Tetrazolium reduction assay

Among the first cell viability assays developed for HTS was the MTT [3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide] tetrazolium reduction assay (Mosmann 1983) that served as a milestone for this type of study. The assay offered a non-radioactive alternative to tritiated thymidine incorporation into DNA as a method of measuring cell proliferation. In many cases, the MTT assay can directly substitute for the tritiated thymidine incorporation assay (Figure 6.3). The MTT tetrazolium compound is prepared in a physiologically balanced solution, added to cells in culture, and incubated for approximately 4 hr. Viable cells convert MTT into an intensely colored formazan product that can be quantitated by recording changes in absorbance at specific wavelengths. 

Fe" " forms a colored complex with xylenol orange that can be read at 560 nm (Jones et al., 1995). Superoxide radical generation can be estimated by nitroblue-tetrazolium reduction assay (Libon et al., 1993). 

Early methods of superoxide detection are well known and described in many books and reviews. They include cytochrome c reduction, nitroblue tetrazolium reduction, spin trapping, etc. (see, for example, Ref. [1]). The most efficient assays are based on the ability of superoxide to reduce some compounds by one-electron transfer mechanism because such processes (Reaction (1)) proceed with high rates [2] ... 

Assays are frequently needed to detect marked and acute cytotoxicity that may confound the interpretation of cell-based efficacy assays. Neutral red uptake is one of the most commonly used cytotoxicity assays and is used in the regulatory phototoxicity assay on NT3 fibroblasts [13]. It has been show to be more sensitive than assays for mitochondrial reductive capacity such as the tetrazolium reductase assays, ATP depletion assays, or for cell permeabilization or mpture such as dye uptake or lactate dehydrogenase leakage. Lysosomes take up, protonate and trap neutral red when cellular ATP production is sufficient to maintain pH gradients. 

Resazurin is a chemical redox indicator that functions like the tetrazolium compounds. The resazurin reduction assay approach has successfully replaced tritiated thymidine incorporation for some HTS applications (Ahmed, Gogal, and Walsh 1994 Shum et al. 2008). Resazurin can be dissolved in physiological buffers resulting in an intense blue solution that is added directly to growing... 

One example is the known interference by reducing compounds that affect the chemical conversion of substrate to a colored indicator. This is especially true for the tetrazolium assays (Ulukaya, Colakogullari, and Wood 2004 Chakrabarti et al. 2000 Pagliacci et al. 1993 Collier and Pritsos 2003). The growing list of interfering compounds includes ascorbic acid and sulfhydryl reagents such as glutathione, coenzyme A, dithiothreitol, etc. Similar interferences by compounds that affect the oxidation and reduction chemistry of cells are likely to cause artifacts with the resazurin reduction assay. Assays that measure markers of metabolism also can be influenced by the pH of the culture medium and other factors that may stimulate or stress the metabolic rates of cells. 

The recent identification of selective protease substrates to simultaneously measure markers of both viable and dead cells led to the development of optional methods for HTS that provide flexibility and added advantages (Niles et al. 2007a). The assay to measure viable cells is based on a cell-permeable protease substrate called glycyl-phenylalanyl-aminofluorocoumarin (GF-AFC). The procedure is a homogeneous add-incubate-measure method that is faster, more sensitive, and less toxic to cells than the tetrazolium and resazurin reduction assays. The substrate can be prepared in an aqueous buffer and is added directly to samples containing cells. The substrate permeates viable cells where constitutive protease activity in the cytoplasm rapidly removes the amino acids, yielding free AFC. The amount of AFC released is directly proportional to viable cell numbers and shows improved sensitivity compared to the resazurin assay (Figure 6.5). The AFC is detected via a microplate fluo-rometer equipped with a (380- to 400-nm excitation/505-nm emission) filter set. 

Recently, the superoxide dismutase activity of low molecular mass copper chelates in the indirect coupled assay systems has been dispute It was demonstrated that copper in CuSO and Cu(II)(gly)2 prevents the ferricytochrome c and nitroblue tetrazolium reduction. This is not virtually new, as it is a well known phenomenon that Cu(II)-salts lead to a reoxidation of ferrocytochrome c and that they are potent inhibitors of xanthine oxidase which is often used as Oj" -generator in indirect SOD assay systems Although the indirect assays may be sometimes inadequate for the measurement of the SOD-activity, there are no doubts that low molecular mass copper chelates have their superoxide dismutase during pulse radiolysis. 

Corrosive materials are identified by their ability to produce a deaease in cell viability below defined threshold levels at specified exposure periods, as determined using the MTT dye [3-(4,5-dimethyldiazol-2-yl)-2,5 diphenyl tetrazolium bromid] reduction assay. Skin models such as EPISKIN (NIH, 2002) and EpiDerm (ECVAM, 2001) are used. 

Growth conditions in deep-well microtiter plates were optimized with respect to optimal expression of active enzymes (Fig. 2.2.1.1). The best results were obtained with an expression time of 20 h at 37 °C (Fig. 2.2.1.1, lanes 7-9). Subsequently, E. coli cells were enzymatically disrupted by lysozyme treatment, and the carboligase activity was monitored by a modified tetrazolium salt color assay [16], This color assay is based on the reduction of the 2,3,5-triphenyltetrazolium chloride (TTC) 13 to the corresponding formazan 15, which has an intense red color (Fig. 2.2.1.2A). Before screening ofa BFD variant library, substrates and products were tested in the color assay. Neither substrate, benzaldehyde 4 nor dimethoxy-acetaldehyde 8, reduced TTC 13 however, the product 2-hydroxy-3,3-dimethoxy-propiophenone 10 already caused color formation at low concentrations of 2.5-10 mM (Fig. 2.2.1.2B). Benzoin 12 as the product also gave a color change at a similar concentration (data not shown). 

A superoxide dismutase activity had been reported for the Fe-EDTA complex in contrast with the inactivity of the Cu-EDTA complex. It was shown, on the contrary, that Fe-EDTA, instead of catalysing the dismutation of OJ, interferes with the reduction of nitroblue tetrazolium and of Fe(III)-cytochrome c in the assays of the dismutase activity... 

MTT assay is a standard colorimetric assay used to determine cytotoxicity of potential medicinal agents and other toxic materials. It is based on the reduction of the tetrazolium salt MTT by viable cells. A mitochondrial dehydrogenase enzyme is able to cleave the tetrazolium rings of the pale yellow MTT and form dark purple formazan crystals, which are largely impermeable to cell membranes resulting in the accumulation of these crystals within healthy cells. Solubilization of the cells by the addition of a detergent results in the liberation of crystals, which are solubilized. The metabolic activity of cells is directly proportional to the concentration of the created formazan product (22), whose color is quantified in a colorimetric assay. 

Pagliacci, M. et al. 1993. Genistein inhibits tumour cell growth in vitro but enhances mitochondrial reduction of tetrazolium salts a further pitfall in the use of the MTT assay for evaluating cell growth and survival. Eur. J. Cancer 29, 1573-1577. 

A tetrazolium salt (MTT) 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide is able to enter cells and therefore assay levels of superoxide, without disrupting the cell with DMSO, forming the insoluble formazan product (Slater et al., 1963). Like the NBT test, MTT reduction is not specific for superoxide. 

Although colorimetric assays based on the reduction of tetrazolium salts have been used, they have been largely superseded because of non-specific side reactions in such assay systems. 

MARA is an innovative bioassay devised for the evaluation of toxicity of chemicals and environmental samples. The assay utilizes a taxonomically diverse array of ten bacterial species (prokaryotes) and a yeast (eukaryote). The assay is performed in a 96 well micro titre plate and involves exposure of the microorganisms provided in a freeze-dried state. The toxicity of the test sample using a concentration gradient is determined with the employment of the redox dye tetrazolium red (TZR). The dye is transformed from a soluble colourless state to a red insoluble form upon reduction. The dye is a growth indicator and detects enzyme systems by acting as an electron acceptor. 

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