Mapping of Redox State of Mitochondrial Cytochromes in Live Cardiomyocytes Using Raman Microspectroscopy

This paper presents a nonivasive approach to study redox state of reduced cytochromes [Image: see text], [Image: see text] and [Image: see text] of complexes II and III in mitochondria of live cardiomyocytes by means of Raman microspectroscopy. For the first time with the proposed approach we perform studies of rod- and round-shaped cardiomyocytes, representing different morphological and functional states. Raman mapping and cluster analysis reveal that these cardiomyocytes differ in the amounts of reduced cytochromes [Image: see text], [Image: see text] and [Image: see text]. The rod-shaped cardiomyocytes possess uneven distribution of reduced cytochromes [Image: see text], [Image: see text] and [Image: see text] in cell center and periphery. Moreover, by means of Raman spectroscopy we demonstrated the decrease in the relative amounts of reduced cytochromes [Image: see text], [Image: see text] and [Image: see text] in the rod-shaped cardiomyocytes caused by H(2)O(2)-induced oxidative stress before any visible changes. Results of Raman mapping and time-dependent study of reduced cytochromes of complexes II and III and cytochrome [Image: see text] in cardiomyocytes are in a good agreement with our fluorescence indicator studies and other published data.