title: Limitations of Sulforhodamine 101 for Brain Imaging.
abstract: Since 2004, the red fluorescent dye Sulforhodamine 101 (SR101) has been boosting the functional analysis of astrocytes in a functional environment in an unprecedented way. However, two major limitations have been challenging the usefulness of this tool for cellular imaging: (i) SR101 is not as specific for astrocytes as previously reported; and (ii) discoveries of severe excitatory side effects of SR101 are bearing the risk of unwanted alteration of the system of interest. In this article, we summarize the current knowledge about SR101-labeling protocols and discuss the problems that arise from varying of the staining protocols. Furthermore, we provide a testable hypothesis for the observed hyper-excitability that can be observed when using SR101.
authors.affiliation: Clinic for Anesthesiology, University Hospital GöttingenGöttingen, Germany; DFG Research Center for Nanoscale Microscopy and Molecular Physiology of the Brain (CNMPB)Göttingen, Germany.
authors.forename: Swen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hülsmann
authors.affiliation: Clinic for Anesthesiology, University Hospital GöttingenGöttingen, Germany; DFG Research Center for Nanoscale Microscopy and Molecular Physiology of the Brain (CNMPB)Göttingen, Germany.
authors.forename: Liya
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Hagos
authors.affiliation: Leibniz-Institut für Umweltmedizinische Forschung GmbH Düsseldorf, Germany.
authors.forename: Heike
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Heuer
authors.affiliation: DFG Research Center for Nanoscale Microscopy and Molecular Physiology of the Brain (CNMPB) Göttingen, Germany.
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Schnell
keywords: astrocytes; imaging; neurosteroids; sulforhodamine 101; thyroxine