Measurements in vivo of parameters pertinent to ROS/RNS using EPR spectroscopy

The technique of in vivo EPR spectroscopy can provide useful and even unique information pertinent to the study of oxygen/nitrogen radicals and related processes. The parameters that can be measured include: (a) Oxygen centered radicals (by spin trapping); (b) carbon centered radicals (by spin trapping and sometimes by direct observation); (c) sulfur centered radicals (by spin trapping and sometimes by direct observation); (d) nitric oxide (by spin trapping); (e) oxygen (using oxygen sensitive paramagnetic materials); (f) redox state (using metabolism of nitroxides); (g) thiol groups (using special nitroxides); (h) pH (using special nitroxides); (h) perfusion (using washout of paramagnetic tracers); (i) some redox active metal ions (chromium, manganese). The current state of the art for these and other measurements is discussed, especially in relationship to experiments that are likely to be useful for studies of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and/or reactive nitrogen species (RNS).