| Inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) is one of three isoforms of nitric oxide synthase and is responsible for a number of pathologies, many of which are nutritionally related. To date Western blots and enzyme activity have been the primary way of detecting the protein and determining the enzymes activity. However the number of samples that can be processed at one time with these techniques is limited. The current experiment compared an indirect sandwich ELISA, indirect ELISA, and indirect competition ELISA to quantify recombinant iNOS. The data suggest that an indirect ELISA is most promising, but at present ELISA is not be the best means of quantifying iNOS. It was also concluded that the possibility of generating one's own antibodies should be evaluated, but that western blots and enzyme activity assays remain the best procedures to detect and quantify iNOS. |
