Detection of oxidative stress. Interest of GC-MS for malondialdehyde and formaldehyde monitoring.

Ischemia-reperfusion syndrome is a condition where the role of oxygen free radicals is important. Malondialdehyde (MDA) and formaldehyde (FA), products of lipid peroxidation, are the presumptive markers for the development of oxidative stress in tissues and plasmas. A GC-MS method for the determination of MDA and FA in rat brain extract is described. Rat brains were homogenized with deionized water. The homogenates were derivatized with 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazone (DNPH) to obtain hydrazines derivatives of MDA and FA. The hydrazine derivatives were analyzed by GC-MS and quantitation was by single ion monitoring (SIM). The retention times of FA and MDA were, respectively, 13.75 and 14.20 min, and for SIM quantitation, ion at m/z 210 for FA, and m/z 158 for MDA were used. The results showed that it is possible to estimate the products of lipid peroxidation in brain and to monitor the oxidative stress developed during the ischemia-reperfusion syndrome compared to the normal values. Copyright 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.