Membrane potential assays
Changes in membrane potential (voltage across a cell membrane) such as in muscle cells or heart cells can have a therapeutic or adverse effect upon the cells. Voltage sensitive dyes can be used to measure membrane potential as it changes across the cell membrane. An increase in dye intensity signals a rise in voltage and a decrease in signal reflects a drop in membrane potential. If a channel is blocked, the fluorescent signal from the dye is reduced. This is an indirect method for screening large numbers of compounds to identify potential channel openers and blockers.
Membrane Potential Application Notes