Dihydroethidium

Biological Activity

Dihydroethidium (also known as Hydroethidine and PD-MY 003) is a cell-permeable blue fluorescent dye. DHE-derived fluorescence at 570 nm is a convenient method for detection of intracellular and extracellular superoxide produced by phagocytic and vascular NADPH oxidase. Dihydroethidium is neuroprotective by reducing superoxide in mice after stroke.

Conversion of different model animals based on BSA (Value based on data from FDA Draft Guidelines)

Species	Mouse	Rat	Rabbit	Guinea pig	Hamster	Dog
Weight (kg)	0.02	0.15	1.8	0.4	0.08	10
Body Surface Area (m2)	0.007	0.025	0.15	0.05	0.02	0.5
Km factor	3	6	12	8	5	20

Animal A (mg/kg) = Animal B (mg/kg) multiplied by	Animal B Km
	Animal A Km

For example, to modify the dose of resveratrol used for a mouse (22.4 mg/kg) to a dose based on the BSA for a rat, multiply 22.4 mg/kg by the K_m factor for a mouse and then divide by the K_m factor for a rat. This calculation results in a rat equivalent dose for resveratrol of 11.2 mg/kg.

Chemical Information

References

On the use of fluorescence lifetime imaging and dihydroethidium to detect superoxide in intact animals and ex vivo tissues: a reassessment
Radoslaw Michalski, et al. Free Radic Biol Med. 2014 Feb;67:278-84. PMID: 24200598.

Global profiling of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species in biological systems: high-throughput real-time analyses
Jacek Zielonka, et al. J Biol Chem. 2012 Jan 27;287(5):2984-95. PMID: 22139901.

Assessment of superoxide production and NADPH oxidase activity by HPLC analysis of dihydroethidium oxidation products
Francisco R M Laurindo, et al. Methods Enzymol. 2008;441:237-60. PMID: 18554538.

Generation of superoxide anion by equine spermatozoa as detected by dihydroethidium
L Burnaugh, et al. Theriogenology. 2007 Feb;67(3):580-9. PMID: 17045638.

Treatment with dihydroethidium reduces infarct size after transient focal cerebral ischemia in mice
Fengshan Yu, et al. Brain Res. 2003 Jul 18;978(1-2):223-7. PMID: 12834917.