Review Article

Reactive Oxygen Species: A Key Hallmark of Cardiovascular Disease

Table 1

Direct methods for detection of ROS in CVDs.

MethodsROS detectedApplications/mechanismReference

Fluorescent protein-based redox probesCytoplasmic and mitochondrial H2O2Used to detect redox status and ROS by introducing adenoviruses or plasmids inside cells. Afterwards, cells form chimeric proteins efficient to detect alteration in the redox status or ROS.[25, 26]

Dihydroethidium (DHE) and mitochondrion-targeted probe mitoSOXCellular and mitochondrial Can detect mitochondrial by adding a triphenylphosphonium group for promoting its collection in the mitochondria. Similar to DHE, mitoSOX reacts with to give 2-hydroxy-mito-ethidium (2-OH-Mito-E+) so as to be identified and measured using HPLC.[2729]

Cyclic hydroxylamine spin probesTotal cellular and mitochondrial Allows measurement of in tissue, in in vitro cells, and in vivo.[3032]

Boronate-based fluorescent probesH2O2 and ONOOAs probes have a fluorophore which is secured by boronate, when subjected to H2O2, the boronate encounters a nucleophilic attack, followed by its displacement from the fluorophore, thus causing emission of light.[33, 34]

Immunospin trappingFree radical adduct formation in the mitochondria, cells, and tissue samples5,5-Dimethyl-1-pyrroline-N-oxide reacts with protein radicals to form epitopes which can be particularly characterized immunologically.[35, 36]

In vivo using X- and L-band ESR spectroscopyShort-lived free radicals in whole living animalsDetection is done in vivo by infusion of cyclic hydroxylamines or nitrone spin traps, followed by ex vivo study of the tissue or blood using X-band (9 GHz) electron spin resonance spectroscopy.[37, 38]