Biomedical application of electron spin resonance (ESR) spectroscopy - Assessment of antioxidant property for development of drugs

Abstract

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are associated with oxidative stress-mediated alterations under pathophysiological conditions, and particularly brain ischemia, brain tumor, and neurodegenerative diseases. Electron spin resonance (ESR) is recognized as one of the most powerful techniques available for the detection of ROS in tissues and cells. We previously developed an in vitro ESR-based technique for the detection of free radical reactions in biological systems. In addition, significant advances in the field of in vivo ESR techniques over recent years have now made it possible to visualize the distribution and metabolism of oxidative stress, and the degree of tissue oxygenation in vivo. Nitroxyl radicals are very useful as exogenous spin probes for measuring free radical distribution, oxygen concentration, and redox metabolism by in vivo ESR in biological systems, using a combination of these ESR methods collectively focused on animal models of disease such as spontaneously hypertensive rat (SHR) or stroke-prone SHR (SHRSP) for the assessment of antioxidant property of drugs. Our results suggest that ESR could be applied to the assessment of antioxidant property on oxidative stress in target organs, especially brain, using animal disease models, SHR or SHRSP. After screening drugs for antioxidant property using such as in vitro or in vivo ESR assessment, we'll be able to develop and find novel antioxidant drugs for ROS-induced brain disease in the near future. © 2008 The Pharmaceutical Society of Japan.