Homogeneous Luminescence-Based Assay for Quantifying the Glutathione Content in Mammalian Cells

Christiane Scherer, Silvia Christofanon, Mario Dicato, and Marc Diederich
LABORATOIRE DE BIOLOGIE MOLÉCULAIRE ET CELLULAIRE DU CANCER, HÔPITAL KIRCHBERG, 9, RUE EDWARD STEICHEN, L-2540 LUXEMBURG, LUXEMBURG
Publication Date: 2008

Abstract

Promega has developed a new luminescence-based assay to rapidly quantify the total intra- and extracellular glutathione (GSH)content of mammalian cells and tissues. This method is able to rapidly assess the basic level of this antioxidant, nonprotein thiol in different eukaryotic cell lines. In addition, the antioxidant or prooxidant activity of diverse xenobiotics affecting cellular glutathione levels can be investigated with little effort. Hence we describe experiments with the human leukemic cell line U937, where the intracellular glutathione biosynthesis/level is induced or reduced after treatments with N-acetylcysteine (NAC) or buthionine-(S,R)-sulfoxime (BSO), respectively.

Cell Notes 22, 7–9.