Measurements of Cell Physiology: Ionized Calcium, pH and Glutathione
Abstract
The flow cytometer can be used to measure a variety of functional parameters that are of increasing interest to cell biologists. The recent development of a number of new fluorescent probes now permits the measurement of various intracellular free ion concentrations in single living cells. Among these ions are calcium, magnesium, sodium, potassium, and hydrogen (pH). In addition, intracellular glutathione, crucial for maintaining the physiological redox state, can be easily and accurately measured by flow cytometry. Most previously available techniques to measure cellular activation parameters determined the mean value for a mixed population of cells. The flow cytometer has the unique capacity to permit the measurement of physiologic parameters in large numbers of single cells; it allows correlation with other parameters, such as immunophenotype and cell cycle; and, finally, it reveals heterogeneity within the cell population, sometimes even in cells that were previously thought to be homogeneous. In this chapter, flow cytometric techniques to measure intracellular calcium concentration, pH, and glutathione as well as their applications are described
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 01, 1993
- Accession Number
- ADA264289
Entities
People
- Carl H. June
- Peter S. Rabinovitch
- Terrance J. Kavanagh
Organizations
- Naval Medical Research Center