Jesus Pacheco-Torres1,2, Paloma Ballesteros2, Sebastian Cerdan3, Pilar Lopez-Larrubia3
1Instituto de Investigaciones Biomdicas "Alberto Sols" - CSIC , Madrid, Spain; 2Instituto Universitario de Investigacin - UNED, Madrid, Spain; 3Instituto de Investigaciones Biomdicas "Alberto Sols" - CSIC, Madrid, Spain
We describe a novel nitroimidazolyl derivative as a probe for the measurement of hypoxia by 1H MRS methods. We show that our nitroimidazole has a redox potential similar to NADP and that is reduced by the cytochrome P-450 reductase system under anoxic conditions. In cultures of C6 cells under hypoxic conditions, the compound shows at least two reduction products that are originated in a hypoxia dependent manner. These results are validated with those obtained with pimonidazole, a commercial hypoxia probe. The kinetics of the reduction process may be observed by 1H HR MAS spectroscopy