National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases 3 articles published in JoVE Immunology and Infection Measuring Deformability and Red Cell Heterogeneity in Blood by Ektacytometry Nermi L. Parrow*1, Pierre-Christian Violet*2, Hongbin Tu2, James Nichols3, Corinne A. Pittman4, Courtney Fitzhugh4, Robert E. Fleming1,5, Narla Mohandas6, John F. Tisdale3, Mark Levine2 1Department of Pediatrics, Saint Louis University School of Medicine, 2Molecular and Clinical Nutrition Section, Digestive Diseases Branch, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, 3Molecular and Clinical Hematology Branch, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, 4Sickle Cell Branch, National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, 5Edward A. Doisy Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Saint Louis University School of Medicine, 6Red Cell Physiology Laboratory, New York Blood Center Here we present techniques to measure red cell deformability and cellular heterogeneity by ektacytometry. These techniques are applicable to general investigations of red cell deformability and specific investigations of blood diseases characterized by the presence of both rigid and deformable red cells in circulation, such as sickle cell anemia. Behavior Feeding Experimentation Device (FED): Construction and Validation of an Open-source Device for Measuring Food Intake in Rodents Katrina P. Nguyen1, Mohamed A. Ali1, Timothy J. O'Neal1, Ilona Szczot1, Julia A. Licholai1,2, Alexxai V. Kravitz1,3 1National Insttitute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, 2National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, 3National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health Feeding Experimentation Device (FED) is an open-source device for measuring food intake in mice. FED can also synchronize food intake measurements with other techniques via a real-time digital output. Here, we provide a step-by-step tutorial for the construction, validation, and usage of FED. Biology Measuring Nitrite and Nitrate, Metabolites in the Nitric Oxide Pathway, in Biological Materials using the Chemiluminescence Method Barbora Piknova1, Ji Won Park1, Katelyn S. Cassel1, Cameron N. Gilliard1, Alan N. Schechter1 1Molecular Medicine Branch, NIDDK, NIH Nitric oxide (NO) is an important signaling molecule in vascular homeostasis. NO production in vivo is too low for direct measurement. Chemiluminescence provides useful insight into NO cycle via measuring its precursors and oxidation products, nitrite and nitrate. Nitrite / nitrate determination in body tissues and fluids is explained.
