A Novel Protocol for Detection of Senescence and Calcification Markers by Fluorescence Microscopy

Vascular calcification and stiffening of the arterial wall is a systemic phenomenon that is associated with aging and it can be increased by several risk factors. The underlying mechanisms, especially the pathways of cellular senescence, are under current investigation. Easily manageable in vitro settings help to study the signaling pathways. The experimental setting presented here is based on an in vitro model using rat vascular smooth muscle cells and the detection of senescence and osteoblastic markers via immunofluorescence and RNAscope™. Co-staining of the senescence marker p21, the osteoblastic marker osteopontin, detection of senescence-associated heterochromatin foci, and senescence-associated β-galactosidase is possible within one test approach requiring fewer cells. The protocol is a fast and reliable evaluation method for multiplexing of calcifying and senescence markers with fluorescence microscopy detection. The experimental setting enables analysis on single cell basis and allows detection of intra-individual variances of cultured cells.