Optimization of determination of reduced and oxidized glutathione in rat striatum by HPLC method with fluorescence detection and pre-column derivatization

Abstract

Summary A high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method was used to assess the concentration of reduced and oxidized glutathione (GSH and GSSG) in rat striatum. Following decapitation, striatum was isolated from the male Wistar rat brain and immediately homogenized with double distilled water. GSH level was determined after pre-column derivatization with o-phthalaldehyde (OPA). The optimal incubation time with OPA was tested. The concentration of GSSG was determined after blockage the thiol groups of GSH by N-ethylmaleimide (NEM). The useful time for incubation with NEM was optimized. Next, disulfide bounds of GSSG were reduced by dithiothreitol (DTT), and released GSH is derivatized with OPA. The total glutathione, tGSH (sum of free and bound GSH, GSSG, and other low-molecular-mass aminothiols), was determined after reduction with DTT and then derivatization with OPA. The level of GSSG was calculated of the difference in concentrations of tGSH and GSH, but we showed that the calculated concentrati...