Cell cytotoxicity assays measure the ability of certain compounds or chemical mediators to reduce the viability of the cells. The term cell cytotoxicity assay can sometimes be used interchangeably with cell proliferation assay. Healthy living cells can be identified by the use of formazan dyes, protease biomarkers or by measuring ATP content. The formazan dyes are chromogenic products formed by the reduction of tetrazolium salts by dehydrogenases, such as lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and reductases that are released during cell death. Common tetrazolium salts include INT, MTT, MTS and XTT. Cell cytotoxicity can also be measured by using the SRB and WST-1 assays. These assays can usually be used in a high-throughput fashion and can be quantitated by measuring absorbance, colorimetry or luminescence. All these assays require similar numbers of cell plating at the initiation, a time course of treatment with the cytotoxic agent and at least triplicates for each condition at every point of analysis. Cell shrinkage, plasma membrane blebbing, cell detachment, externalization of phosphatidylserine, nuclear condensation and ultimately DNA fragmentation are well-described features of apoptosis. The assays that rely on cell membrane integrity for their function, may not be able to quantify early apoptosis. Therefore, in order to distinguish early apoptotic vs. late apoptotic or necrotic cells, additional flow cytometry techniques can be used. A combination of Annexin V and PI (propidium iodide) can be used to distinguish early (Annexin V+/PI-) and late apoptotic (Annexin V+/PI+) cells. Sometimes, caspase assays are used in order to differentiate the stages of apoptosis.
Cell cytotoxicity assays measure the ability of certain compounds or chemical mediators to reduce the viability of the cells. The term cell cytotoxicity assay can sometimes be used interchangeably with cell proliferation assay. Healthy living cells can be identified by the use of formazan dyes, protease biomarkers or by measuring ATP content. The formazan dyes are chromogenic products formed by the reduction of tetrazolium salts by dehydrogenases, such as lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and reductases that are released during cell death. Common tetrazolium salts include INT, MTT, MTS and XTT. Cell cytotoxicity can also be measured by using the SRB and WST-1 assays. These assays can usually be used in a high-throughput fashion and can be quantitated by measuring absorbance, colorimetry or luminescence. All these assays require similar numbers of cell plating at the initiation, a time course of treatment with the cytotoxic agent and at least triplicates for each condition at every point of analysis. Cell shrinkage, plasma membrane blebbing, cell detachment, externalization of phosphatidylserine, nuclear condensation and ultimately DNA fragmentation are well-described features of apoptosis. The assays that rely on cell membrane integrity for their function, may not be able to quantify early apoptosis. Therefore, in order to distinguish early apoptotic vs. late apoptotic or necrotic cells, additional flow cytometry techniques can be used. A combination of Annexin V and PI (propidium iodide) can be used to distinguish early (Annexin V+/PI-) and late apoptotic (Annexin V+/PI+) cells. Sometimes, caspase assays are used in order to differentiate the stages of apoptosis.
Wound healing assay can be challenging due to inconsistencies and variations while making a wound on the confluent cell monolayer, consequently leads to wounds of varying sizes and widths. Moreover, this assay causes damage to the cells that are at the edge of the wound, which can prevent cell migration into the wound site and healing. The best solution is to use the standard wound healing assay kits using either combs or inserts to make a defined wound field or gap and prevent the well-to-well variation in these assays.
Get tips on using CytoSelect™ 24-Well Wound Healing Assay to perform Wound healing assay cell type - rat MSC
Get tips on using CytoSelect™ 24-Well Wound Healing Assay to perform Wound healing assay cell type - mouse C166
Get tips on using CytoSelect™ 24-Well Wound Healing Assay to perform Wound healing assay cell type - mouse 4T1
Get tips on using CytoSelect™ 24-Well Wound Healing Assay to perform Wound healing assay cell type - human HMEC
Get tips on using CytoSelect™ 24-Well Wound Healing Assay to perform Wound healing assay cell type - human HUVEC
Get tips on using CellTiter-Glo® Luminescent Cell Viability Assay to perform Live / Dead assay mammalian cells - BHK-21
Get tips on using CytoTox 96® Non-Radioactive Cytotoxicity Assay to perform Live / Dead assay mammalian cells - CHO-K1
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