To quantify the mucosal protein level of HIF1α, an enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was performed. For this purpose, mucosal tissue sections from each sample were snap frozen in liquid nitrogen, and stored at −80°C until further processing. The mucosal tissue was then homogenized in a lysis buffer (NP40 lysis buffer: 150 mM NaCl, 1.0 % NP-40 (Nonidet P40,
Boehringer Mannheim, Mannheim, Germany, #1332473), 50 mM Tris pH 8.0, 5 mM EDTA, 1× Protease inhibitor mix,
SIGMA-Aldrich, St. Louis, MO, USA, #P8340) using a high-speed homogenisator (FastPrep-24™ 5G,
MP Biomedicals Germany GmbH, Eschwege, Germany). Protein content of each individual homogenized sample was assessed by performing a Bradford assay, as described previously (31 (
link)). A commercial ELISA Kit (Horse hypoxia inducible factor 1, alpha subunit ELISA Kit,
MyBioSource, San Diego, California, United States) was performed in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions. Only a small alteration in the protocol was made, diluting the HIF protein standard 1:1 in NP40 buffer, to correct for the presences of this buffer in the samples. Optical density was measured using a microplate reader set to 450 nm (Multiscan GO,
Thermo Fisher Scientific GmbH, Dreiech, Germany). The accompanying software (SkanIt Software 6.0.2 for Microplate Readers RE, ver. 6.0.2.3) was used to plot the concentration curves, with
r > 0.97 considered acceptable. The measured values were within the detection limit and standard range of the kit. To correct for differences in protein content between the individual samples after homogenisation, the HIF protein level was expressed in pg per mg protein in the sample.
To ensure that the HIF protein levels in the samples were not decreased due to generalized protein degradation in the sample, the housekeeping protein Heat Shock Protein 70 (HSP-70) was also determined in the same samples with a commercial ELISA kit (Horse Heat Shock Protein 70 ELISA Kit,
MyBioSource, San Diego, California, United States). This was performed in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions using the same small alteration as described above for the HIF ELISA, as well as the same measurement and calculation.
Verhaar N., de Buhr N., von Köckritz-Blickwede M., Dümmer K., Hewicker-Trautwein M., Pfarrer C., Dengler F, & Kästner S. (2023). Hypoxia signaling in the equine small intestine: Expression and distribution of hypoxia inducible factors during experimental ischemia. Frontiers in Veterinary Science, 10, 1110019.