Fluorometric determination of the redox state and distribution of mitochondria in human malignant glioblastoma cells grown on different culturing substrates.

Objectives: To evaluate the redox state and the spatial distribution of mitochondria in malignant human brain cancer cells grown on different substrates.

Methods: Cellular autofluorescence images were obtained through an inverted fluorescence microscope and the redox fluorometric ratio was evaluated (after the subtraction of background) as the net fluorescence signal through the DAPI filter divided by the net fluorescence signal through the FITC filter. Spatial mitochondria distribution patterns were evaluated by division of the cell area at the midpoint between the nuclear and cell membranes.