2.4 Active Caspase-3 Detection
Procaspase-3 is a protease playing a key role in apoptosis
in various different cell types [20]. Procaspase 3 is activated
by different stimuli inducing apoptosis and then it
is called cleaved or activated caspase 3. Both zymogen
(uncleaved) or cleaved form of caspase 3 can be detected
immunohistochemically. The detection of the cleaved
form of caspase 3 provides a method that is specific for
the determination of apoptosis in the cells / tissues. However,
one has to know in advance that whether or not
caspase-3 is expressed in the cell / tissue of interest. For
example, the cerebellum of mouse and plasental tissue of
baboon seem to be a good models to detect active caspase-
3 immunohistochemically [21, 22].