QD size are transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and X-ray diffraction. However, these techniques demand the sample to be dried and under a vacuum. This way any hydrodynamic information is excluded and the preparation process may alter even the size of the QDs. Fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (FCS) is an optical technique with single molecule sensitivity capable of extracting the hydrodynamic radius (HR) of the QDs. The main drawback of FCS is the blinking phenomenon that alters the correlation function implicating in a QD apparent size smaller than it really is. In this work, we developed a method to exclude blinking of the FCS and measured the HR of colloidal QDs. We compared our results with TEM images, and the HR obtained by FCS is higher than the radius measured by TEM. We attribute this difference to the cap layer of the QD that cannot be seen in the TEM images FUNDAÇÃO DE AMPARO À PESQUISA DO ESTADO DE SÃO PAULO - FAPESP CONSELHO NACIONAL DE DESENVOLVIMENTO CIENTÍFICO E TECNOLÓGICO - CNPQ Fechado

Agradecimentos: This study was supported by the Fundação do Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo - FAPESP (www.fapesp.br). FAPESP Process No 2010/12565-4. FAPESP-INCT-INFABIC Process No 2008/57906-3. The funding institution had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript Abstract: Nonlinear optical (NLO) microscopy techniques have potential to improve the early detection of epithelial ovarian cancer. In this study we showed that multimodal NLO microscopies, including two-photon excitation fluorescence (TPEF), second-harmonic generation (SHG), third-harmonic generation (THG) and fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy (FLIM) can detect morphological and metabolic changes associated with ovarian cancer progression. We obtained strong TPEF + SHG + THG signals from fixed samples stained with Hematoxylin & Eosin (H&E) and robust FLIM signal from fixed unstained samples. Particularly, we imaged 34 ovarian biopsies from different patients (median age, 49 years) including 5 normal ovarian tissue, 18 serous tumors and 11 mucinous tumors with the multimodal NLO platform developed in our laboratory. We have been able to distinguish adenomas, borderline, and adenocarcinomas specimens. Using a complete set of scoring methods we found significant differences in the content, distribution and organization of collagen fibrils in the stroma as well as in the morphology and fluorescence lifetime from epithelial ovarian cells. NLO microscopes provide complementary information about tissue microstructure, showing distinctive patterns for serous and mucinous ovarian tumors. The results provide a basis to interpret future NLO images of ovarian tissue and lay the foundation for future in vivo optical evaluation of premature ovarian lesions FUNDAÇÃO DE AMPARO À PESQUISA DO ESTADO DE SÃO PAULO - FAPESP Aberto

Agradecimentos: The authors are grateful to FAPESP. This work is also linked with the CEPOF (Optics and Photonics Research Center, FAPESP) and National Institute of Photonics Applied to Cell Biology (INFABIC) Abstract: We show that combined multimodal nonlinear optical (NLO) microscopies, including two-photon excitation fluorescence, second-harmonic generation (SHG), third harmonic generation, and fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy (FLIM) can be used to detect morphological and metabolic changes associated with stroma and epithelial transformation during the progression of cancer and osteogenesis imperfecta (01) disease. NLO microscopes provide complementary information about tissue microstructure, showing distinctive patterns for different types of human breast cancer, mucinous ovarian tumors, and skin dermis of patients with OI. Using a set of scoring methods (anisotropy, correlation, uniformity, entropy, and lifetime components), we found significant differences in the content, distribution and organization of collagen fibrils in the stroma of breast and ovary as well as in the dermis of skin. We suggest that our results provide a framework for using NLO techniques as a clinical diagnostic tool for human cancer and OI. We further suggest that the SHG and FLIM metrics described could be applied to other connective or epithelial tissue disorders that are characterized by abnormal cells proliferation and collagen assembly FUNDAÇÃO DE AMPARO À PESQUISA DO ESTADO DE SÃO PAULO - FAPESP Aberto