Evaluation of hydrogen ion concentrations in prostates from rats and dogs using fluorescent confocal microscopy.
The knowledge of intracellular spatial distribution of pH in prostates in animal models reflective of human prostate may have implications for drug development upon pH dependent drug delivery and activity. Freshly dissected prostate tissues (in vitro) or the entire prostate gland (in vivo) were loaded with fluorescent dyes and viewed using confocal microscopy. Images were initially taken in tissues perfused with RPMI-1640 medium. Calibration in situ was performed with high potassium buffers of known pH containing nigericin. Acetoxymethyl ester carboxy-SNARF-1 was visible in epithelial cells (but not stroma) in rat and dog prostates. The pH of lysosomes in prostate epithelial cells was 5.2 as determined by fluorescence of Lyso Sensor Green DND-189. A method of in situ confirmation of tissue viability was developed by a secondary loading and visualization of the BCECF fluorescent dye. Besides the direct measurement of the pH in rat and dog tissues (pH approximately 7.0), a method of pH measurement in prostate tissue (rather than in cell culture) was developed.
Toxicology Research Laboratory, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago IL 60612-7353, USA. Lyubimov@uic.edu
Alexander V
AV
Lyubimov
Seraya N
SN
Carr
Alan P
AP
Brown
Jonathan J
JJ
Art
James A
JA
Crowell
Barry S
BS
Levine
D000818:Animals; D004285:Dogs; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D008297:Male; D018613:Microscopy, Confocal / Q000379:methods*; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence; D011467:Prostate / Q000166:cytology*; D051381:Rats