Cross-conjugated cruciform fluorophores based on 1,4-distyryl-2,5-bis(arylethynyl)benzene and benzobisoxazole nuclei can be used to qualitatively identify diverse Lewis acidic and Lewis basic analytes. This method relies on the differences in emission colors of the cruciforms that are observed upon analyte addition. Structurally closely related species can be distinguished from each other.
Murine left ventricular papillary muscle can be used to investigate cardiac contractility in vitro. This article describes in detail the isolation and experimental protocols to study cardiac contractile characteristics.
Here, we present a protocol to isolate and cultivate murine peritoneal mast cells. We also describe two protocols for their functional characterization: a fluorescent imaging of intracellular free Ca2+ concentration and a degranulation assay based on colorimetric quantification of the released β-hexosaminidase.
Here we describe a cardiac pressure-volume loop analysis under increasing doses of intravenously infused isoproterenol to determine the intrinsic cardiac function and the β-adrenergic reserve in mice. We use a modified open-chest approach for the pressure-volume loop measurements, in which we include ventilation with positive end-expiratory pressure.