Antioxidant action of ubiquinol homologues with different isoprenoid chain length in biomembranes

Antioxidant activities of dihydrolipoic acid and its structural homologues

The relationships between structure and antioxidant activity of dihydrolipoic acid (DHLA) were studied using homologues of DHLA: bisonor-DHLA (a derivative which lacks two carbons in the hydrophobic tail), tetranor-DHLA (which lacks four carbons) and a methyl ester derivative. It was observed that: i) DHLA homologues with shorter hydrocarbon tails (i.e., bisnor- and tetranor-DHLA) had greater ability to quench superoxide radicals (O2-); ii) no differences among homologues with different chain lengths were found for peroxyl radical (ROO.) scavenging in aqueous solution, and iii) DHLA was the best membrane antioxidant in terms of ROO. scavenging and lipid peroxidation inhibition. Differences among the DHLA homologues in their antioxidant properties in polar and apolar environments generally agreed with differences in their partition coefficients. The methyl ester was the least effective antioxidant both in aqueous phase and in membranes. Tetranor-DHLA was found not only to be less effective in preventing ROO.-induced lipid peroxidation, but also to induce lipid peroxidation in the presence of residual iron. Thus, the complexity of biological systems seems to complicate generalizations on the correlation of molecular structure with antioxidant activity of DHLA.

Ubiquinol-3 and ubiquinol-7 exhibit similar antioxidant activity in model membranes

This study was undertaken to compare, on a kinetic basis, the antioxidant efficiency of an ubiquinol homologue having a short isoprenoid side-chain length, such as ubiquinol-3, with that of the long chain ubiquinol-7, by determining their rate constants of inhibition with respect to alpha-tocopherol. To this purpose we incorporated ubiquinol-3, or ubiquinol-7, or alpha-tocopherol into liposomes of egg yolk lecithin, and triggered lipid peroxidation with the thermal decomposition of a lipophilic azocompound. The results show that: i) the rate constants of inhibition for the two quinols are similar and slightly lower than that of alpha-tocopherol; ii) the length of the radical chain obtained in the presence of the two quinols is almost the same. From these data we concluded that the two homologues tested behave as chain-breaking antioxidants with quite similar effectiveness.

Autoxidation of lipids and antioxidation by alpha-tocopherol and ubiquinol in homogeneous solution and in aqueous dispersions of lipids: unrecognized consequences of lipid particle size as exemplified by oxidation of human low density lipoprotein

Recent studies on the initial stages in oxidation of low density lipoprotein (LDL) have revealed certain previously unrecognized similarities to emulsion polymerization and some quite unexpected features including the following: (i) ascorbate is an extremely effective antioxidant for LDL containing alpha-tocopherol (alpha-TOH); (ii) in the presence of alpha-TOH and in the absence of both ascorbate and ubiquinol 10 (Q10H2), oxidation of LDL occurs via a free radical chain; (iii) Q10H2 is a much better antioxidant for LDL than alpha-TOH, although the reverse is true in homogeneous systems. We show here that these problems can be solved on the basis of three simple hypothesis, each of which is based on known chemistry: (i) alpha-TOH in LDL can be regenerated from its radical, alpha-TO., by ascorbate; (ii) in the absence of ascorbate and Q10H2, the alpha-TOH in LDL acts as a chain-transfer agent rather than as a radical trap; (iii) Q10H2 is a much more effective chain-breaking antioxidant than alpha-TOH in LDL because the semiquinone radical Q10H. exports its radical character from the LDL into the aqueous phase. Our conclusions imply that the search for better antiatherosclerotic drugs might profitably focus on antioxidants capable of exporting radicals from LDL particles or otherwise increasing the traffic of radicals between particles.

Regeneration of vitamin E in rat polymorphonuclear leucocytes

The objectives of this study were to determine whether the recycling of tocopherol occurs in elicited rat polymorphonuclear leukocytes and if so, whether the recycling process is enzymic or chemical. When incubated with hemoglobin, tocopherol was oxidized in cell homogenates in a time- and concentration-dependent manner. The oxidized tocopherol could be regenerated by addition of ascorbate, glutathione or nordihydroguaiaretic acid. Time course studies showed a rapid regeneration of tocopherol which peaked at 1 min after the addition of reductants. Determination of the regeneration reaction in the presence of CHCl3 and MeOH indicated that under these enzyme-denaturing conditions, a considerable amount of tocopherol was still regenerated, suggesting that the regeneration reaction is predominantly a chemical reaction. This study provided direct evidence from mass analysis that oxidized vitamin E can be regenerated by cellular water-soluble reductants such as ascorbate and glutathione.

The antioxidant activity of ubiquinol-3 in homogeneous solution and in liposomes

With a view to determining the antioxidant effectiveness of ubiquinol, the autoxidation of egg phosphatidylcholine initiated by an azocompound was studied both in homogeneous solution and in liposomes, either in the presence or in the absence of ubiquinol-3. The results show that ubiquinol behaves as a chain-breaking antioxidant by trapping lipid peroxyl radicals, its inhibition rate constant being about one half of that of alpha-tocopherol in both systems under investigation. In organic solvents the stoichiometric factor was found approx. 2 and in liposomes approx. 0.5, i.e. one fourth of that of alpha-tocopherol. We suggest that the lower value found in model membranes is due to autoxidation of the quinol itself by a radical chain reaction taking place at the polar interface. Ubiquinol-3 exhibits a sparing effect toward alpha-tocopherol, both in liposomes and in tert-butanol. It is suggested, on a thermodynamic basis, that the regeneration of vitamin E from the corresponding radical is more likely to occur by reaction with the ubisemiquinone rather than with the ubiquinol. Although these results, obtained in in vitro systems, can not be directly extrapolated to an in vivo system, they may be useful to clarify the antioxidant role of ubiquinol in biomembranes.

Inhibition of lipid peroxidation by ubiquinol in submitochondrial particles in the absence of vitamin E

The relationship between the antioxidant effects of reduced coenzyme Q10 (ubiquinol, UQH2) and vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol) was investigated in beef heart submitochondrial particles in which lipid peroxidation was initiated by incubation with ascorbate + ADP-Fe3+. These effects were examined after extraction of coenzyme Q10 (UQ-10) and vitamin E from the particles and reincorporation of the same components alone or in combination. The results show that UQH2 efficiently inhibits lipid peroxidation even when vitamin E is absent. It is concluded that UQH2 can inhibit lipid peroxidation directly, without the mediation of vitamin E.

Ubiquinol-10 protects human low density lipoprotein more efficiently against lipid peroxidation than does alpha-tocopherol

The temporal disappearance of natural antioxidants associated with human low density lipoprotein (LDL) in relation to the appearance of various classes of lipid hydroperoxides was investigated under three types of oxidizing conditions. Freshly isolated LDL from plasma of healthy subjects was free of detectable amounts of lipid hydroperoxides as measured by HPLC postcolumn chemiluminescence detection. Exposure of such LDL to a mild, constant flux of aqueous peroxyl radicals led to rapid and complete oxidation of ubiquinol-10, followed by slower partial depletion of lycopene, beta-carotene, and alpha-tocopherol. After an initial lag period of complete inhibition of detectable lipid peroxidation, formation of hydroperoxides of cholesterol esters, triglycerides, and phospholipids was observed. The onset of detectable lipid peroxidation corresponded closely with the completion of ubiquinol-10 consumption. However, small amounts of ascorbate, present as a contaminant in the LDL preparation, rather than ubiquinol-10 itself were responsible for the initial lag period. Thus, complete consumption of ubiquinol-10 was preceded by that of ascorbate, and exposure of ascorbate-free LDL to aqueous peroxyl radicals resulted in immediate formation of detectable amounts of lipid hydroperoxides. The rate of radical-mediated formation of lipid hydroperoxides in ascorbate-free LDL was low as long as ubiquinol-10 was present, but increased rapidly after its consumption, even though more than 80% and 95% of endogenous carotenoids and alpha-tocopherol, respectively, were still present. Qualitatively similar results were obtained when peroxyl radicals were generated within LDL or when the lipoprotein was exposed to oxidants produced by activated human polymorphonuclear leukocytes. LDL oxidation was reduced significantly by supplementing the lipoprotein preparation with physiological amounts of either ascorbate or ubiquinol-10. Our data show that ubiquinol-10 is much more efficient in inhibiting LDL oxidation than either lycopene, beta-carotene, or alpha-tocopherol.

Free radical recycling and intramembrane mobility in the antioxidant properties of alpha-tocopherol and alpha-tocotrienol

d-Alpha-tocopherol (2R,4'R,8'R-Alpha-tocopherol) and d-alpha-tocotrienol are two vitamin E constituents having the same aromatic chromanol "head" but differing in their hydrocarbon "tail": tocopherol with a saturated and toctrienol with an unsaturated isoprenoid chain. d-Alpha-tocopherol has the highest vitamin E activity, while d-alpha-tocotrienol manifests only about 30% of this activity. Since vitamin E is considered to be physiologically the most important lipid-soluble chain-breaking antioxidant of membranes, we studied alpha-tocotrienol as compared to alpha-tocopherol under conditions which are important for their antioxidant function. d-Alpha-tocotrienol possesses 40-60 times higher antioxidant activity against (Fe2+ + ascorbate)- and (Fe2+ + NADPH)-induced lipid peroxidation in rat liver microsomal membranes and 6.5 times better protection of cytochrome P-450 against oxidative damage than d-alpha-tocopherol. To clarify the mechanisms responsible for the much higher antioxidant potency of d-alpha-tocotrienol compared to d-alpha-tocopherol, ESR studies were performed of recycling efficiency of the chromanols from their chromanoxyl radicals. 1H-NMR measurements of lipid molecular mobility in liposomes containing chromanols, and fluorescence measurements which reveal the uniformity of distribution (clusterizations) of chromanols in the lipid bilayer. From the results, we concluded that this higher antioxidant potency of d-alpha-tocotrienol is due to the combined effects of three properties exhibited by d-alpha-tocotrienol as compared to d-alpha-tocopherol: (i) its higher recycling efficiency from chromanoxyl radicals, (ii) its more uniform distribution in membrane bilayer, and (iii) its stronger disordering of membrane lipids which makes interaction of chromanols with lipid radicals more efficient. The data presented show that there is a considerable discrepancy between the relative in vitro antioxidant activity of d-alpha-tocopherol and d-alpha-tocotrienol with the conventional bioassays of their vitamin activity.