Simultaneous analysis of immunophenotype and apoptosis of murine thymocytes by single laser flow cytometry

Abstract

The study of the role of apoptosis in thymocyte development has been hampered by the lack of a means of directly immunophenotyping cells undergoing the early phase of apoptosis. This restriction has been overcome by single laser flow cytometry in which apoptosis is detected by Ethidium Bromide (EBr) staining and cell phenotype by binding of FITC‐labelled antibody. The initial phase of apoptosis is observed as a cell population that stains faintly with EBr preceding the characteristically bright EBrstaining normally associated with cell death. Here we directly demonstrate using single laser flow cytometry that CD4+ CD8+ CD3low/CD3ntermediate thymocytes undergo apoptosis in vitro in response to glucocorticoid treatment. © 1992 Wiley‐Liss, Inc. Copyright © 1992 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.