The ionized form of calcium (calcium bound to proteins in the blood) is required for nerve transmission, muscle contraction and many other important body functions. A calcium test may be ordered if your total blood calcium is not normal.
Cell-based assays measure agonist-stimulated or antagonist-inhibited signalling through G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) in high-throughput screening (HTS). The fluorescent dye aequorin and its no wash kit are widely used for monitoring calcium mobilization by GPCRs in HTS. Here is some more information on calcium assays:
What Is A Calcium Assay?
Calcium is one of the most important minerals in your body. It helps your nerves, muscles, and heart work properly. It also helps blood vessels move blood throughout your body and release hormones that affect many other bodily functions.
A blood test for calcium measures the amount of “free” calcium in your body—that is, the kind that’s not attached to proteins. A total calcium blood test is usually part of a basic metabolic panel or comprehensive metabolic panel, which are routine screening tests. A health care provider will draw blood from a vein in your arm. You may feel a slight pain or bruising where the needle is inserted.
Calcium Flux Assay
Calcium is an important mineral for most mammalian cells, and plays a role in many physiological and biochemical processes. GeneTex’s colorimetric Calcium Assay utilizes the chromogenic complex formed between calcium ions and 0-cresolphthalein to provide a simple and reliable method for measuring the free calcium level in a sample.
A cell-based calcium mobilization assay, using the radiometric fluorescent dye Fura-2, can be used to measure agonist or antagonist-inhibited signalling through G protein coupled receptors (GPCRs). This type of cell-based second messenger assay monitors the mobilisation and release of intracellular calcium from internal stores, which is directly proportional to the activation state of ion channels or GPCRs.
Cell-Based Calcium Assays
A cell-based calcium assay uses a fluorescent dye to measure changes in intracellular calcium caused by the activation or inhibition of G-protein coupled receptors (GPCR) and calcium channels. This type of assay is suited to high throughput screening applications.
BD offers a no-wash PBX calcium assay kit that utilizes a membrane permeable Calbryte 520 AM dye for detecting intracellular second messenger events, including calcium mobilization. This assay requires only one dye addition step and does not require washing, allowing it to be used in a high throughput screening environment.
Calcium Signalling
Calcium is one of the most important minerals in our bodies. It’s found in bones and teeth and helps nerves, muscles, and blood vessels to work properly. A calcium blood test, also called an ionized calcium test, measures the amount of “free” calcium in your blood that isn’t attached to proteins. It’s usually part of a basic metabolic panel or comprehensive metabolic panel, and may be ordered if your results from another blood test are abnormal.
