CELL ACTIVATION INFLUENCES CELL STAINING KINETICS

Stimulation of cells has so far been observed, among other methods, by the decrease of the intracellular fluorescein fluorescence polarizati on (IFFP). It is shown that the rate constant of leakage of the fluore scent marker out of the cells increases with stimulation much more sig nificantly than the polarization decreases; thus it might provide a mo re sensitive method to observe cells stimulation. It is also shown tha t due to negligible leakage of the marker out of the cells shortly aft er initiation of the staining of the cell suspension, the fluorescein fluorescence polarization (FFP) of the cell suspension, is very close to IFFP. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science B.V.