Studies over the past decade have shown Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) to have a significant signaling role in biomedicine and biology. In particular, H2S, which is endogenously synthesized in mammals, was found to act as a vasodilator leading to dilation of blood vessels and the lowering of blood pressure and has been shown to have a protective effects on various cardiovascular conditions such as heart failure induced by myocardial ischemia. It has recently been shown to even have a greater role in human physiology by also acting as a gasotransmitter in the brain, respiratory system, kidneys, gastrointestinal system, and skeletal and smooth muscle. It has also been recently shown to have additional beneficial effects by acting as a scavenger for reactive oxygen species (ROS).
A major problem in any study of this gaseous signaling molecule is the tedious, labor intensive, time consuming, and sometimes inherent inaccuracies in measuring H2S concentration in biological media. Fluorescence (various fluorophores) , spectrophotometric methods (methylene blue reaction), gas chromatography, HPLC (monobrombimane assay), chemiluminescence, and polarographic techniques which are currently used to assay bio samples for H2S can not only suffer from significant interferences, but also require complex multi step sample prep procedures which can lead H2S loss from the sample.
In order to simplify the H2S assay procedure, reduce analysis time, while at the same time improving accuracy, Lazar Research Laboratories, Inc. with its decades of micro chemical sensor development experience, has spent a substantial amount of research time and effort to develop a unique micro solid state H2S electrode sensor which can be dipped directly into a 96 well plate or other micro sample container such as a microcentrifuge tube, and measure H2S concentration in less than 3 minutes without any known interferences. Concentration range for the H2S assay system is 1 uM (micro Molar) to 300 uM.
The testing procedure is quick and straight forward. You just pipette or add 40 microliters of the sample into a 96 well plate and then pipette an additional 40 microliters of a single reagent into the 96 well plate. Dip the micro H2S electrode into the 96 well plate, stir slightly by moving electrode, and after only 2 to 3 minutes read the H2S concentration on the H2S analyzer display or your PC. Rinse H2S electrode with DI water, dry gently using paper wiper, and proceed with the next sample. Its that simple.