Image-iT™ Red Hypoxia Reagent (Invitrogen™)

Image-iT™ Red Hypoxia Reagent is a novel fluorogenic compound for measuring hypoxia in live cells. It is non-fluorescent when live cells are in an environment with normal oxygen concentrations and becomes fluorescent when oxygen levels are decreased. Image-iT™ Red Hypoxia Reagent is a real-time oxygen detector, with a fluoregenic response that reverses when the cells return to normal oxygen levels.

Features of Image-iT™ Red Hypoxia Reagent include:
• Measures hypoxia in live cells by fluorescing in low oxygen environments
• Real-time oxygen detector, with reversible fluoregenic response
• Easy to use—just add to cell culture media and image

Image-iT™ Red Hypoxia Reagent is a fluorogenic compound that becomes fluorescent in environments with low oxygen concentrations, and it is live cell permeable. These properties makes it a highly useful tool for detecting cells and tissue under hypoxic conditions. Image-iT™ Red Hypoxia Reagent is a very sensitive oxygen detector. Unlike pimonidazole adducts that respond only to very low oxygen levels, Image-iT™ Hypoxia Reagent begins to fluoresce when atmospheric oxygen levels are less than 5%. It responds quickly to such environments, and the fluorogenic response reverses if oxygen concentrations improve. These properties make Image-iT™ Red Hypoxia Reagent an ideal tool for detecting hypoxic conditions around tumors, 3D cultures, spheroids, neurons, etc. It can be used to detect tumors in small animals, and its fluorogenic properties have been shown to corresponds with increased Hif 1α expression and translocation in hypoxic environments (1).

1. Zhang, S., Hosaka, M., Yoshihara, T., Negishi, K., Iida, Y., Tobita, S., & Takeuchi, T. (2010) Phosphorescent light–emitting iridium complexes serve as a hypoxia-sensing probe for tumor imaging in living animals. Cancer Research 70(11), 4490-4498.