[Measurement of intracellular pH].

Since various cellular processes depend on changes in pH, the regulation of intracellular pH (pHi) is important both for the individual cell and for the organism. The mechanisms of the regulation of pHi can be investigated by monitoring pHi. In this report, we discuss the four major techniques available for measuring pHi, which are 1) Distribution of weak acids and bases, 2) pH-sensitive microelectrodes, 3) pH-sensitive dyes, and 4) Nuclear magnetic resonance. Among four techniques, the advantage of the microelectrode approach is that it can monitor membrane potential at the same time and be applied to a single cell. The dye technique is a relative new developing technique, which has lots of advantages. It is easy to use, and is capable of monitoring rapid pHi changes, and being applied to a smaller cell, or a single cell.