Table 1.
Evaluation of myocardial apoptosis
| Method | Detection Target | Apoptotic Cell Presentation | Appropriate Studies | References |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Biochemical | ||||
| TUNEL | DNA fragmentation | TUNEL positive | In vitro | 236 |
| DNA laddering | DNA fragmentation | Appearance of nucleosomal DNA ladder in agarose | In vitro | 92 |
| Light and electron microscopy | Morphological changes | Rounded-up phenotype | In vitro | 1, 246 |
| Flow cytometry/confocal imaging using annexin V | Exteriorization of phospholipids (PE/PS) | Annexin V positive | In vitro | 184 |
| Activity assay/Western blot/immunohistochemistry for target proteins | Protease activation/mitochondrial dysfunction | Caspase-3/7 activity assay: increased fluorescence, Western blotting, and immunohistochemistry; detection of activated proteins involved in the signaling pathway, e.g., caspase-3/6/7/8/9 | In vitro | 196, 217 |
| Bioimaging | ||||
| Imaging using annexin V probes labeled with 99mTc | Exteriorization of phospholipids (PE/PS) | Annexin V positive | In vivo | 113, 156 |
| Cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging | Cytokinetics | Myocardial hypokinesis | In vivo | 8, 172, 237 |
CMR, cardiovascular magnetic resonance; PE, phosphatidylethanolamine; PS, polyunsaturated ω-6 fatty acids TUNEL, terminal transferase dUTP nick end labeling.