DCFH2 interactions with hydroxyl radicals and other oxidants - Influence of organic solvents

The oxidation of 2′,7′-dichlorofluorescin (DCFH2) is widely used as a measure to detect the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and to analyze oxidative stress. Other factors beside commonly known radicals may influence the results of such measurements. Therefore, the effects of H2O2, KMnO4, decomposition products of AAPH, ethanol and DMSO, antioxidants like ascorbic acid, different ferrous ion chelates, and heme-containing proteins like cytochrome c, myoglobin, hemoglobin, and horseradish-peroxidase were comparatively analyzed with respect to their impact on DCFH2 oxidation. The study evaluates the effects of various oxidants with different oxidative potentials regarding their ability to induce DCF-fluorescence. Furthermore, we analyzed the inhibitory effect of organic solvents like ethanol or DMSO on the oxidation of DCFH2 by hydroxyl radicals. The results of our study indicate that the potential of an oxidant does not always correlate with its efficiency to generate DCF-fluorescence.