what's an easy way to look for cell death?

[Surgical Residence]

Email me for an explanation of using Propidium Iodide and Flow
cytometry to detect and measure apoptosis.

I think the apoptosis kits from Oncor and BM are way too expensive for
simple apoptosis detection.

surglab1 at is.rvh.mcgill.ca

"Robert W. St. G. Fisher, IV" <fisher at radonc.unc.edu> wrote:

>Another alternative (if you have access to a florescence microscope) 
>is to fix the cells, stain with PI, and look for apoptosis.  All you 
>need is propidium iodide, methanol, and acetic acid (all pretty 
>cheap). You should be able to identify apoptotic bodies (spit out 
>pieces of chromatin in a cytoplasmic envelope) as well as whole 
>cells undergoing apoptosis (condensed, 'blobby' nuclei, etc. etc. 
>etc.)  

>It would probably be a good idea to get someone who actually knows 
>what the apoptosic morphology looks like....

>Alternatively, you could use flow cytometry...i know it can be done 
>but don't know the details.  Any flow people care to elaborate?

>And Boehringer Mannheim has an apoptosis ELISA which was $209 last 
>week.....

>hope this helps...
>Robert Fisher