Sodium azide as a specific quencher of singlet oxygen during chemiluminescent detection by luminol and Cypridina luciferin analogues

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are presently thought to play important role in an increasing number of the physiological and pathological processes in living organisms. Various chemiluminescent (CL) compounds have been studied in order to find suitable and specific probes for the detection of particular ROS species. The CL of luminol is known to be non‐specific and can be induced by various oxidants. Two Cypridina luciferin analogues, CLA and MCLA, have been used for the detection of ROS in vivo. CLAs are thought to emit light only when reacting with superoxide and singlet oxygen. It is possible to distinguish the particular ROS by using a specific quencher or scavenger, e.g. superoxide dismutase (SOD) or sodium azide (NaN₃). The CL reactions of luminol (3‐aminophthalhydrazide), CLA [2‐methyl‐6‐phenyl‐3,7‐dihydroimidazo(1,2α) pyrazin‐3‐one] and MCLA [2‐methyl‐6‐(p‐methoxyphenyl)‐3,7‐dihydroimidazo(1,2α) pyrazin‐3‐one] were studied in three hydrogen peroxide decomposition systems (H₂O₂–HRP; H₂O₂–CuSO₄; and H₂O₂–NaOCl). The measurements were carried out in phosphate buffer, pH 7.4, at 25 °C, using a luminometer (Fluoroskan Ascent FL and Sirius C). NaN₃ was used as the specific quencher of singlet oxygen. The results demonstrate that the proclaimed specifity of the CL of Cypridina luciferin analogues towards singlet oxygen has to be discussed. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.