Quantification of F2-isoprostanes as a reliable index of oxidative stress in vivo using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS) method

Free radical-induced lipid peroxidation has been implicated in a number of human diseases including atherosclerosis, cancer, and neurodegenerative diseases. F2-Isoprostanes (IsoPs) are isomers of prostaglandin PGF2α that are generated in vivo from the free radical-initiated peroxidation of arachidonic acid independent of cyclooxygenase enzymes. Since the discovery of the IsoPs in the early 1990s, a large body of evidence has been accumulated to indicate that quantification of these F2-IsoPs represents the most reliable biomarker to assess oxidative stress in vivo. A variety of analytical approaches have been developed for the quantification of these novel compounds; these methods include mass spectrometry (MS) detection coupled to gas chromatography (GC) or liquid chromatography (LC) separation, and detection using immunological approaches. This article summarizes our current methodology to quantify F2-IsoPs in biological fluids and tissues using GC-MS. This method includes solid-phase extraction (SPE), thin-layer chromatography (TLC) purification, chemical derivatization, and MS detection using negative ion chemical ionization (NICI) coupled with GC. The protocol described herein has been optimized and validated to provide the best sensitivity and selectivity for quantification of F2-IsoPs from a variety of biological sources.