Novel free radical monitoring in patients with neurological emergency diseases.

Recent experimental studies have demonstrated that oxidative stress has important roles in various neuronal conditions. Stroke and traumatic brain injury are also related to oxidative stress. However few studies prove the existence of free radicals in humans because they are difficult to measure. We recently developed a technique for free radical and oxidative stress monitoring using the ex vivo electron spin resonance (ESR) spin trapping method in patients with neuroemergency. Blood samples were collected by catheterization of the internal jugular bulb. The alkoxyl radical level was measured by ex vivo ESR spectrometry using 5,5-dimethyl-1-pyrroline-1-oxide (Dojin Chemical, Tokyo, Japan) as a spin trap. Electron spin response detection of the spin adduct was performed at room temperature using a JESREIX X-band spectrometer (JEOL, Tokyo, Japan). As a marker of reactive oxygen species, we also used the diacron-reactive oxygen metabolites test (d-ROM). This method is not invasive for patients, and it is technically easy to execute.Oxidative stress monitoring is useful and may prove valuable for clarifying the pathophysiology of neuroemergency diseases, which has long been hampered by technical difficulties in measuring and monitoring oxidative stress.