Ingrid Schmid

Identification of nonviable cells in immunofluorescently stained cell populations is essential for obtaining accurate data. Fluorescent non-vital DNA dyes, particularly propidium iodide (PI), have been used routinely in flow cytometry for discrimination of dead cells from viable cells on the basis of fluorescence. We describe here the use of an alternative DNA dye, 7-amino-actinomycin D (7-AAD), which can replace PI for the exclusion of nonviable cells. As an example, we present in this paper the utilization of 7-AAD on various leukemic cell lines for dead cell exclusion whenever the viable cell population could not be discriminated reliably from nonviable cells on the light scatter histogram; 7-AAD is suitable for dead cell discrimination in lengthy experiments because it is efficiently excluded by intact cells and has a high DNA binding constant. In addition, the dye is valuable in combination with phycoerythrin (PE)-fluorescence dual-color flow cytometry on a single argon laser instrument, since its emission in the far red can easily be separated from the emission of PE; 7-AAD was used on fluoresceinisothiocyanate (FITC) and PE surface-labeled human thymocytes for characterization of the dying subpopulation of cells which is undergoing programmed cell death. In this heterogeneous cell preparation, the spectral properties of the dye permitted the classification of viable and nonviable cell subpopulations by multiparameter analysis.

A method was developed for gentle fixation of mammalian cells and permeabilization of their membranes. The method is useful for staining of intracellular antigens or quantification of DNA content simultaneously with cell surface staining. Cells are treated for 1 h at 4 degrees C with 0.25% buffered paraformaldehyde then for 15 min at 37 degrees C with 0.2% Tween 20 detergent in PBS. The procedure permits excellent staining of intracellular proteins, very low coefficients of variation (CV) on the G0G1-peak of DNA distributions, and preservation of the integrity of cell surface antigens. The low vs. 90 degrees angle light scatter profile of cell clusters is maintained thereby allowing discrimination of different cell populations including human peripheral blood lymphocytes and monocytes for gating and analytic purposes. The method was successfully used on a variety of other cell types, including human thymocytes, murine thymocytes and spleen cells, and several leukemic cell lines. Dual-color surface antigen staining combined with DNA staining with 7-amino-actinomycin D (7-AAD) on peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) cultured with tetanus toxoid allowed the determination of the cell subset that was preferentially stimulated. Staining for internal antigens was done on CCRF-CEM for expression of CD3 epsilon and on NALM-6 for expression of mu. The technique we developed gave bright and specific staining of internal antigens in the examples presented here. It is particularly suited for correlations of internal antigen staining with DNA staining and/or surface immunofluorescence.

A rapid, gentle, and sensitive method for quantification of cells undergoing apoptosis is presented. The method allows the simultaneous determination of dual-color cell surface immunofluorescence. Cells are stained for 7 min with the vital dye Hoechst 33342 (HO342) for identification of live and apoptotic cells. 7-amino-actinomycin D (7-AAD) is added to distinguish cells that have lost membrane integrity from apoptotic and live cells. Due to its spectral properties 7-AAD can be utilized on cells that are dual-surface labelled with fluorescein-isothiocyanate (FITC) and phycoerythrin (PE). The value of the method is demonstrated on human thymocytes, which constitutively undergo programmed cell death and which show an increase in the rate of apoptosis after exposure to the glucocorticoid dexamethasone (DEX). Vital staining with HO342 permits earlier detection of apoptotic changes compared to a staining technique in which cells are treated with a hypotonic citrate solution containing propidium iodide (PI) and the apoptotic cells are represented in a hypodiploid, "sub-G1" peak. The HO342/7-AAD method may be particularly applicable to studies of programmed cell death in cells in which DNA fragmentation is difficult to detect by decreased DNA stainability.