Oxidative Stress Status Assay

What is oxidative stress status?
An imbalance between the production of various reactive species and the ability of the organism's natural protective mechanisms to cope with these reactive compounds and prevent adverse effects.

How to assess oxidative stress status?
Numerous studies suggested that unsaturated lipids, proteins and DNA are the components of the cell that are most sensitive to oxidative damage induced by ROS/RNS. The assessment of oxidative stress status was approached through the measurement the degree of oxidative damage on lipids, proteins and DNA, which can be quantified by the specific biomarkers. Brunswick Laboratories measures the following biomarkers for the oxidative stress status.

Lipid Peroxidation:
The appearance of 8-epi-prostaglandin PGF2a (8-epi-PGF2a) in plasma or urine has been suggested by a number of investigators as a reliable index of in vivo free radical generation and oxidative lipid formation. There is very strong evidence from animal studies that 8-epi-PGF2a increase in plasma and urine as a result of oxidative stress, and in human, this product is elevated in smokers. Comparison with other measures of lipid peroxidation, 8-epi-PGF2a is specific product of lipid peroxidation, and is very stable. In addition, its formation is modulated by antioxidant status, and its level is not affected by lipid content of the diet.

Protein Oxidation:
Oxidative damage can affect proteins giving rise among others to protein carbonyl derivatives, via a variety of mechanisms that include fragmentation and amino acid oxidation. Protein oxidation has major deleterious effects on normal functioning of organism. 2-Oxohistine and nitrotyrosine are thought to be an indicator of protein oxidation induced by peroxyl radical and peroxynitrite, respectively.

DNA damage:
One of the major products of oxygen radical attack is 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine. Numerous publications reported that there is an age-dependent increase in the level of this adduct in human brain tissue. Brunswick Laboratories has developed a LC/MS method to measure 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine in urine.

What does the oxidative stress value tell us?
The quantities of three biomarkers represent the degree of oxidative damage to the body's cells. The high value indicates the high oxidative stress level, thereafter more antioxidants.