Showing posts with label Immunfluorescence. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Immunfluorescence. Show all posts

Saturday, November 28, 2015

Neuron Astrocyte Glial Markers

Potent and Frequently Published!

We have a stout catalog of Neuron-Astrocyte and Glial Markers.

They are widely used and frequently published. Here're some recent examples:
Mouse Monoclonal GFAP: Chelsea M. Larabee, Constantin Georgescu, Jonathan D. Wren and Scott M. Plafke. Expression profiling of the ubiquitin conjugating enzyme UbcM2 in murine brain reveals modest age-dependent decreases in specific neurons. BMC Neuroscience201516:76 DOI: 10.1186/s12868-015-0194-y© Larabee et al. 2015.

Image: Mixed neuron-glial cultures stained with Mouse Monoclonal GFAP, and Chicken Polyclonal Neurofilament-NF-L (green). The GFAP antibody stains the network of astrocytes in these cultures, while the NF-L antibody stains neurons and their processes. The blue channel shows the localization of DNA. This antibody also works on formalin fixed paraffin embedded brain tissues. Protocol on Datasheet.

Tuj-1: Gaoying Sun, Wenwen Liu, Zhaomin Fan, Daogong Zhang, Yuechen Han, Lei Xu1, Jieyu Qi, Shasha Zhang, Bradley T. Gao, Xiaohui Bai,Jianfeng Li,Renjie Chai, Haibo Wang. The three-dimensional culture system with matrigel and neurotrophic factors preserves the structure and function of spiral ganglion neuron in vitro.

Need more assurances? Here're some feedback highlights.

STEPHEN C. Nov 19, 2015 Staining (Tuj1) worked well on human neural progenitor cells. Product Name: Tuj 1, Mouse – (Cat# MO15013-100) http://bit.ly/1Qx4ASc Organization: UCONN
GINA D. Oct 07, 2015 Very nice antibody and ordering is very easy using the website. Product Name: proDynorphin (rat), Guinea Pig – (Cat# GP10110) http://bit.ly/Sw4RJ9 Organization: Rosalind Franklin University
CAROL Feb 05, 2015 We got antibodies and received them fast with a correct temperature. Product Name: Coronin 1A, Chicken – (Cat# CH23017) http://bit.ly/1AxduYvProduct Name: Integrin alpha-M, Chicken – (Cat# CH23021)http://bit.ly/16lMihU Organization: UCSF

We have a full money back guarantee so do not hesitate to consider these markers for your assays.

Monday, July 15, 2013

MAP-2-A Versatile Neuron Marker

Neuromics is a leader in providing Neuron-Glial Markers for Neuroscientists.

We are constantly on the search for publications that reference use of these markers in unique applications. In this posting I would like to share a publication where researchers used on of our MAP-2 antibodies to stain medial superior olive (MSO) neurons. Baumann Veronika, Lehnert Simon, Leibold Christian, Koch Ursula. Tonotopic Organization of the Hyperpolarization-activated Current (Ih) in the Mammalian Medial Superior Olive. Front. Neural Circuits 7:117. doi: 10.3389/fncir.2013.00117.
 ...Following recording, slices were fixed in 4% paraformaldehyde for 30 min. After extensive washing in phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) slices were exposed to blocking buffer (0.5% trition X-100/0.1% saponin/1% BSA in PBS) followed by incubation with the primary antibody (chicken anti-microtubule-associated protein 2, MAP2, 1:1000, Neuromics) in blocking buffer. Slices were then rinsed in washing buffer (0.5% Trition X-100/0.1% saponin in PBS) and immunoreactivity was visualized by incubating the slices with the Cy3-conjugated secondary antibody raised in donkey (1:300; Dianova). Finally, slices were washed and mounted on slides with vectashield mounting reagent (Vector Laboratories, USA)...

Here the MAP-2 antibody is used to help identify the dorsal, medial and ventral portion of the MSO of p18 and p22 gerbils.

Figure . Ih varies systematically along the dorsoventral axis. (A) A brain slice containing the MSO with Alexa-488-filled neurons (green) verifies the distribution of the patched neurons along the dorsoventral axis (red: MAP-2). (B) Pharmacologically isolated Ih current traces were elicited by depolarizing and hyperpolarizing voltage steps from −60.5 mV to potentials between −40.5 mV and −120.5 mV for 1 s in 5 mV step increment and then to −100.5 mV for 0.5 s to elicit the tail current to determine the voltage dependence of Ih activation. Current traces are representative for the dorsal, the intermediate and the ventral part of the MSO. (C) I-V relationships of steady-state (red arrow in B) Ih density for ventral (n = 15), intermediate (n = 12) and dorsal (n = 18) neurons emphasize that Ih density amplitudes are smallest in dorsal neurons and largest in ventral neurons (C1). Ih density amplitudes for a voltage step to −110.5 mV (C2). (D) Weighted activation time constants at −110.5 mV (D1). The weighted activation time constants are voltage dependent and largest in the dorsal part of the MSO (D2). (E) The voltage-dependence of Ih activation was measured from the tail current 20 ms after the end of the voltage steps (red arrow) (E1). Values were fitted with a Boltzmann function to obtain the half-maximal activation voltage. In dorsal neurons the Ih activation curve is shifted to more negative voltages (E2). Half-maximal activation voltage was measured in each experiment and averaged (E3). Black symbols: dorsal neurons; gray symbols: intermediate neurons; white symbols: ventral neurons. **P < 0.01, ***P < 0.001, single-factor ANOVA test followed by a Scheffe's post-hoc test.

I will continue to post interesting applications using our Neuron-Glial Markers.

Saturday, May 18, 2013

The Role of Obesity in Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA)

Intermittent Hypoxia and Leptins

Scott Mesenger recently published a Master's Thesis that implicates compelling links between Leptin Signaling and OSA: http://ir.lib.uwo.ca/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2487&context=etd. This work was done in the John Cirello Lab at University of Western Ontario. The study extensively uses our Ob-Rb Antibody to generate data.

There is a strong link between obesity and OSA. "Perhaps the single most important factor affecting OSA risk is body weight. Weight gain of 10% increases the risk of developing OSA by six-fold (Peppard et al., 2000a) and a 10% loss of body weight is estimated to decrease the apnea/hypopnea index (events/hour) by 26%  Within the obese population (BMI ≥ 30) (Wolk et al., 2003), approximately 40% experience significant OSA and approximately 70% of OSA patients are obese (Vgontzas et al., 1994), daunting numbers considering the obesity epidemic occurring in North America and estimates suggesting 41% of Americans will be obese by 2015 (Nejat et al., 2009)."

"Leptin can exert cardiovascular effects by acting centrally, as has been shown by studies introducing leptin directly into the CNS. Central administration serves to increase plasma catecholamines epinephrine and norepinephrine (Satoh et al., 1999). In other studies, leptin has been found to increase SNA, arterial pressure as well as heart rate and to inhibit the baroreflex (Arnold et al., 2009; Mark et al., 2009). Leptin may also have a role in modulating the peripheral chemoreflex at the level of the CNS as microinjection of leptin into caudal pressor areas of the NTS has been found to potentiate the sympathetic and blood pressure responses to chemoreflex activation (Ciriello & Moreau, 2012). These cardiovascular effects may not be debilitating under normal homeostatic conditions, however in conditions of increased circulating leptin, such as in OSA and obesity, the cardiovascular responses may be detrimental."

This study shows the increase in the expression of leptins like Ob-Rb in Carotid .

Images: Fluorescent (a-c) photomicrographs showing the effect of IH on Ob-Rb (a) and ERK 1/2 (b) expression in carotid body glomus cells. Note that Ob-Rb and ERK 1/2 are co-expressed in the same cells (c). Calibration mark in (a) represents 100 μm and applies to (a-c).
Images: Western blots showing the presence of Ob-Rb (a) and Ob-R100 (b) in carotid bodies after IH. Note that IH significantly (*) decreases the protein level of Ob-Rb (a), while significantly (*) increasing the protein level of Ob-R100 (b) compared to normoxic controls (b). p values are indicated. n=5-6.

This study will give the reader great insights on the molecular biology of OSA. Check it out: http://ir.lib.uwo.ca/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2487&context=etd.

Thursday, April 04, 2013

Science Behind Elecroacupuncture for Treating Shingles

Postherpetic neuralgia (PHN) or shingles, caused by caused by herpes zoster, causes nerve damage in the skin and results in abnormal electrical signals to the brain,  and may persist or recur for months, years or for life.

Electroacupuncture (EA) is effective in relieving pain in patients with PHN. Researchers in this study determined the beneficial effect of EA and the potential mechanisms in a rat model of PHN. They use our TRPV1 antibody to track expression in the Dorsal Root Ganglia (DRG) and Dorsal Horn (DH): Cai-hua Wu, Zheng-tao Lv, Yin Zhao, Yan Gao, Jia-qing Li, Fang Gao, Xian-fang Meng, Bo Tian, Jing Shi, Hui-lin Pan and Man Li. Electroacupuncture improves thermal and mechanical sensitivities in a rat model of postherpetic neuralgia. Molecular Pain 2013, 9:18 doi:10.1186/1744-8069-9-18


Conclusions: EA treatment improves thermal perception by recovering TRPV1-positive sensory neurons
and nerve terminals damaged by RTX. EA Also reduces RTX-induced tac tile allodynia by attenuating the damage of myelinated afferent nerves and their abnormal sprouting into the spinal lamina II. Our study provides new information about the mechanisms of the therapeutic actions of EA in the treatment of PHN.
Figure 2:  Effect of EA on RTX-induced deletion of TRPV1-immunoreactive neuron s in the DRG. A, Representative images showing TRPV1-immunoreactive neurons in the lumbar DRG of vehicle ( a ) , RTX ( b ), RTX plus 2 Hz EA ( c ), RTX plus 15 Hz EA ( d ), RTX plus 100 Hz EA ( e ), and RTX plus sham EA ( f ) groups. Scale bar, 50 μ m. B, Summary data show the number of TRPV1 immunoreactive neurons in different groups. Data are expresse d as means ± SEM (n = 6 rats in each group). *P < 0.05, compared with the vehicle group; # P< 0.05, compared with the sham EA group.
Figure 3: Effect of EA on RTX-induced deletion of TRPV1 immunoreactive central terminals in the spinal dorsal horn. A, Representative images showing TRPV1 immunoreactive central terminals of afferent fibers in the spinal dorsal horn of vehicle (a) ,RTX (b), RTX plus 2 Hz EA (c), RTX plus 15 Hz EA (d), RTX plus 100 Hz EA (e), and RTX plus sham EA (f) groups. Scale bar, 50 μm. B, Summary data show the area of TRPV1 immunoreactive central terminals in different groups. Data are expressed as means ± SEM (n= 6 rats in each group). *P < 0.05, compared with the vehicle group; # P < 0.05, compared with the sham EA group. 
I am always interested in how our Pain and Inflammation Research Markers are used to help understand the science behind pain therapies and also discovery of new therapies. There are multiple postings on these subjects with many more to come.

Thursday, January 24, 2013

QCing our hMSC Derived Chondrocytes

We routinely internally test our Human Mesenchymal Stem Cells (hMSCs) and terminally differentiated cells. I would like to share the latest on our hMCS Derived Human Chondrocytes.
Msc derived human chondrocytes in culture-01-2013 from Pete Shuster
We will soon be adding QC and related images for our Osteoblasts and Endothelial Cells.

Monday, January 21, 2013

Stem Cells, Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DCM) & Cardiomyopathies

Transplanting Aorta-derived mesoangioblasts (ADMs) to Prevent ADM Related Cardiomyopathy-ADMs can be induced to express cardiac markers, including Nkx2.5, cardiac tropomyosin, cardiac troponin I, and -actinin, and adopt cardiomyocyte morphology. Transplantation of ADMs into the heart of mdx/utrn−/− mice prior to development of DCM prevented onset of cardiomyopathy, as measured by echocardiography, and resulted in significantly higher CD31 expression, consistent with new vessel formation. Dystrophin-positive cardiomyocytes and increased proliferation of endogenous Nestin cardiac stem cells (Neuromics' Chicken Polyclonal Nestin antibody was used as a marker to determine presence of these cells) were detected in ADM-injected heart: JU LAN CHUN, ROBERT O’BRIEN, MIN HO SONG, BLAKE F.WONDRASCH, SUZANNE E. BERRY.Injection of Vessel-Derived Stem Cells Prevents Dilated Cardiomyopathy and Promotes Angiogenesis and Endogenous Cardiac Stem Cell Proliferation in mdx/utrn−/− but Not Aged mdx Mouse Models for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. STEM CELLS TRANSLATIONAL MEDICINE 2013;2:000–000. http://dx.doi.org/10.5966/sctm.2012-0107.
Figure 6. Nestin and cardiac myocytes in ADM-transplanted mdx/utrn / heart. Fluorescent microscopy was used to visualize nestin interstitial and striated cells in the heart. (A): There were significantly fewer nestin interstitial stem cells in ADM-injected (dko/ADMs, n 5) mdx/utrn / heart in comparison with age-matched wild-type heart injected with saline (WT/HBSS, n 4). p values were obtained using Student’s t test. No difference was observed between WT/HBSS versus dKO/HBSS (p .0538) or dKO/HBSS versus dKO/ADMs (p .3843). (B–F): Nestin striated cells (green, indicated by white arrows) were observed in four of five mdx/utrn / hearts transplanted with ADMs. (C): A cluster of nestin striated cells (green, indicated by white arrows) and surrounding tissue containing nestin interstitial stem cells (also green, indicated by yellow arrowheads). (D–F): The same cluster of nestin cells (green) shown in (C), at higher magnification, expressed cardiac troponin I (red [E, F]). (G): Some nestin striated cells were also observed in one of four mdx/utrn / hearts injected with saline. (H): Nestin striated cells were not present in saline-injected wild-type heart. Abbreviations: ADM, aorta-derived mesoangioblast; cTpI, cardiac troponin I; DAPI, 4 ,6-diamidino-2-phenylindole; dKO, double knockout mdx/utrn / ; HBSS, Hanks’ balanced saline solution; WT, wild-type.

Conclusion: ADMs delay or prevent development of DCM in dystrophin-deficient heart, but timing of stem cell transplantation may be critical for achieving benefit with cell therapy in DMDcardiac muscle.
Stem Cell Research Reagents.

Thursday, January 10, 2013

Pain and the Interplay Between P2Y Receptors with P2X3

P2Y2-P2X3 crosstalk in DRG neurons

Alfredo Ribeiro-da-Silva and his team use our Purinergic Receptor Antibodies to the study role of their expression in Nociceptive and Neuropathic Pain. They referenced their use in 8 publications.

Based on their research, they suspect changes in P2X3 function under pathological conditions are more complex than simple up- or down-regulation of expression at the protein level. This would have profound implications for the dicovery of drugs that target P2X3 expression levels: Gary Mo, Jennifer C. Peleshok, Chang-Qing Cao, Alfredo Ribeiro-da-Silva and Philippe Séguéla. Control of P2X3 channel function by metabotropic P2Y2 UTP receptors in primary sensory neurons. Molecular Pharmacology Fast Forward. Published on December 18, 2012 as doi:10.1124/mol.112.082099.
Images: P2X3 and P2Y2 receptors are co-expressed in rat DRG sensory neurons.(A) DRG sections labeled for P2Y2 (green) and P2X3 (red) and merged (yellow). P2Y2 immunoreactivity is broadly distributed in small-diameter neuronal somata and co-localized with P2X3 (arrows). P2Y2 immunoreactivity can be detected in cells negative for P2X3 (arrow heads). (B) P2Y2 (green) and P2X3 (red) are also colocalized (yellow) in peripheral nerve fibers.
The two receptors were found to be colocalized both in cell bodies and nerve fibers, indicating co-trafficking to peripheral and central terminals. The immunolocalization evidence presented here provides valuable information on the physiological relevance of crosstalks between ionotropic and metabotropic ATP receptors in sensory pathways, yet much work is still needed to fully comprehend the role of nucleotide signaling in pain, especially in pathological conditions. Changes in P2Y2 receptor expression in response to inflammation have been documented (Malin et al., 2008), therefore it will be worth investigating the functional impact of P2Y2-P2X3 interactions on ATP signaling under chronic pain conditions.

I will keep you posted on any new developments.

Sunday, October 21, 2012

P2X3 Receptor and CGRP Antibodies Immunostaining

Dr. Alfredo Ribeiro-da-Silva, McGill University, is a serial publisher of studies using our pain and inflammation research antibodies.

Here, use of our rabbit anti-CGRP and guinea pig anti-P2X3 is referenced. Please note the high titer of these antibodies (dilution is 1:25,000): Abeer W Saeed, Alfredo Ribeiro-da-Silva. Non-peptidergic primary afferents are presynaptic to neurokinin-1 receptor immunoreactive lamina I projection neurons in rat spinal cord. Molecular Pain 2012, 8:64 doi:10.1186/1744-8069-8-64.



Images: CGRP, IB4 and P2X3 staining in transverse spinal cord sections. A and B show low magnification confocal images of CGRP-IR and IB4 positive (A) or P2X3-IR (B) fibers. C and D represent high magnification confocal images from the middle third of the lateromedial extent of the superficial dorsal horn. In C, note that there is limited co-localization of IB4 and CGRP (in yellow). Arrowheads show axonal varicosities (boutons) from nonpeptidergic fibers in lamina I, which do not co-localize CGRP immunoreactivity. The framed regions in A and B indicate the approximate regions from where C and D, respectively, were obtained (the latter originate from other sections). CGRP (in green); IB4 (in red); P2X3 (in red). Scale bar (A, B) = 200 μm; scale bar (C, D) = 20 μm

Tissue processing: The injection site at the level of the parabrachial nucleus was examined by cutting serial, 100 μm-thick coronal sections of the relevant brain region. The dorsal aspect of the L4-L5 spinal cord segment was cut into serial, 50 μm-thick horizontal sections (n = 10), 50 μm-thick parasagittal sections (n = 4) or 50 μm-thick transverse sections (n = 4). All sections were cut using a freezing sledge microtome (Leica, Richmond Hill, Ontario) and collected as freefloating in phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) with 0.2% Triton-X 100 (PBS + T). To block unspecific staining, all spinal cord sections were incubated, for one hour, in 10% normal donkey serum (NDS) (Jackson, West Grove, PA) in PBS + T at room temperature. Subsequently, the sections were placed in primary antibodies (or conjugated lectin IB4 - see below) for 48 hours at 4 °C. We used a mixture of 2 or 4 primary antibodies (each raised in a different species), or IB4, in PBS + T containing 5% NDS. Next, the sections were washed in PBS + T and then incubated in species-specific secondary antibodies that were raised in donkey and conjugated to either AlexaFluor 488, AlexaFluor 405, Rhodamine RedX or biotin. The sections were incubated in 3 different cocktails: #1) rabbit anti-CGRP at a 1:200 dilution (Sigma, St Louis, MO) and lectin IB4 conjugated to AlexaFluor 568 at a 1:200 dilution (Molecular Probes); #2) rabbit anti-CGRP and guinea pig anti-P2X3 at a 1:25,000 dilution (Neuromics, Edina, MN); #3) goat anti-CTb at a 1:5000 dilution (List Biological), rabbit anti-NK-1r at a 1:10000 dilution (Sigma, St Louis, MO), guinea pig anti-CGRP at a 1:8000 dilution (Peninsula, San Carlos, CA) and lectin IB4 conjugated to AlexaFluor 647 at a 1:200 dilution (Molecular Probes). All the sections were washed with PBS + T and then (for #1) incubated for 2 hours at room temperature with donkey anti-rabbit AlexaFluor 488; (for #2) incubated for 90 minutes in a biotin conjugated donkey anti-guinea pig IgG (Jackson Immunoresearch, West Grove, PA, 1:200). Further signal amplification was achieved by treating the sections with 1 hour incubation in an avidin-biotin (A + B) complex (Vectastain Elite ABC kit, Vector Laboratories) followed by tyramide (Perkin-Elmer, Norwalk, CT, 1:75) for 7 minutes. Sections were then incubated in streptavidin conjugated to AlexaFluor 568 (Molecular Probes, Eugene, OR, 1:200) and donkey anti-rabbit AlexaFluor 488; or (for #3) incubated for 2 hours at room temperature with secondary antibodies: donkey anti-goat Rhodamine Red X, donkey anti-rabbit AlexaFluor 488, and donkey anti-guinea pig AlexaFluor 405. Finally, sections were washed with PBS, mounted on gelatin-subbed slides and coverslipped with an anti-fading mounting medium (Aqua Polymount; Polysciences, Warrington, PA). Slides were stored at −4 °C pending further processing.

I will continue to publish outstanding customer data/images using our natibodies/markers.

Monday, February 07, 2011

More on DOR

I am always delighted when we recieve positive feedback on one of our new reagents. It is even better when a researcher graciously shares images. I would like to thank Dr. Prof. Dr. Rapheal Sell of Freie Universität Berlin for sharing these excellent Immunofluorescence images:

Images: IF detection of delta-opioid receptors in tissue engineered human oral mucosa models using Delta Opioid Receptor 361-372. The tissues were frozen at -80°C, cut into 8 µm slices and fixed with formaldehyde solution. Blocking was performed with goat serum (dilutet 1:20 in PBS) for 30 minutes at RT. Primary antibody dilutions in PBS/BSA/Tween-20 were 1:500, 1:1000 and 1:1500, slides were incubated overnight at 4°C. Secondary (fluorescent) antibody was diluted 1:400, slides were incubated for 30 minutes at room temperature in the dark. Sections were mounted with antifading mounting medium DAPI (blue) and evaluated by fluorescent microscopy

Related Reagents:
Delta Opioid Receptor 358-372
All Opioid Receptor Antibodies          
Neurotransmission Research Antibodies-GPCRs, Ligand Gated Ion Channels, Biogenic Amines and more
Primary Neurons and Astrocytes-Primary human, rat and mouse neurons and astrocytes