Are tetrazolium salts toxic to cells?

Tetrazolium salt compounds are commonly used to detect viability. Tetrazolium reduction is toxic to cells and is an endpoint measure of viability, which can only be performed in sacrificial constructs.

What does tetrazolium indicator do?

Triphenyl tetrazolium chloride, TTC, or simply tetrazolium chloride (with the formula 2,3,5-triphenyl-2H-tetrazolium chloride) is a redox indicator commonly used in biochemical experiments especially to indicate cellular respiration (example: to check for the viability of seeds).

What does tetrazolium mean?

: a monovalent cation or group CH3N4 that is analogous to ammonium also : any of several of its derivatives used especially as electron acceptors to test for metabolic activity in living cells.

How does tetrazolium salt work?

Tetrazolium salts serve as substrates for active cellular dehydrogenases and reductases. In the presence of NADH/NADPH, these salts are reduced to formazan products and produce strong, distinct colors.

What can you assess with a tetrazolium reduction assay?

The tetrazolium reduction, resazurin reduction, and protease activity assays measure some aspect of general metabolism or an enzymatic activity as a marker of viable cells….For example:

• CellTiter 96® Non-Radioactive Cell Proliferation Assay.
• Cell Growth Determination Kit, MTT based.
• MTT Cell Growth Assay Kit.

How do you do the tetrazolium test?

How is a TZ Test Done?

1. Seeds are soaked in water overnight.
2. Seeds are then dissected, either longitudinally or transversely, with a scalpel so that the embryo is exposed to the tetrazolium chloride solution.
3. A solution of 2, 3, 5 triphyenyl tetrazolium chloride (a salt) is added to water to form a colorless solution.

Why MTT assay is preferred?

Introduction. Use of the MTT tetrazolium compound to measure the number of viable cells in culture was first described by Mosmann in 1983 (1) . For these reasons, the MTT assay was the first widely accepted method that replaced the radioactive tritiated thymidine incorporation assay used to measure cell proliferation.

How does the metabolism of tetrazolium reduce MTT?

Therefore, reduction of MTT and other tetrazolium dyes depends on the cellular metabolic activity due to NAD(P)H flux. Cells with a low metabolism such as thymocytes and splenocytes reduce very little MTT. In contrast, rapidly dividing cells exhibit high rates of MTT reduction.

How are tetrazolium salts used to detect viability?

Tetrazolium salt compounds are commonly used to detect viability. There are two basic categories of tetrazolium salts: (1) Cationic salts that can permeate viable eukaryotic cells through electrostatic interactions with the anionic plasma membrane.

How are tetrazolium dyes reduced in the body?

Therefore, reduction of MTT and other tetrazolium dyes depends on the cellular metabolic activity due to NAD (P)H flux. Cells with a low metabolism such as thymocytes and splenocytes reduce very little MTT.

What are the two types of tetrazolium salts?

There are two basic categories of tetrazolium salts: (1) Cationic salts that can permeate viable eukaryotic cells through electrostatic interactions with the anionic plasma membrane. Cationic tetrazolium salts include MTT (3- (4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide).