Description: | Di-8-ANEPPS is a fast-response probe that used to measure membrane potential changes. ANEP dyes are molecules that fluoresce in response to electrical potential changes in their environment. The fast-response probes are operate by means of a change in their electronic structure, and consequently their fluorescence properties, in response to a change in the surrounding electric field. Their optical response is sufficiently fast to detect transient (millisecond) potential changes in excitable cells, including single neurons, cardiac cells, and intact brains. However, the magnitude of their potential-dependent fluorescence change is often small; fast-response probes typically show a 2-10% fluorescence change per 100 mV. Furthermore, these dyes display a potential-dependent shift in their excitation spectra, thus permitting the quantitation of membrane potential using excitation ratio measurements. |