What does FITC dextran do?

FITC-dextran is mainly used for studying permeability and microcirculation. It can also be used as a molecular size marker, for studies of drug delivery and more.

Is FITC dextran toxic?

CM-dextran itself has been found to be biocompatible and is used as a starting material in several pharmaceutical and diagnostic applications. The toxicity of FITC-CM-dextran is likewise anticipated also to be low.

What chemicals break the blood-brain barrier?

Through extensive study, scientists have found that compounds that are very small and/or fat-soluble, including antidepressants, anti-anxiety medications, alcohol, cocaine, and many hormones are able to slip through the endothelial cells that make up the blood-brain barrier without much effort.

Can you freeze FITC dextran?

For long-term storage, divide the aqueous solution into aliquots and freeze at ≤–20°C. AVOID REPEATED FREEZING AND THAWING. We offer dextrans with nominal molecular weights (MW) of 3,000; 10,000; 40,000; 70,000; 500,000; and 2,000,000 daltons.

What is FITC dextran permeability assay?

This assay is an indirect measure of total intestinal permeability. Mice are given an oral gavage of a fluorescently-labelled small molecule (FITC-dextran) in the assay, and at a subsequent timepoint the difference in fluorescence pre- and post-gavage is measured in plasma.

Is dextran a polymer?

Structure. Dextran is a polymer of anhydroglucose. It is composed of approximately 95% alpha-D-(1-6) linkages. Native dextran has been found to have a molecular weight (MW) in the range of 9 million to 500 million.

Can nicotine pass through blood-brain barrier?

In addition, in vivo studies of influx and efflux transport of nicotine across the blood-brain barrier (BBB) revealed that blood-to-brain influx transport of nicotine is more dominant than brain-to-blood efflux transport of nicotine.

Which drug do not cross blood-brain barrier?

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and treatment of the brain in aging require the development of new biologic drugs, such as recombinant proteins or gene therapies. Biologics are large molecule therapeutics that do not cross the blood-brain barrier (BBB).

What is the molecular weight of FITC?

389.382 g/mol
Fluorescein isothiocyanate/Molar mass

How do you dissolve a FITC-dextran?

Dissolve FITC-Dextran in sterile water at a final concentration of 20 mg/ml.

How is Intestinal permeability measured in mice?

In mice, one way to study intestinal paracellular permeability is by measuring the ability of FITC-dextran to cross from the lumen into the blood. Thus, the intestinal permeability can be assessed by gavaging FITC-dextran directly into mice and measuring the fluorescence within the blood.

Is dextran a blood product?

High-molecular weight dextran is a plasma volume expander made from natural sources of sugar (glucose). It works by restoring blood plasma lost through severe bleeding. Severe blood loss can decrease oxygen levels and can lead to organ failure, brain damage, coma, and possibly death.