State of the art in vivo reactive oxygen species measurements in skeletal muscle using fluorescent proteins

Evaluation of the effects of muscle contractions on reactive oxygen species (ROS) concentrations and their intracellular and intraorganelle dynamics is important for understanding protection against cellular damage and resolving the mechanistic bases for muscle plasticity after training, with aging and in disease. Because of the highly reactive nature of ROS, measurement methods have typically been limited to a few established approaches. In this review, we discuss the advantages and limitations of the typical methods for detecting ROS in skeletal muscle to date. In particular, we focus on the importance of in vivo imaging using ROS-sensitive genetically encoded fluorescent proteins. The pressing need for quantitative analysis of each organelle, such as mitochondria, to advance our comprehensive biological understanding of ROS dynamics during muscle contractions is stressed. These considerations provide a direction for more fully understanding exercise-induced redox signaling.