Comparative EPR study of different macrophage types stimulated for superoxide and nitric oxide production

Abstract

Despite the major impact of ROS on human health, their quantification remains difficult and requires an analytical approach, such as the EPR spin trap technique. In this study, a comparative EPR analysis of different macrophage types stimulated for superoxide and nitric oxide production was performed. U937 monocytes, J774A.1, RAW 264.7 and primary mouse (PMM) macrophages were included. In contrast to the U937 cells, all macrophages produced significant EPR signals after stimulation. The use of PMA as stimulator and CM-H as spin probe led to the highest response in EPR signals for detection of O₂^·− as nitroxide radical. A combination of LPS and IFN-gamma and the spin trap [Fe(DETC)₂] turned out to be the best combination for the production and detection of intracellular NO spin adducts. In conclusion, this study established practical experimental conditions for the EPR analysis of O₂^·− and NO produced by different types of activated macrophages.

Keywords::

• EPR
• macrophage
• nitric oxide
• superoxide
• assay optimization

Declaration of interest: This work was supported by a grant from the University of Antwerp (GOA n°2407). P. Cos and W. Martinet are postdoctoral researchers awarded a grant by the Fund for Scientific Research (FWO) - Flanders (Belgium). The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper.

This paper was first published online on Early Online on 4 May 2010.