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Updated: Jul 18, 2026
Detection of Nitric Oxide and Superoxide Radical Anion by Electron Paramagnetic Resonance Spectroscopy from Cells using Spin Traps
Published on: August 18, 2012
Synthesis and ESR studies of a novel cyclic nitrone spin trap attached to a phosphonium group-a suitable trap for
1Department of Biophysics, the Medical College of Wisconsin, Free Radical Research Center, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA.
Abstract:
In this study we report the synthesis and biological application of a novel cyclic nitrone spin trap containing a phosphonium cation. This new spin trap ([4-(2-methyl-1-oxy-3, 4-dihydro-2H-pyrrole-2-carbonyloxy)-butyl]-triphenyl-phosphonium bromide, MitoBMPOBr) is a derivative of the cyclic nitrone, 5-tert-butoxycarbonyl 5-methyl-1-pyrroline N-oxide (BMPO). MitoBMPOBr forms radical adducts upon trapping of superoxide and hydroxyl radicals that exhibit highly distinct and characteristic EPR spectra. The stability of these adducts is comparable to those of BMPO. Because of the presence of a positively-charged phosphonium moiety, MitoBMPOBr may be suitable for trapping reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the mitochondria.
