Fig. 1

NH₄Cl triggers intracellular pH changes in astrocytes. a and b – Fluorescence images, acquired using an excitation wavelength of 490 nm, of a group of astrocytes loaded with BCECF/AM. a – Astrocytes at the beginning of the experiment. b – The same cells after being exposed to NH₄Cl. The morphology of the cells remained unchanged. c – An example of average B₄₉₀/B₄₄₀ as a function of time in astrocyte cell culture (n = 10). Application of 1 mM NH₄Cl caused a rapid rise of B₄₉₀/B₄₄₀ followed by a slow decline. Removal of the NH₄Cl by substituting it with SBS caused a rapid fall of B₄₉₀/B_440. T1 – time point before the substitution of the SBS with the NH₄Cl bathing solution; T2 – time point at which the maximum change of B₄₉₀/B₄₄₀ was reached after the substitution of the SBS with the NH₄Cl bathing solution; T3 – time point (at 900 s) before substituting the NH₄Cl bathing solution with the SBS; T4 – time point of the maximum change of B₄₉₀/B₄₄₀ after substituting the NH₄Cl bathing solution with the SBS