Disulfide-linked, Gold Nanoparticle Based Reagent For Detecting Small Molecular Weight Thiols

摘要

The reduced to oxidized (redox) ratio of thiols on proteins freely circulating in blood or attached to the surfaces of vascular cells is under strict regulation since small alterations in the redox status of proteins in the circulatory system can adversely affect diverse physiological phenomena including blood coagulation, glucose uptake/release, NO_x-mediated vascular contraction/relaxation, gene expression, and immunological and hormonal responses. The redox status of blood is maintained by circulating low molecular weight (<350 Da) thiols (LMWTs) such as hydrogen sulfide, cysteine (Cys), homocysteine (HCys), glutathione (GSH), γ-glutamyl-cysteine (γ-Glu-Cys), and cysteinylglycine (Cys-Gly). There are many reagents for the spectroscopic determination (by UV/vis or fluorescence) of the levels of total (high molecular weight thiols (HMWTs) + LMWTs) in biological fluids.