Fig. 6: Pathological alterations in optic nerve.

X-ray phase contrast tomography (XPCT) shows pathological alterations in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) optic nerve and allows the visualization of ocular vascularization. a–d XPCT images showing the longitudinal (a, b) and axial (c, d) views of the optic nerve in a naive mouse (a, c), and an EAE-induced mouse at disease onset (b, d), where large accumulations of inflammatory cell infiltrates (arrows) compatible with the occurrence of optical neuritis are visible. The dashed lines in (a, b) illustrate the location of the axial sections (c, d). Scale bar (a, b) = 100 μm. Scale bar (c, d) = 50 μm. e XPCT image showing a section of ocular bulb from a naive mouse. Structural deformations due to sample preparation in paraffin are visible. Scale bar = 200 μm. f, g Representative results of virtual flattening of a naive mouse eye: lateral section of retina (f) and the en face surface of the highly vascularized choroidal layer (g). Samples presented in a–d and g were embedded in epon, whereas samples presented in e and f were embedded in paraffin. Clinical EAE score at the onset = 2.5. XPCT images were acquired in Experiment 4, reported in Methods.