Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) allows convenient assays using WST-8 (2-(2-methoxy-4-nitrophenyl)-3-(4-nitrophenyl)-5-(2,4-disulfophenyl)-2H-tetrazolium, monosodium salt), which produces a water-soluble formazan dye upon bioreduction in the presence of an electron carrier, 1-Methoxy PMS. CCK-8 solution is added directly to the cells, no pre-mixing of components is required. WST-8 is bioreduced by cellular dehydrogenases to an orange formazan product that is soluble in tissue culture medium. The amount of formazan produced is directly proportional to the number of living cells. Since the CCK-8 solution is very stable and it has little cytotoxicity, a longer incubation, such as 24 to 48 hours, is possible.
Cell Counting Kit-8 allows sensitive colorimetric assays for the determination of the number of viable cells in the proliferation and cytotoxicity assays. The detection sensitivity is higher than any other tetrazolium salts such as MTT, XTT or MTS.