Microtopographic analysis of oxidative stress in organ microcirculatory units

Current approaches for visualization of oxidative stress in organ microcirculatory units were summarized. Recent development of digital imaging photonic microscopy has made it possible to analyze spatial and temporal alterations of oxyradical generation during tissue injury. Luminol-dependent photonic imagery revealed granulocyte-mediated oxidative stress during microvascular damages, suggesting that the interface between venular endothelium and sticking granulocytes may be the most critical site of oxidative stress. Fluorographic analysis assisted by dichlorofluorescin (DCFH) diacetate is a powerful tool to visualize intracellular hydroperoxide formation. This method demonstrated intralobular heterogeneity of oxidative stress in the isolated perfused hepatic microcirculatory units exposed to either CCl4 or low-flow hypoxia. CCl4 caused the activation of dichlorofluorescein (DCF) predominantly in perivenular areas, while the 25% low-flow perfusion induced periportal or midzonal DCF activation. Refinement of the present technique will provide further insight into the microtopographic correlation between oxidative stress and tissue breakdown in microcirculation.