Analysis of Nitroxyl Spin Probes in Mouse Brain by X-Band ESR with Microdialysis Technique

Dynamic nuclear polarization studies on deuterated nitroxyl spin probes

Detailed dynamic nuclear polarization and electron spin resonance studies were carried out for 3-carbamoyl-2,2,5,5-tetramethyl-pyrrolidine-1-oxyl, 3-carboxy-2,2,5,5-tetramethyl-pyrrolidine-1-oxyl,3-methoxycarbonyl-2,2,5,5-tetramethy pyrolidine-1-oxyl nitroxyl radicals and their corresponding deuterated nitroxyl radicals, used in Overhauser-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging for the first time. The dynamic nuclear polarization parameters such as dynamic nuclear polarization (DNP) factor, longitudinal relaxivity, saturation parameter, leakage factor and coupling factor were estimated for deuterated nitroxyl radicals. DNP enhancement increases with agent concentration up to 3 mm and decreases above 3 mm. The proton spin-lattice relaxation time and the longitudinal relaxivity parameters were estimated. The leakage factor increases with increasing agent concentration up to 3 mm and reaches plateau in the region 3-5 mm. The coupling parameter shows the interaction between the electron and nuclear spins to be mainly dipolar in origin. DNP spectrum exhibits that the full width at half maximum values are higher for undeuterated nitroxyl radicals compared with deuterated nitroxyl radicals, which leads to the increase in DNP enhancement. The ESR parameters such as, the line width, line shape, signal intensity ratio, rotational correlation time, hyperfine coupling constant and g-factor were calculated. The narrow line width was observed for deuterated nitroxyl radicals compared with undeuterated nitroxyl radicals, which leads to the higher saturation parameter value and DNP enhancement. The novelty of the work permits clear understanding of the DNP parameters determining the higher DNP enhancement compared with the undeuterated nitroxyl radicals. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Noninvasive assessment of the brain redox status after transient middle cerebral artery occlusion using Overhauser-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging

Oxidative stress has been implicated in the cell death that occurs after ischemia-reperfusion of the brain, which causes the production of reactive oxygen species and a decrease in antioxidants, leading to mitochondrial dysfunction. However, the invasive methods used to collect much of this evidence are themselves stress inducing, which could skew the results. In this study, we aimed at demonstrating brain redox alterations after ischemia-reperfusion noninvasively, using Overhauser-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging. The reduction rate of 3-methoxycarbonyl-2,2,5,5-tetramethylpyrrolidine-L-oxyl (methoxycarbonyl-PROXYL), a redox-sensitive contrast agent, was used as an index of the redox status in vivo. No changes were observed in the antioxidant concentration, the mitochondrial complex activity, or in the redox status image intensity after 3 h of reperfusion, following transient middle cerebral artery occlusion; however, after 24 h of reperfusion, the methoxycarbonyl-PROXYL reduction rate, calculated from continuous images, had decreased significantly. Concordantly, biochemical assays showed that the concentration of ascorbic acid in the ischemic hemisphere and the activity of mitochondrial complex II had also decreased. Thus, the noninvasive imaging of the brain redox alterations faithfully reflected changes in antioxidant levels and in mitochondrial complex II activity after ischemia-reperfusion.