Université catholique de Louvain View Institution's Website 4 articles published in JoVE Biology Nasal Potential Difference to Quantify Trans-epithelial Ion Transport in Mice Mathilde Beka1, Teresinha Leal1 1Louvain Center for Toxicology and Applied Pharmacology (LTAP), Institut de Recherche Expérimentale et Clinique (IREC), Université Catholique de Louvain Here, we present a protocol to measure nasal potential difference in mice. The test quantifies the function of transmembrane ion transporters such as the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator and the epithelial sodium channel. It is valuable to evaluate the efficacy of novel therapies for cystic fibrosis. Biology Measuring the Osmotic Water Permeability Coefficient (Pf) of Spherical Cells: Isolated Plant Protoplasts as an Example Arava Shatil-Cohen1, Hadas Sibony1, Xavier Draye2, François Chaumont3, Nava Moran1, Menachem Moshelion1 1The RH Smith Institute of Plant Sciences and Genetics in Agriculture, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, 2Earth and Life Institute, Université catholique de Louvain, 3Institut des Sciences de la Vie, Université catholique de Louvain Measuring the osmotic water permeability coefficient (Pf) of cells can help understand the regulatory mechanisms of aquaporins (AQPs). Pf determination in spherical plant cell protoplasts presented here involves protoplasts isolation and numerical analysis of their initial rate of volume change as a result of an osmotic challenge during constant bath perfusion. Biology An Ex vivo Culture System to Study Thyroid Development Anne-Sophie Delmarcelle1, Mylah Villacorte1, Anne-Christine Hick*1, Christophe E. Pierreux*1 1Pole of Cell Biology, Université catholique de Louvain & de Duve Institute This protocol describes dissection of mouse embryonic thyroid anlagen and the culture of explants on semiporous filters or on microscopy plastic slides. This system is ideal to study morphogenetic or differentiation events occurring during thyroid development of wild type or knockout embryos, and is amenable to gain- and loss-of-function experiments. Medicine Expired CO2 Measurement in Intubated or Spontaneously Breathing Patients from the Emergency Department Franck Verschuren1, Maidei Gugu Kabayadondo1, Frédéric Thys1 1Acute Medicine Department Accidents and Emergency Unit, Universit Catholique de Louvain Cliniques Universitaires Saint-Luc This video describes how to perform CO2 measurement in intubated as well as spontaneously breathing patients. The main clinical indications refer to emergency situations: (1) verifying adequate positioning of an endotracheal tube; (2) achieving normocapnia in trauma patients; (3) monitoring ventilation in the case of procedural sedation.