Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Antioxidant compounds interfere with the 3.

M Natarajan1, S Mohan, B R Martinez

  • 1Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, 78229-3900, USA.

Cancer Detection and Prevention
|December 29, 2000
PubMed
Summary

Antioxidants with thiol groups can interfere with cell viability assays. These compounds reduce MTT tetrazolium to formazan, affecting results even without cells, impacting experimental interpretation.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Quantum secure patient login credential system using blockchain for electronic health record sharing framework.

Scientific reports·2025
Same author

A correlation study between mean platelet volume and platelet aggregation study in acute coronary syndrome patients.

Indian journal of pathology & microbiology·2024
Same author

Advanced 3D <i>In Vitro</i> Lung Fibrosis Models: Contemporary Status, Clinical Uptake, and Prospective Outlooks.

ACS biomaterials science & engineering·2024
Same author

Factors associated with mortality among moderate and severe patients with COVID-19 in India: a secondary analysis of a randomised controlled trial.

BMJ open·2021
Same author

Myosin IIA and formin dependent mechanosensitivity of filopodia adhesion.

Nature communications·2019
Same author

A Case of acute extradural haematoma following subtemporal decompression for acute subdural haematoma.

Neurology India·2018

Area of Science:

  • Cell Biology
  • Biochemistry
  • Pharmacology

Background:

  • Antioxidants are commonly used as cytoprotective agents in cell culture media.
  • The 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay is a standard method for assessing cell viability.
  • Potential interference in MTT assays can compromise the accuracy of cell viability studies.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the impact of various antioxidants on the MTT assay.
  • To determine if antioxidants can directly reduce MTT tetrazolium salts independently of cellular activity.
  • To assess the implications of this interaction for interpreting cell viability data.

Main Methods:

  • Culturing cells and performing MTT assays in the presence of different antioxidants.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Testing the direct reduction of MTT tetrazolium salts by antioxidants in acellular conditions.
  • Quantifying formazan production spectrophotometrically.

    • Main Results:

    • Thiol-containing antioxidants (e.g., beta-mercaptoethanol, N-acetyl-L-cysteine) significantly reduced MTT tetrazolium to formazan in a dose-dependent manner without cells.
    • Antioxidants lacking reactive thiol groups did not produce formazan.
    • The reduction of MTT by antioxidants occurred independently of cell viability.

    Conclusions:

    • Certain antioxidants, particularly those with thiol groups, can directly interfere with the MTT assay by reducing tetrazolium salts.
    • This direct chemical reduction can lead to inaccurate interpretations of cell viability.
    • Researchers should consider the potential for antioxidant interference when designing and analyzing MTT-based cell viability experiments.