An improved method to determine cell viability by simultaneous staining with fluorescein diacetate-propidium iodide.

TLDR

The study presents a rapid, simultaneous FDA–PI double‑staining method for assessing cell viability in suspensions. The method involves staining cells with FDA and PI, then preparing air‑dried slides that allow viability estimation of the original suspension up to one week later. FDA–PI staining distinguishes viable cells (bright green) from non‑viable cells (bright red) and outperforms trypan blue in consistency over time, making it a rapid, convenient, and reliable viability assay.

Abstract

A rapid, simultaneous double-staining procedure using fluorescein diacetate (FDA) and propidium iodide (PI) is described for use in the determination of cell viability in cell suspension. Air-dried slide preparations can be made from the cell suspensions so that an accurate estimate of the viability of the cells in the original suspension can be made up to 1 week later. Viable cells fluoresce bright green, while nonviable cells are bright red. Furthermore, when FDA-PI staining is compared to trypan blue dye exclusion as a method to determine cell viability, FDA-PI is found to be more consistent over prolonged periods of exposure to the dyes. Therefore, double staining with FDA-PI is a rapid, convenient, and reliable method to determine cell viability.