抄録
Chemicals emitting light in visible region, when they are oxidized at physiological pH, have been used for testing the generation of active oxygen species and related oxidants. Of these chemicals, luminol has been widely used for testing the function of phagocytizing monocytes and granulocytes. Luminol is known to be oxidized to aminophthalic dianion which in turn emits a light with maximum at 425 nm in aqueous media. The various oxidants generated during phagoctizing, such as O-2, -O Cl and myeloperoxidase compound III, are involved in luminol dependent luminescences.
Lucigenin, also a chemiluminescence compound, emits a light in visible region during phagocytizing, but produce much move weaker light compared with luminol in phagocytizing granulocytes. Lucigenin-dependent luminescence, however, participates in the generation of O-2 (probably also H2O2) but not in the myeloperoxidase-mediated reactions.
Very sensitive and specific method for testing an ability of O- generation in phagocitizing granulocytes and macrophages is considered to be a chemilunescence probe with a crypridina luciferin analog. The compound is, in the main, oxidized to an excited carbonyl in singlet state by O-, but not by H2O2. Under specified conditions, O generating ability of macrophages and granulocytes can be calculated and expressed as xanthine oxidase units.
