An artery-specific fluorescent dye for studying neurovascular coupling

Zhiming Shen, Zhongyang Lu, Pratik Y. Chhatbar, Philip O'Herron, Prakash Kara

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

121 Scopus citations

Abstract

We demonstrate that Alexa Fluor 633 hydrazide (Alexa Fluor 633) selectively labels neocortical arteries and arterioles by binding to elastin fibers. We measured sensory stimulus-evoked arteriole dilation dynamics in mouse, rat and cat visual cortex using Alexa Fluor 633 together with neuronal activity using calcium indicators or blood flow using fluorescein dextran. Arteriole dilation decreased fluorescence recorded from immediately underlying neurons, representing a potential artifact during neuronal functional imaging experiments.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)273-276
Number of pages4
JournalNature Methods
Volume9
Issue number3
DOIs
StatePublished - Mar 2012
Externally publishedYes

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Biotechnology
  • Biochemistry
  • Molecular Biology
  • Cell Biology

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