Adipocyte Cell Function Assays
The main role of adipose tissue is to store energy in the form of lipids and is mainly composed of adipocyte cells, as well as preadipocyte fibroblast cells that differentiate into mature adipocytes via adipogenesis. Assessing the function of adipocytes and adipogenesis can therefore elucidate treatments for various metabolic diseases such as diabetes and obesity.
Our AdipoRedTM Adipogenesis Assay Reagent provides an objective, fluorescence-based high-throughput and homogeneous assay that analyzes how compounds affect adipogenesis and lipid utilization by mature adipocytes. The assay quantifies intracellular lipid accumulation in the cell culture by using the AdipoRedTM lypophilic reagent that fluoresces when interacting with lipids. Visit our AdipoRedTM Adipogenesis Assay Reagent product page for more information.
Assessing bone resorption and mineralization activity by osteoclasts (bone cells) can help identify new treatments for osteoporosis, a debilitating metabolic bone disease characterized by the degeneration of bone tissue and low bone mass density. A major part of osteoporosis research involves searching for new drugs that inhibit osteoclastic bone resorption to prevent bone tissue degeneration and stimulate mineralization to increase bone mass density. We offer three assays for fast, effective and convenient in vitro measurements of osteoclastic activity.
1. OsteoAssayTM Human Bone Plate: This novel, ready to use assay contains real human bone that can be seeded onto the surface of the OsteoAssayTM plate, on which you can culture primary human or non-human osteoclasts, osteoclasts precursors or immortalized cell lines.
Cells can be stained with standard cytochemical (e.g. TRAP) or immunofluorescent techniques. The production of bone resorption-related products (e.g. collagen peptides) and/or enzyme activity can be measured by sampling the cell culture supernatant after an appropriate period of cell culture.
By sampling the cell culture supernatant, the OsteoAssayTM Human Bone Plate offers a biologically relevant in vitro method for applying assays of bone resorption, osteoclast precursor differentiation, and osteoclast enzymatic activity that are central to advancing osteoporosis drug discovery. Learn more by visiting our OsteoAssayTM Human Bone Plate product page.
2. OsteoLyseTM Bone Resorption Assay Kit: This assay provides an easy to use protocol for quantitatively measuring in vitro osteoclast-mediated bone resorption in a high-throughput format. Osteoclasts can be seeded onto the OsteoLyseTM plate using traditional cell culture protocols. As Europium-labeled collagen fragments are released into the cell culture, a Fluoropore Releasing Reagent uses time-resolved fluorescence to indicate the resorptive activity of the osteoclasts. If you’re interested in reading more, visit the OsteoLyseTM Bone Resorption Assay Kit product page.
3. OsteoImageTM Bone Mineralization Assay:
This assay provides a rapid, fluorescent in vitro assay for assessing bone cell mineralization. In less than 90 minutes, it can quantitate in vitro mineralization by osteogenic stem cells, primary osteoblasts, and osteoblast-like cell lines. The OsteoImageTM Staining Reagent fluoresces to indicate when it binds to bone mineral (hydroxyapatite) produced by the bone-like nodules of the cultured cells. This method is sufficiently sensitive to detect time-dependent increases in mineralization in differentiating cells. As well as the quantitative plate reader results, fluorescent microscopy of the cell cultures can also provide qualitative visual data. Read more on the OsteoImageTM Bone Mineralization Assay product page.