Calcium Imaging in Neuron Cell Death

Abstract

Intracellular Ca2+ is involved in control of a large variety of cell functions including apoptosis and neuron cell death. For example, intracellular Ca2+ overload is critical in neuron cell death induced by excitotoxicity. Thus, single cell monitoring of intracellular Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]cyt) in neurons concurrently with apoptosis and neuron cell death is widely required. Procedures for culture and preparation of primary cultures of hippocampal rat neurons and fluorescence imaging of cytosolic Ca2+ concentration in Fura2/AM-loaded neurons are described. We also describe a method for apoptosis detection by immunofluorescence imaging. Finally, a simple method for concurrent measurements of [Ca2+]cyt and apoptosis in the same neurons is described.