title: A computer-based system for the measurement of membrane capacitance to monitor exocytosis in secretory cells.
abstract: A software-based system for real-time measurement of membrane capacitance was developed for monitoring exocytosis in a single cell. The IBM PC compatible software, linked to an interface box, provides capacitance measurement capabilities to a patch-clamp setup utilizing a Labmaster data acquisition board. In order to measure the time-dependent changes in membrane capacitance, the system uses a software-based phase detector which isolates capacitive membrane current from a cell subject to sinusoidal voltage stimulation. The sampling program can monitor changes in membrane capacitance in response to depolarizing voltage steps, intracellular calcium stimulation, or drug application. A separate analysis program was constructed to implement the quantitative analysis, plotting and exporting of the capacitance, conductance and current data acquired by the sampling program.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville 22908, USA.
authors.forename: T J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: O'Shaughnessy
authors.forename: Y I
authors.initials: YI
authors.lastname: Kim
mesh_terms: D000465:Algorithms; D000669:Amplifiers, Electronic; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000502:physiology; D003198:Computer Simulation; D004553:Electric Conductivity; D005089:Exocytosis / Q000502:physiology*; D005110:Extracellular Space / Q000502:physiology; D018408:Patch-Clamp Techniques / Q000295:instrumentation*; D012984:Software