EPR Detection of Free Radicals in Vascular Disease: Bruker EMXPlus Spectrometer

氧和氮的活性物质因其对疾病的发生和进展的影响而越来越受到重视。因此，医学研究机构必须具备强大的自由基研究技术。目前，匹兹堡大学医学院的研究人员被降级为使用劣质方法来批判性地询问他们模型系统中的自由基物种。例如，目前所有用于检测自由基的荧光、比色、发光和化学发光探针都具有较高的灵敏度和可重复性，但它们在特异性、氧化还原循环倾向、膜渗透性和毒性方面存在显着局限性。值得注意的是，电子顺磁共振（EPR）光谱是目前唯一可以直接识别生物系统中自由基的技术，因此仍然是自由基研究的金标准。EPR的效用体现在其提供识别被测量自由基的特定指纹光谱的能力。因此，EPR可以直接检测和鉴定稳定的自由基种类。对于不太稳定的自由基物种，EPR自旋捕获技术允许在许多体外和体内系统中检测和鉴定。这项技术已被证明对研究细胞、组织和体内系统中自由基的形成和识别来源，以及研究蛋白质自由基中间体和研究药物与细胞膜的相互作用具有极其重要的信息。到目前为止，医学院的研究人员限制或禁止使用这项技术。因此，收购EPR光谱仪将有助于独特地培养当前研究计划的发展，激励新的合作努力，并提高实现我们开发治疗疾病的新策略的总体目标的成功潜力。

DESCRIPTION: Reactive species of oxygen and nitrogen are becoming increasingly appreciated for their impact on the onset and progression of disease. It is therefore imperative for medical research institutions to possess robust free radical research technology. Currently, investigators at the University of Pittsburgh, School of Medicine are relegated to the use of inferior methodologies to critically interrogate free radical species in their model systems. For example, all currently available fluorescent, colorimetric, luminescent and chemiluminescent probes used to detect free radical species demonstrate reproducible results with relatively high sensitivity however, they have significant limitations regarding specificity, the propensity to redox cycle, membrane permeability and toxicity. This being noted, electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy is the only technique currently available that affords direct identification of free radicals in biological systems and as such remains the gold standard for free radical research. The utility of EPR is exemplified in its capacity to provide specific fingerprint spectra that identify the free radical being measured. Thus, EPR can provide direct detection and identification of stable free radical species. For less stable free radical species, EPR spin trapping techniques permit detection and identification in a multitude of in vitro and in vivo systems. This technique has proven extremely informative for investigating formation and identifying sources of radicals in cellular, tissue and in vivo systems as well as investigating protein radical intermediates and studying drug interactions with cell membranes. To date, investigators in the School of Medicine have limited to no access to this technology. As such, acquisition of an EPR spectrometer would serve to uniquely cultivate the development of current research initiatives, incentivize new collaborative efforts and enhance the potential for success in achieving our overarching goal of developing novel strategies to treat disease.