Measurement of oxidized/reduced glutathione ratio

Abstract

Glutathione (GSH) is the most abundant antioxidant in aerobic cells, present in micromolar (μM) concentrations in bodily fluids and in millimolar (mM) concentrations in tissue. GSH is critical for protecting the brain from oxidative stress, acting as a free radical scavenger and inhibitor of lipid peroxidation. GSH also participates in the detoxification of hydrogen peroxide by various glutathione peroxidases. The ratio of reduced GSH to oxidized GSH (GSSG) is an indicator of cellular health, with reduced GSH constituting up to 98% of cellular GSH under normal conditions. However, the GSH/GSSG ratio is reduced in neurodegenerative diseases, such as Parkinson’s disease (PD) and Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Measuring the GSH/GSSG ratio in pathological tissues and experimental models thereof in comparison to the results in controls is an excellent way to assess potential therapeutics efficacy in maintaining cellular redox potential. The availability of UV/Visible instruments equipped with 96-well plate readers as common laboratory equipment has made measuring the GSH/GSSG ratio on multiple samples a manageable procedure.