Flow cytometry in the study of cell death
AUTOR(ES)
Bertho, Álvaro L, Santiago, Marta A, Coutinho, Sérgio G
FONTE
Memórias do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz
DATA DE PUBLICAÇÃO
2000-06
RESUMO
In this report we present a concise review concerning the use of flow cytometric methods to characterize and differentiate between two different mechanisms of cell death, apoptosis and necrosis. The applications of these techniques to clinical and basic research are also considered. The following cell features are useful to characterize the mode of cell death: (1) activation of an endonuclease in apoptotic cells results in extraction of the low molecular weight DNA following cell permeabilization, which, in turn, leads to their decreased stainability with DNA-specific fluorochromes. Measurements of DNA content make it possible to identify apoptotic cells and to recognize the cell cycle phase specificity of apoptotic process; (2) plasma membrane integrity, which is lost in necrotic but not in apoptotic cells; (3) the decrease in forward light scatter, paralleled either by no change or an increase in side scatter, represent early changes during apoptosis. The data presented indicate that flow cytometry can be applied to basic research of the molecular and biochemical mechanisms of apoptosis, as well as in the clinical situations, where the ability to monitor early signs of apoptosis in some systems may be predictive for the outcome of some treatment protocols.
Documentos Relacionados
- Determination of natural killer cell function by flow cytometry.
- Applications of flow cytometry to hematopoietic stem cell transplantation
- Flow cytometry and cell sorting of heterogeneous microbial populations: the importance of single-cell analyses.
- Subcompartments of the G1 phase of cell cycle detected by flow cytometry.
- Comparative study of neutrophil activation by chemiluminescence and flow cytometry.