Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADP+) is used in anabolic reactions, such as lipid and nucleic acid synthesis, which require NADPH as a reducing agent. NADPH is the reduced form of NADP+, and NADP+ is the oxidized form of NADPH. In cells, NADPH plays the role of a carrier of reducing power and is primarily involved in maintaining optimal redox metabolism. A simplified assay for the measurement of NAD and NADP is critical to understanding the roles of these pyridine nucleotides in normal and abnormal cells.

NADPH is produced in the oxidative phase of the pentose phosphate pathway in cells, a multifunctional pathway whose primary purpose is to generate reducing power in the form of NADPH. NADPH is a cofactor for enzymes that synthesize energy-rich molecules and provide the reducing equivalents for the oxidation-reduction involved in protecting the cell from the toxicity of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and NADPH oxidase-dependent ROS generation. Both NAD and NADP have been shown to influence hemoglobin affinity for oxygen in erythrocytes. In plant cells, NADPH is used as the reducing power for the biosynthetic reactions in the Calvin cycle of photosynthesis (1-2).

Cell Technology’s Fluoro NADP/NADPH provides a highly reliable, sensitive fluorometric assay for the quantification of NADP, NADPH and their ratio in biological samples.