Introduction to Functional Cell Assays. (Reannouncement with New AvailabilityInformation)

摘要

The flow cytometer can be used to measure a variety of functional parameters thatare of increasing interest to cell biologists. Some of these parameters are already of interest in the clinical laboratory and some will become clinically relevant in the near future. The recent development of a number of new fluorescent probes now permit the measurement of various intracellular free ion concentrations, membrane characteristics, indicators of cellular metabolism, and intracellular glutathione. Most previously available techniques to measure these cellular 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 living single cells; it allows correlation with other parameters such as immunophenotype and cell cycle; and, finally, it reveals heterogeneity within the cell population. As an introduction to several more detailed presentations elsewhere in this volume that describe the clinical application of probes of cellular physiology, this discussion will introduce several measurements of the greatest current interest.