Monitoring lysosomal activity in nanoparticle-treated cells

Methods Mol Biol. 2011:697:207-12. doi: 10.1007/978-1-60327-198-1_22.

Abstract

Certain nanoparticles have been shown to accumulate within lysosome and hence may cause lysosomal pathologies such as phospholipidosis, lysosomal overload, and autophagy. This chapter describes a method for evaluation of lysosomal activity in porcine kidney cells (LLC-PK1) after exposure to nanoparticles. This method uses the accumulation of a cationic fluorescent dye (LysoTracker Red) in acidic cellular compartments as an indicator of total lysosome content. The lysotracker signal is normalized to the signal from a thiol-reactive dye which is proportional to the total number of viable cells.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

  • Amines / analysis
  • Amines / metabolism
  • Animals
  • Autophagy / drug effects*
  • Autophagy / physiology
  • Cell Survival / drug effects
  • Epithelial Cells / drug effects
  • Fluoresceins / metabolism
  • Fluorescent Dyes / analysis*
  • Fluorescent Dyes / metabolism
  • Kidney / drug effects
  • LLC-PK1 Cells
  • Lysosomes / metabolism*
  • Nanoparticles / toxicity*
  • Signal Transduction
  • Swine

Substances

  • Amines
  • Fluoresceins
  • Fluorescent Dyes
  • Red DND-99
  • 5-chloromethylfluorescein