Ammonia-containing dimethyl sulfoxide: An improved solvent for the dissolution of formazan crystals in the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay

Abstract: To reduce interference with the dissolution of formazan crystals in the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay, we conducted a systematic investigation to study the effects of various buffers, HCl, NaOH, and ammonia. As a result, we identified an improved solvent, alkaline dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) containing 8 to 800mM ammonia, which could dissolve formazan crystals in approximately 10min so as to give a stable spectrum by eliminating buffering effects of the residual medium. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]