Fluorescence imaging of intracellular calcium signals in intact kidney tissue.

Abstract

Intracellular calcium (Ca(2+)) plays an important role in normal renal physiology and in the pathogenesis of various kidney diseases; however, the study of Ca(2+) signals in intact tissue has been limited by technical difficulties, including achieving adequate loading of Ca(2+)-sensitive fluorescent dyes. The kidney slice preparation represents a model whereby three-dimensional tissue architecture is preserved and structures in both the cortex and medulla can be imaged using confocal or multiphoton microscopy.