LumiMax Superoxide Anion Detection Kit - Details & Specifications
Superoxide anion (O2–) is a short-lived radical of molecular oxygen that plays key roles in the immune system and intracellular functions. The enzyme nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) oxidase—a cytochrome-b-558-containing, plasma-membrane-bound enzyme complex—synthesizes superoxide anion by transferring an electron to molecular oxygen. Superoxide anion is a potent oxidant, which is released by leukocytes (such as monocytes, macrophages, and polymorphonuclear leukocytes) to damage infectious organisms.
Superoxide anion is also implicated in oxidative stress damage, tumor promotion, and cell growth and DNA synthesis, which superoxide anion affects through the cell signaling pathway of Ras (the protein encoded by the protooncogene ras). The enzyme superoxide dismutase (SOD) suppresses the activity of superoxide anion by catalyzing the dismutation of O2– into O2 and H2O2.
The LumiMax superoxide anion detection kit qualitatively detects the presence of superoxide anions and superoxide dismutase in cell cultures with a higher sensitivity than the standard luminol-based assay. The principles for detecting superoxide anion using the enhanced assay are the same as those for the standard assay: superoxide anion oxidizes luminol in a reaction that produces photons of light that are readily measured with a standard luminometer.
The LumiMax superoxide anion detection kit contains an enhancer that increases the sensitivity of the assay by amplifying the chemiluminescence, which allows the measurement of lower concentrations of superoxide anion than the standard assay. Unlike some enhancing reagents such as the phenol-based compound iodophenol, the enhancer can be used to assay living cells because it is nontoxic and does not denature components of the subcellular systems.
The LumiMax superoxide anion detection kit can be used to detect superoxide anion activity in any preparation that contains a suspected generator of superoxide anions. The protocols in this manual are optimized for tissue culture cells.
For Research Use Only. Not for use in diagnostic procedures