Applications of laser-induced fluorescence spectroscopy for the determination of NADH in experimental neuroscience

✍ Scribed by A. Rex; F. Fink

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 2006
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 236 KB
• Volume: 3
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 1612-2011
• DOI: 10.1002/lapl.200610033

✦ Synopsis

There is an increasing need for continuously monitoring
changes in brain metabolism and neuronal activity, respectively.
The aim is to improve our understanding of mechanisms involved in
physiological as well as pathophysiological and behavioural
responses and to characterise drug actions. Changes of NADH
concentration in the brain can be regarded as an index of changes
in mitochondrial activity, which is closely related to neuronal
activity. During the last decade the determination of NADH
fluorescence by laser-induced fluorescence spectroscopy has become
a method of choice in the study of mitochondrial metabolism in
neuroscience. By now, small optical probes, providing excellent
temporal and spatial resolution and the development of reliable
and robust laser-based fluorescence detectors allow a widespread
use in preclinical research. Besides in vitro studies,
especially the assessment of changes in the NADH fluorescence
in vivo has been shown to provide valuable information on
brain function. Several applications are given, ranging from
studying drug action or the extent of brain lesion to the
measurement the time course of NADH concentration in a brain
region of an awake and behaving laboratory rat. Theoretical
aspects, opportunities, and limitations that have to be considered
during the implementation of fluorescence spectroscopy are
described. It is concluded, that measurement of NADH fluorescence
by laser-induced fluorescence spectroscopy is a suitable tool for
investigation of functional processes in the brain.