Chemical evidence for production of hydroxyl radicals during microsomal electron transfer

Metal-independent reduction of hydrogen peroxide by semiquinones

The quinones 1,4-naphthoquinone (NQ), tetramethyl-1,4-benzoquinone (DQ), 2-methyl-1,4-naphthoquinone (MNQ), 2,3-dimethoxy-5-methyl-1,4-benzoquinone (UBQ-0), 2,6-dimethylbenzoquinone (DMBQ), 2,6-dimethoxybenzoquinone (DMOBQ), and 9,10-phenanthraquinone (PHQ) enhance the rate of H₂O₂ reduction by ascorbate, under anaerobic conditions, as detected from the amount of methane produced after hydroxyl radical reaction with dimethyl sulfoxide. The amount of methane produced increases with an increase in the quinone one-electron reduction potential. The most active quinone in this series, PHQ, is only 14% less active than the classic Fenton reagent cation, Fe²⁺, at the same concentration. Since PHQ is a common toxin present in diesel combustion smoke, the possibility that PHQ-mediated catalysis of hydroxyl radical formation is similar to that of Fe²⁺ adds another important pathway to the modes in which PHQ can execute its toxicity. Because quinones are known to enhance the antitumor activity of ascorbate and because ascorbate enhances the formation of H₂O₂ in tissues, the quinone-mediated reduction of H₂O₂ should be relevant to this type of antitumor activity, especially under hypoxic conditions.

Determining radical penetration of lipid bilayers with new lipophilic spin traps

Predicting the susceptibility of lipid moieties to radical attack requires a determination of the depth of radical penetration into a lipid membrane. We thus synthesized three homologous series of lipophilic spin traps--DMPO analogs 2-alkanoyl-2-methyl-1-pyrroline N-oxides (11) and PBN derivatives 4-alkoxyphenyl N-tert-butylnitrones (18) and 4-alkoxyphenyl N-admantylnitrones (20). The intercalation depth of these spin traps within the liposomal bilayer was determined via the previously reported NMR technique, which correlates the chemical shift and the micropolarity (measured in ET(30) units) experienced by the pivotal nitronyl carbon. Hydroxyl and alpha-hydroxyalkyl radicals were generated in the extraliposomal aqueous phase and the lowest depth at which a radical could be spin trapped was determined. The ESR data indicate that these radicals can exit the aqueous phase, penetrate the lipid bilayer past the head groups (ET(30)=63 kcal/mol) and the glycerol ester (ET(30)=52 kcal/mol), and pass down to an ET(30) polarity of at least 44 kcal/mol. The latter depth presumably corresponds to the upper portion of the lipid slab. It is likely, if not probable, that having come this far they can abstract the allylic/diallylic hydrogens resident in the midslab at ET(30) values of >31 kcal/mol.

Oxidation of the ketoxime acetoxime to nitric oxide by oxygen radical-generating systems

Ketoximes undergo a cytochrome P450-catalyzed oxidation to nitric oxide and ketones in liver microsomes. In addition, nitric oxide synthase (NOS) can catalyze the oxidative denitration of the >C=N-OH group of amidoximes. The objective of this work was to characterize the oxidation of a ketoxime (acetoxime) and to assess the ability of NOS to catalyze the generation of nitric oxide/nitrogen monoxide (*NO) from acetoxime. Acetoxime was oxidized to NO2- (and NO3-) by microsomes enriched with several P450 isoforms, including CYP2E1, CYP1A1, and CYP2B1. Nitric oxide was identified as an intermediate in the overall reaction. Superoxide dismutase and catalase significantly inhibited the reaction. Exogenous iron increased the microsomal generation of NO2- from acetoxime, while metal chelators (desferrioxamine, EDTA, DTPA) inhibited it. A Fenton-like system (Fe2+ plus H2O2, pH 7.4) consumed acetoxime with production of NO2- and NO3-, whereas oxidation by superoxide or by H2O2 was inefficient. The results presented suggest a role for hydroxyl radical-like oxidants in the oxidation of acetoxime to nitric oxide. O-Acetylacetoxime and O-tert-butylacetoxime were not oxidized by a Fenton system or by liver microsomes to any significant extent. Formation of the 5,5'-dimethyl-1-pyrroline-N-oxide/. OH adduct by a Fenton system was significantly inhibited by acetoxime, while O-acetylacetoxime and O-tert-butylacetoxime were inactive. These results suggest that the. OH-dependent oxidation of acetoxime initially proceeds via abstraction of a hydrogen atom from its hydroxyl group, as opposed to the oxidation of its >C=N- function. HepG2 cells with low levels of expression of P450 did not significantly produce NO2- from acetoxime, while HepG2 cells expressing CYP2E1 did, and this generation was blocked by a CYP2E1 inhibitor. Acetoxime was inactive either as a substrate or as an inhibitor of iNOS activity. These results indicate that reactive oxygen species play a key role in the oxidation of acetoxime to. NO by liver microsomes by a mechanism involving H abstraction from the OH moiety by hydroxyl radical-like oxidants and suggest the possibility that acetoxime may be an effective producer of. NO primarily in the liver by a pathway independent of NOS.

Studies of free radical-mediated cryoinjury in the unicellular green alga Euglena gracilis using a non-destructive hydroxyl radical assay: a novel approach for developing protistan cryopreservation strategies

The development of cryoconservation methods for the long-term storage of algal cultures is important for the ex situ preservation of biological diversity and the maintenance of genetic stability within this group of important organisms. However, as many unicellular algae are recalcitrant to cryogenic storage, this study aims to evaluate the role of oxidative stress in cryoinjury. A non-invasive, non-destructive assay method previously applied to animal cells has been developed to evaluate free radical mediated oxidative stress in Euglena gracilis exposed to different cryopreservation treatments. The procedure employs dimethyl sulphoxide as a probe for the hydroxyl radical. Adopting this approach it was possible to identify those components of the cryopreservation protocol which were the most damaging. These were identified as preparative centrifugation and sub-zero freezing treatments. Poststorage survival in E. gracilis was significantly (P < 0.05) enhanced when the chelating agent desferrioxamine was included in the recovery medium whilst methane production was significantly (P < 0.004) reduced, suggesting that the additive was capable of ameliorating oxidative stress. The potential of using novel, exogenous antioxidant treatments developed for medical applications and applying them to enhance cryopreservation tolerance in recalcitrant unicellular algae is discussed.

Liver nuclear ethanol metabolizing systems (NEMS) producing acetaldehyde and 1-hydroxyethyl free radicals

Biotransformation of ethanol by liver nuclei was studied. The formation of acetaldehyde was determined by GC/FID. The 1-hydroxyethyl (1HEt) formation was established by spin trapping of the radical with N-t-butyl-alpha-phenylnitrone (PBN) followed by GC/MS. Liver nuclei, free of endoplasmic reticulum, cytosol or mitochondria, were able to biotransform ethanol to acetaldehyde in the presence of NADPH under air. Only 22% activity was observed in the absence of the cofactor. Twenty-six percent of the NADPH-dependent activity and 47% of the NADPH-independent activity were observable under nitrogen. Aerobic biotransformation was inhibited by CO, SKF 525A, 4-methylpyrazole and by diethyldithiocarbamate. This suggests that CYP2E1 is involved in the process. However, the formation of acetaldehyde was able to proceed under a pure CO atmosphere. The lack of inhibitory effects of 2-mercapto-1-methylimidazol and thiobenzamide excludes the potential participation of the NADPH flavin monooxigenase system. The formation of hydroxyl radicals in the process is suggested by the partial inhibitory effect of 5 mM mannitol and 5 mM sodium benzoate and by the fact that the 1HEt was detected. The NADPH-dependent anaerobic ethanol biotransformation pathway was stimulated by FAD and inhibited to some extent by iron chelators. The relevance of a liver nuclear ethanol biotransformation, generating reactive metabolites, such as acetaldehyde and free radicals, nearby DNA, nuclear proteins and lipids is discussed.

Methional derived from 4-methylthio-2-oxobutanoate is a cellular mediator of apoptosis in BAF3 lymphoid cells

4-Methylthio-2-oxobutanoic acid is the direct precursor of methional, which is a potent inducer of apoptosis in a BAF3 murine lymphoid cell line which is interleukin-3 (IL3)-dependent. Cultures treated for 8 h with methional in the presence of IL3 show extensive DNA double-strand breaks on flow cytometric analysis, increases in DNA fragmentation as measured by the amount of non-sedimentable DNA present in the 30,000 g supernatant of cell lysates and the typical laddering pattern of multiples of 180 bp seen upon agarose gel electrophoresis. No such features of apoptosis were found in cells treated with 4-methylthio 2-oxobutanoic acid or propanal, suggesting that the simultaneous presence of the methylthio group on the propanal moiety is essential for apoptosis to take place. Methional is further metabolized in cells by two reactions: oxidation via aldehyde dehydrogenase to (methylthio)propionic acid or beta-hydroxylation to malondialdehyde. The formation of malondialdehyde from methional in vitro by chemical hydroxylation under the conditions of the Fenton reaction provides a mechanism for the beta-hydroxylation which takes place in vivo. During apoptosis induced by IL3 deprivation, the ratio of 2,4-DNPH MDA to 2,4-DNPH methional is 0.94 in cells in IL3- medium compared with 0.54 in cells in IL3+ medium. These results support a role of cellular methional and malondialdehyde in apoptosis.

Effect of dimethyl sulfoxide on enlarged hearts of copper-deficient rats

The purpose of this study was to examine, by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), the nature of the protective effect of dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) on hearts of copper-deficient (CuD) rats. Male, weanling Sprague-Dawley rats were fed, in a two-way design, CuD (0.45 micrograms/g) or copper-sufficient (CuS, 5.4 micrograms/g) diets with or without 5% DMSO in their drinking water. After 28 d, CuD rats showed typical signs of copper deficiency, including reduced liver and heart Cu, enlarged hearts, and anemia. DMSO-treated, CuD rats had lower heart weights and higher hematocrits than CuD rats. DMSO enhanced organ Cu concentrations in CuS, but not in CuD rats. TEM of CuD hearts showed myofibrillar distortion and enlarged, vacuolated mitochondria with fragmented cristae; morphometric measurements indicated an enhanced mitochondrial/myofibrillar ratio (mito/myo), but an increase of both mitochondrial and myofibrillar mass relative to CuS hearts. Compared to CuD hearts, DMSO-treated CuD hearts showed better mitochondrial morphology and myofibrillar organization, as well as a greater mito/myo, but lower mitochondrial and myofibrillar masses. Its function as a hydroxyl radical scavenger indicates that DMSO could protect CuD hearts, in particular their mitochondria, against oxidative damage. However, because measurements of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances were not consistent with this theory, other metabolic mechanisms, direct and indirect, must be examined.

The in vitro metabolites of 2,4,6-trichlorophenol and their DNA strand breaking properties

The carcinogenic compound 2,4,6-trichlorophenol (2,4,6-TCP) was incubated with rat liver S-9 fraction. Three metabolites were identified: 2,6-dichloro-1,4-hydroquinone (DHQ), and two isomers of hydroxypentachlorodiphenyl ether (OH-Cl5-DPE). The latter are probably products of microsomal .OH radical attack on the trichlorophenol molecule forming phenoxy free radicals. These would undergo dimerizations with other molecules present in solution. The 2,6-dichloro-1,4-semiquinone free radical was identified by ESR spectroscopy. It is formed at physiological conditions in phosphate buffer at pH 7.2 and 7.8, with a more intensive signal at the more alkaline pH. The formation is probably due to the autoxidation of the corresponding hydroquinone. Incubation of a mixture of metabolites with PM2 DNA at pH 7.2 resulted in single strand breaks. Addition of catalase and dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) inhibited the DNA strand scission. It was concluded that reactive oxygen species (ROS), produced during the formation of the semiquinone radical, were responsible for the observed DNA damage. The significance of the ROS and the semiquinone free radical is discussed in view of the reported tumorgenicity of 2,4,6-TCP in rats and mice.

Oxygen radical generation by microsomes: role of iron and implications for alcohol metabolism and toxicity

Experiments were carried out to evaluate whether the molecular mechanism for ethanol oxidation by microsomes, a minor pathway of alcohol metabolism, involved generation of hydroxyl radical (.OH). Microsomes oxidized chemical .OH scavengers (KMB, DMSO, t-butyl alcohol, benzoate) by a reaction sensitive to catalase, but not SOD. Iron was required for microsomal .OH generation in view of the potent inhibition by desferrioxamine; however, the chelated form of iron was important. Microsomal .OH production was effectively stimulated by ferric EDTA or ferric DTPA, but poorly increased with ferric ATP, ferric citrate, or ferric ammonium sulfate. By contrast, the latter ferric complexes effectively increased microsomal chemiluminescence and lipid peroxidation, whereas ferric EDTA and ferric DTPA were inhibitory. Under conditions that minimize .OH production (absence of EDTA, iron) ethanol was oxidized by a cytochrome P-450-dependent process independent of reactive oxygen intermediates. Under conditions that promote microsomal .OH production, the oxidation of ethanol by .OH becomes more significant in contributing to the overall oxidation of ethanol by microsomes. Experiments with inhibitors and reconstituted systems containing P-450 and NADPH-P-450 reductase indicated that the reductase is the critical enzyme locus for interacting with iron and catalyzing production of reactive oxygen species. Microsomes isolated from rats chronically fed ethanol catalyzed oxidation of .OH scavengers, light emission, and inactivation of added metabolic enzymes at elevated rates, and displayed an increase in ethanol oxidation by a .OH-dependent and a P-450-dependent pathway. It is possible that enhanced generation of reactive oxygen intermediates by microsomes may contribute to the hepatotoxic effects of ethanol.

Evidence for hydroxyl free radical formation during paraquat but not for nifurtimox liver microsomal biotransformation. A dimethyl-sulfoxide scavenging study

The effect of several experimental conditions on methane (CH4) production from dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) in incubation mixtures containing liver microsomes and NADPH generating systems was studied. The process was heat sensitive in part but a significant fraction was non-enzymatic in nature. CH4 formation from DMSO was not significantly modified by 2-diethylaminoethyl-2,2-diphenylvalerate. HC 1 (SKF 525A) or EDTA 1 mM and significantly enhanced under an atmosphere of (CO 80% + O2 20%) rather than under air. A marked increase in CH4 production was observed when paraquat (PQ) was included in incubation mixtures but not when nifurtimox (Nfx) was added. Results support the hypothesis of hydroxyl free radical (.OH) formation during PQ biotransformation but cast doubts about its production for the case of Nfx. The low temperature gas chromatographic separation of d3-CH4 from CH4 described opens the future possibility for detecting trace formation of .OH in vivo, without interference from fecal CH4 formation by administering d6-DMSO to animals and collecting exhaled gases produced, in chambers containing the entire animal.

Production of ethane by rats treated with the colon carcinogen, 1,2-dimethylhydrazine

Ethane was exhaled by rats treated with the colon carcinogen, 1,2-dimethylhydrazine (DMH). At 1 hr, ethane production (mean +/- SD) was 0.2 +/- 0.2 nmol/kg (controls) and 5.2 +/- 1.3, 13.7 +/- 3.4, and 27.7 +/- 9.6, respectively, for DMH injections of 0.15 mmol/kg (20 mg/kg of the dihydrochloride salt), 0.45 mmol/kg, and 1.35 mmol/kg. Rates of ethane evolution tapered off after 2 hr, but persisted for up to 3 hr at the lower dose, and up to 5-6 hr at the higher dose. Although ethane is produced in vivo during lipid peroxidation, experiments with vitamin E, a potent lipid antioxidant, indicated that lipid peroxidation was unlikely to be the source of ethane in DMH-treated rats: pretreatment with vitamin E had no effect on ethane formation from DMH but did suppress ethane production from rats treated with carbon tetrachloride, an inducer of hepatic lipid peroxidation. When rats were injected with 1,2-diethylhydrazine in place of DMH, large amounts of ethane and ethylene were produced (9800 and 5600 nmol/kg/hr). The hydrocarbon gases exhaled by rats may arise from dimerization of methyl radicals (.CH3) generated during the metabolism of DMH, and from ethyl radicals (.CH2CH3) generated during the metabolism of 1,2-diethylhydrazine. Previously, it was shown that methane and ethane are formed from methyl radicals in vitro. Other investigators have observed formation of hydrocarbon gases during the in vitro metabolism of monoalkylhydrazines by microsomes, and ethyl radicals, derived from monoethylhydrazine, have been detected by electron spin-resonance spectroscopy. The results presented here suggest that in vivo metabolism of DMH may produce methyl radicals. Methyl radicals are capable of interacting with biomolecules. Their indiscriminate reaction with tissue constituents may be a contributory factor in DMH-induced carcinogenesis.

Oxidative stress limits vitamin D metabolism by bovine proximal tubule cells in vitro

When bovine proximal tubule cells are placed in primary culture, they are subject to elevated oxidative stress which acts to limit the expression of mitochondrial vitamin D3 1 alpha- and 24-hydroxylase activities. This increased oxidative stress was demonstrated by increased production of cell and mitochondrial membrane lipid hyperperoxides (LOOH). This increased production was prevented by the addition of the antioxidants butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) and butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT). Cell and mitochondrial membrane LOOH increased from 1 to 2 pmol/mg protein on the day of plating to 70-90 pmol/mg protein after 6 days in culture. Pretreatment of cultures with BHA and BHT resulted in membrane LOOH of 15-20 pmol/mg protein after 6 days. Mitochondrial LOOH production was greater than total cell LOOH after 6 days. The increase in cellular oxidative stress was paralleled by decreases in both 1 alpha- and 24-hydroxylase activities toward 25-OH D3. Mitochondrial hydroxylase activities were inversely proportional to the increase in mitochondrial membrane LOOH production. Mitochondrial cytochrome P-450 content, determined spectrophotometrically, was decreased over time in culture. Mitochondrial cytochrome P-450 content determined by a specific polyclonal antibody in an enzyme-linked immunosorbant assay also decreased over time in culture. Specificity of polyclonal antibodies, raised against rat liver microsomal cytochrome P-450 RLM5, was demonstrated by the immunosequestration of both 1 alpha- and 24-hydroxylase activities from a partially purified preparation of renal mitochondrial cytochrome P-450. BHA showed the loss of 1 alpha- and 24-hydroxylase activities and mitochondrial P-450 content measured by all criteria. These experiments indicate that oxidative stress-mediated changes in hydroxylase activities are mediated directly by changes in hydroxylase content and not at distal sites. A partially purified preparation of bovine proximal tubule mitochondrial cytochrome P-450, with purified renal ferredoxin, ferredoxin reductase, and NADPH, expressed both 1 alpha- and 24-hydroxylase activities toward 25-OH D3. LOOH, derived from mitochondrial membranes of 5-day-old cultures, when added to this mixture, caused a dose-dependent decrease in both activities. These experiments suggested that an increase in mitochondrial LOOH production resulted in a loss of 1 alpha- and 24-hydroxylase activities. 1 alpha-Hydroxylase was more sensitive to the effects of LOOH treatment than 24-hydroxylase. At a ratio of LOOH:P-450 of 5:1 (molar), all 1 alpha-hydroxylase activity was lost but 50% of the 24-hydroxylase activity remained.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

The generation of ferryl or hydroxyl radicals during interaction of haemproteins with hydrogen peroxide

The oxidation of 2-keto-4-thiomethyl butyric acid (KTBA) and methionine to ethylene has been used to evaluate generation of ferryl species or hydroxyl radicals by H2O2-activated haemproteins or free ferric ions. Hydrogen peroxide was generated by a glucose oxidase-glucose system at a rate of 1 microM/min. Free ferric in the presence of H2O2 oxidizes KTBA, and this was highly inhibited by hydroxyl radical scavengers, caeruloplasmin, superoxide dismutase (SOD) and EDTA. However, when metmyoglobin, methaemoglobin (MtHb) or horseradish peroxidase (HRP) were tested in the same model system, hydroxyl radical scavengers suppressed partially KTBA oxidation and caeruloplasmin, SOD and EDTA failed to inhibit the reaction. Cytochrome-c was found to be a weak promoter of KTBA oxidation in the presence of H2O2. Methionine was oxidized to ethylene by an active system which generates hydroxyl radicals, but not by H2O2-activated metmyoglobin. Ferric ions chelated to membranes or ADP in the presence of H2O2 generated enzymatically, initiated membranal lipid peroxidation only in the presence of ascorbic acid, and this was inhibited by EDTA. In contrast, metmyoglobin and methaemoglobin activated by H2O2 generated by the same system, initiated membranal lipid peroxidation and this was not inhibited by EDTA. It is concluded that ferryl and not HO. is the main oxidant in systems containing myoglobin and haemoglobin activated by low concentrations of H2O2.

Do humans neutrophils form hydroxyl radical? Evaluation of an unresolved controversy

Hydroxyl radical is a potent oxidizing agent of potential importance in human pathobiology. Since neutrophilic phagocytes make superoxide and hydrogen peroxide during phagocytosis, it has been proposed that hydroxyl radical is also formed. In this paper we review the literature which supports or refutes formation of hydroxyl radical by neutrophils and the mechanism(s) by which this radical might be formed. We conclude that there is no definitive proof for hydroxyl radical formation by neutrophils. In fact, neutrophil release of lactoferrin and myeloperoxidase appears to limit formation of this radical. Future studies are likely to determine whether superoxide released by neutrophils interacts with target substrates to allow formation of hydroxyl radical.

Effect of four synthetic antioxidants on the formation of ethylene from methional in rat liver microsomes

Four commonly used food antioxidants, butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA), butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT), propyl gallate and octyl gallate, were tested for their ability to inhibit the formation of ethylene from methional in NADPH-oxidizing rat liver microsomes. It is assumed that the action of the antioxidants on ethylene formation reflects their free radical scavenging activity. Only propyl gallate and octyl gallate are efficient inhibitors of ethylene formation. BHT is inhibitory only at very high concentrations, and BHA tends to increase ethylene formation. It is concluded that gallic acid ester antioxidants may possess a protective potential during chemical-induced microsomal oxidations.

Initiation of lipid peroxidation in biological systems

The direct oxidation of PUFA by triplet oxygen is spin forbidden. The data reviewed indicate that lipid peroxidation is initiated by nonenzymatic and enzymatic reactions. One of the first steps in the initiation of lipid peroxidation in animal tissues is by the generation of a superoxide radical (see Figure 16), or its protonated molecule, the perhydroxyl radical. The latter could directly initiate PUFA peroxidation. Hydrogen peroxide which is produced by superoxide dismutation or by direct enzymatic production (amine oxidase, glucose oxidase, etc.) has a very crucial role in the initiation of lipid peroxidation. Hydrogen peroxide reduction by reduced transition metal generates hydroxyl radicals which oxidize every biological molecule. Hydrogen peroxide also activates myoglobin, hemoglobin, and other heme proteins to a compound containing iron at a higher oxidation state, Fe(IV) or Fe(V), which initiates lipid peroxidation even on membranes. Complexed iron could also be activated by O2- or by H2O2 to ferryl iron compound, which is supposed to initiate PUFA peroxidation. The presence of hydrogen peroxide, especially hydroperoxides, activates enzymes such as cyclooxygenase and lipoxygenase. These enzymes produce hydroperoxides and other physiological active compounds known as eicosanoids. Lipid peroxidation could also be initiated by other free radicals. The control of superoxide and perhydroxyl radical is done by SOD (a) (see Figure 16). Hydrogen peroxide is controlled in tissues by glutathione-peroxidase, which also affects the level of hydroperoxides (b). Hydrogen peroxide is decomposed also by catalase (b). Caeruloplasmin in extracellular fluids prevents the formation of free reduced iron ions which could decompose hydrogen peroxide to hydroxyl radical (c). Hydroxyl radical attacks on target lipid molecules could be prevented by hydroxyl radical scavengers, such as mannitol, glucose, and formate (d). Reduced compounds and antioxidants (ascorbic acid, alpha-tocopherol, polyphenols, etc.) (e) prevent initiation of lipid peroxidation by activated heme proteins, ferryl ion, and cyclo- and lipoxygenase. In addition, cyclooxygenase is inhibited by aspirin and nonsteroid drugs, such as indomethacin (f). The classical soybean lipoxygenase inhibitors are antioxidants, such as nordihydroguaiaretic acid (NDGA) and others, and the substrate analog 5,8,11,14 eicosatetraynoic acid (ETYA), which also inhibit cyclooxygenase (g). In food, lipoxygenase is inhibited by blanching. Initiation of lipid peroxidation was derived also by free radicals, such as NO2. or CCl3OO. This process could be controlled by antioxidants (e).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Formation of muconaldehyde, an open-ring metabolite of benzene, in mouse liver microsomes: an additional pathway for toxic metabolites

It has been proposed that a ring-opened form may be responsible for the toxicity of benzene. The present studies demonstrate that incubation of [14C]benzene with liver microsomes (obtained from male CD-1 mice treated with benzene) in the presence of NADPH results in the formation of a ring-opened product. Evidence for the identity of this product was obtained by derivatizing with 2-thiobarbituric acid (TBA), which resulted in the formation of an adduct with a 490-nm absorbance maximum. This maximum is identical to that observed after authentic trans,trans-muconaldehyde has reacted with TBA. Separation of muconaldehyde, both with and without trapping with TBA, from other benzene metabolites in the incubation mixture was accomplished by HPLC. The radioactivity profile of fractions collected during HPLC analysis contained peaks that eluted with muconaldehyde and the muconaldehyde-TBA adduct. The structure of the ring-opened product was confirmed by mass spectrometry, studies in which the HPLC peak from the microsomal incubation mixture that eluted at the retention time of authentic muconaldehyde was collected and derivatized with 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazine. The high-resolution mass spectrum of this sample contained an ion with an m/z of 291.0729, corresponding to muconaldehyde mono-dinitrophenylhydrazone. These results indicate that benzene is metabolized in vitro to a ring-opened product identified as muconaldehyde.

Detection of free radicals as a consequence of rat intestinal cellular drug metabolism

Because the intestine is the first pass organ for orally administered drugs and because some of these drugs are known to undergo oxidative metabolism leading to the formation of free radicals, we investigated the potential for this to occur in cell suspensions of rat enterocytes. As part of our study, the effect of intracellularly produced superoxide on cellular metabolism was investigated. The drugs chosen were the quinone, menadione and the aromatic nitro-containing compound, nitrazepam. On incubation of both drugs with isolated enterocytes and the spin trap, 5,5-dimethyl-1-pyrroline N-oxide (DMPO), rapid appearance of an electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectrum was recorded which was characteristic of hydroxyl radicals being spin trapped by DMPO giving 2,2-dimethyl-5-hydroxy-1-pyrrolidenyloxyl (DMPO-OH). Experiments were conducted which determined that the EPR spectrum of DMPO-OH resulted from the initial spin trapping of superoxide by DMPO to yield the corresponding nitroxide, 2,2-dimethyl-5-hydroxyl-1-pyrrolidenyloxyl (DMPO-OOH). Bioreduction of DMPO-OOH by glutathione peroxidase led to the rapid formation of DMPO-OH. We believe this enzymic pathway accounted for the EPR spectrum noted in incubations with either drug in the presence of the spin trap, DMPO. The incubation of enterocytes with both drugs did not mediate release of 51Cr nor lactate dehydrogenase. However, production of 14CO2 from [14C]glucose was severely inhibited (4-5-fold) in the presence of both drugs, while the incorporation of [14C]leucine into trichloroacetic acid precipitable protein was antagonized by menadione only. We conclude that superoxide can be demonstrated to arise as the result of enterocyte metabolism of menadione or nitrazepam. The consequence of oxidative metabolism of these drugs results in cellular dysfunction.

Interaction of bovine renal mitochondrial cytochrome P-450 with antioxidants

The antioxidants butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA), butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT), nordihydroguiaretic acid (NDGA), benzyl sulfoxide (BS), ferulic acid (FA), caffeic acid (CA), dimethyl sulfoxide (Me2SO), protocatechuic acid (PCA), and P-450 inhibitor metyrapone all acted to slow the previously noted loss of vitamin D3 1 alpha-and 24-hydroxylase activities in cultured bovine proximal tubule cells. The slowing of the loss of hydroxylase activities by antioxidants was increased by culturing cells in 5% O2 vs 19% O2. These same antioxidants also directly inhibited 1 alpha- and 24-hydroxylase activities. For a single antioxidant, or metyrapone, Ki's for inhibition of both hydroxylases were equal, ED50's for stabilization of both hydroxylase activities were equal, and Ki's and ED50's were not significantly different. These antioxidants prevented tert-butylhydroperoxide (tert-BOOH)-mediated proximal tubule cell death at concentrations, i.e., 0.1 mM, which were effective in stabilizing hydroxylase activities. When added together, the antioxidants H2SeO3, uric acid, and trolox c gave slight stabilization of hydroxylase activities without inhibiting hydroxylase activities. Singly, these antioxidants did not stabilize or directly inhibit hydroxylase activities. This antioxidant combination augmented BHA- or BHT-mediated stabilization of both hydroxylase activities independent of any effects on inhibition. But the most potent antioxidants which acted to stabilize hydroxylase activities in culture also directly acted to inhibit hydroxylase activities. Antioxidant effects were additive for both inhibition and stabilization of hydroxylase activities. Stabilization of hydroxylase activities was dissociated from inhibition in the presence of maximal FA, CA, and BHA or FA, CA, and BHT combinations. Bovine renal mitochondrial cytochrome P-450 levels decreased in cultured bovine proximal tubule cells to nondetectable levels by 8 days in culture. When cultures were treated with BHA and BS, mitochondrial P-450 levels were almost twofold greater than in untreated controls. Percentage changes in mitochondrial P-450 levels closely paralleled percentage changes in hydroxylase activities elicited by antioxidant treatment regimes. Antioxidants which were effective inhibitors of hydroxylase activities in cultured bovine proximal tubule cells were also effective in inhibiting hydroxylase activities in isolated proximal tubule mitochondria, supplemented with a NADPH-generating source. Ki's for inhibition of hydroxylase activities were very similar in cultured cells and in isolated mitochondria.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Biochemical changes in the intestine associated with anoxia and reoxygenation: in vivo and in vitro studies

In ischemia/reperfusion injury, it is hypothesized that superoxide is responsible for the component of injury due to reperfusion. The superoxide is hypothesized to result from the aerobic oxidation of purines produced by the ischemia-mediated breakdown of high-energy phosphates. This oxidation is catalyzed by xanthine oxidase proposed to be rapidly formed as a result of ischemia-mediated protease conversion from xanthine dehydrogenase. In vivo experiments with the intestine of either rats or guinea pigs were unable to confirm the rapid conversion of xanthine dehydrogenase to xanthine oxidase as a result of ischemia. In vitro experiments with isolated guinea pig enterocytes did show a significant increase in xanthine oxidase activity after these cells were first placed in an anaerobic environment for 60 min and then reoxygenated; however, the magnitude of the increase is such that the biological importance of this finding remains uncertain. Using a variety of techniques, including spin trapping, hydroxylamine oxidation, and vanadate NADPH oxidation, we explored the possibility that superoxide was produced as a result of anoxia followed by reoxygenation in the in vitro enterocyte system. From these experiments, we determined that superoxide is generated as a result of anoxia/reoxygenation. However, from xanthine oxidase inhibition experiments using pterinaldehyde, only a small percentage of the total superoxide produced comes from the action of this enzyme on purines.

The effects of the quinone type drugs on hydroxyl radical (OH.) production by rat liver microsomes

The quinone drugs are known to be metabolized to semiquinone free-radical intermediates and to enhance NADPH oxidation in microsomal system. The effect of adriamycin and mitomycin C on the decarboxylation of [14C] carboxyl benzoate via hydroxyl radical (OH.) production in the microsomal system was examined. The activity of these drugs was compared to 5-fluorouracil, cyclophosphamide, and methotrexate, which are inactive in oxygen consumption experiments and are non-quinone-type drugs. Adriamycin and mitomycin C stimulated decarboxylation of benzoate 100 and 50% above the controls, respectively, while 5-fluorouracil, cyclophosphamide, and methotrexate were not different from controls. Addition of superoxide dismutase increased benzoate decarboxylation with or without the drugs present, while catalase was inhibitory in both circumstances. These results suggest that the quinone drugs enhanced hydroxyl radical (OH.) production by liver microsomes, and offer a possible mechanism of cellular toxicity by these agents.

Detection of superoxide generated by endothelial cells

Superoxide and lipid free-radical generation in cultured endothelial cells treated with menadione or nitrazepam were measured using electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy. Superoxide was detected both intracellularly and extracellularly. Extracellular generation of superoxide and hydrogen peroxide was also measured, either by spectrophotometric measurement of succinoylated cytochrome c reduction or by polarography. Extracellular superoxide was generated due to reduced menadione diffusing across the plasma membrane and reacting with oxygen to generate superoxide in the medium. Increased intracellular oxygen tension favored intracellular oxidation of reduced menadione, thus decreasing diffusion of reduced menadione from the cells and, hence, decreasing extracellular superoxide production. The nitro anion free radical of reduced nitrazepam, which cannot cross the plasma membrane, did not generate detectable extracellular superoxide. Our results show that intracellular superoxide can be spin-trapped using 5,5-dimethyl-1-pyrroline-1-oxide and that secondary free-radical injury to membrane lipids, due to excess production of partially reduced species of oxygen by intact cells, can be detected by spin-trapping lipid free radicals with phenyl N-tert-butylnitrone.

Cytochrome P-448 and the activation of toxic chemicals and carcinogens

The metabolic activation of carcinogens and some toxic chemicals appears to involve oxygenation in conformationally hindered positions in the chemical molecules. Oxygenation of xenobiotics in hindered positions is effected by cytochrome P-448 (LM4) but not by cytochrome P-450 (LM2). Substrate-interaction spectra show that cytochrome P-448 has an active site with a conformation different from that of cytochrome P-450. Induction of cytochrome P-448, as specifically measured by ethoxyresorufin O-deethylase activity, occurs in rat liver, kidney and lung after administration of the carcinogens, 3-methylcholanthrene, Aroclor 1254, 2-anthramine, safrole, 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene, MNNG and 2-acetamidofluorene. The doubtful carcinogens, saccharin, DDT and aldrin, resulted in no significant induction. The drugs paracetamol, antipyrine, imipramine and rifampicin resulted in diminished enzyme activity, indicating the absence of any induction of cytochrome P-448. In studies with the matched pairs of carcinogens and non-carcinogens, benzo[a]pyrene and benzo[e]pyrene, and 1,2,5,6-dibenzanthracene and anthracene, only the carcinogenic analogue resulted in induction of cytochrome P-448. With alpha- and beta-naphthylamine, both resulted in marked induction of cytochrome P-448 in liver, kidney and lung, indicating that both isomers might be carcinogenic.

The toxicology of molecular oxygen

Molecular oxygen, itself not very reactive, can be converted by photosensitization to electronically excited singlet states, and by partial reduction to the superoxide and hydroxyl free radicals and to hydrogen peroxide. The very considerable toxicity of oxygen, which is due primarily to the properties of these derivatives, is ordinarily overlooked because aerobes have evolved an elaborate system of defenses which is reasonably adequate under ambient conditions. This toxicity becomes all too apparent when these defenses are overwhelmed at elevated pO2 or through the action of compounds which increase the conversion of oxygen to its more reactive derivatives. We will here consider the threat posed by oxygen and the defenses which make aerobic life possible.

Active metabolites in toxicology: the role of cytochrome P-448 and flavoprotein oxidases

The activation of toxic chemicals and carcinogens into reactive intermediates involves oxygenation in hindered positions of the molecule, by cytochrome P-448 (LM4), flavoprotein oxidoreductases, or transoxygenation during prostaglandin biosynthesis. Cytochrome P-450 (LM2) does not oxygenate in hindered positions and therefore generally detoxicates carcinogens and toxic chemicals. Cytochrome P-448 has a different active site from cytochrome P-450, which enables it to oxygenate substrates in conformationally-hindered positions.

The effects of chronic alcoholism on development of ischemic cerebral infarcts following unilateral carotid artery ligation in gerbils

To test if chronic alcoholism potentiates mortality and accentuates cerebral infarcts associated with ischemia, 32 male and 33 female Mongolian gerbils were chronically fed ethanol in their diet for 6 weeks. Cerebral ischemia was then induced by ligation and sectioning of the right common carotid artery. Postoperatively, there was a mean difference in survival in the control versus the alcoholic gerbils. Whereas 76% of controls survived the operation, only 55% of alcoholic gerbils survived. Also, the alcoholic gerbils died earlier, usually in the initial 3 postoperation days. The incidence of cerebral infarcts was identical (52%) in both control and alcohol-treated gerbils. There was, however, a difference in the extent (size) of the infarcts and tolerance to them. The alcoholic gerbils tended to develop either large infarcts which were usually lethal, or smaller infarcts but with decreased tolerance. The cerebral infarcts in the controls tended to be smaller with better survival. These findings suggest that chronic alcohol consumption contributes significantly to the risk of mortality associated with ischemic brain infarction reported in human alcoholics, and indicate that the alcoholic gerbil is a good experimental model to study the pathophysiology of this phenomenon.

Increased microsomal oxidation of hydroxyl radical scavenging agents and ethanol after chronic consumption of ethanol

The oxidation of ethanol by rat liver microsomes is increased after chronic ethanol consumption. Previous experiments indicated that hydroxyl radicals play a role in the mechanism whereby microsomes oxidize ethanol. Experiments were therefore carried out to evaluate the role of these radicals in ethanol oxidation by microsomes from ethanol-fed rats, and to determine whether the increase in ethanol oxidation by these induced microsomes correlates with an increase in the generation of hydroxyl radicals. Rat liver microsomes from ethanol-fed rats catalyzed the oxidation of two typical hydroxyl radical scavenging agents, dimethylsulfoxide and 2-keto-4-thiomethylbutyric acid, at rates which were two- to threefold greater than rates found with control microsomes. This increased rate of oxidation of hydroxyl radical scavengers was similar to the increased rate of microsomal oxidation of ethanol. Azide, which inhibits contaminating catalase in microsomes, increased the oxidation of dimethyl sulfoxide and 2-keto-4-thiomethylbutyric acid by both microsomal preparations. This suggests that H2O2 may serve as the microsomal precursor of the hydroxyl radical. Cross competition for oxidation between ethanol and the hydroxyl radical scavenging agents was observed. Moreover, the oxidation of ethanol, dimethyl sulfoxide, or 2-keto-4-thiomethylbutyric acid was inhibited by other compounds which interact with hydroxyl radicals, e.g., benzoate, and the free-radical, spin-trapping agent, 5,5-dimethyl-1-pyrroline-N-oxide. These results suggest that the increase in the rate of ethanol oxidation found with microsomes from ethanol-fed rats may be due, at least in part, to an increase in the rate of production of hydroxyl radicals by these induced microsomes. Increased production of oxyradicals may possibly result in oxidative damage to the liver cell as a result of ethanol consumption.

Melanin: the organizing molecule

The hypothesis is advanced that (neuro)melanin (in conjunction with other pigment molecules such as the isopentenoids) functions as the major organizational molecule in living systems. Melanin is depicted as an organizational "trigger" capable of using established properties such as photon-(electron)-phonon conversions, free radical-redox mechanisms, ion exchange mechanisms, and semiconductive switching capabilities to direct energy to strategic molecular systems and sensitive hierarchies of protein enzyme cascades. Melanin is held capable of regulating a wide range of molecular interactions and metabolic processes primarily through its effective control of diverse covalent modifications. To support the hypothesis, established and proposed properties of melanin are reviewed (including the possibility that (neuro)melanin is capable of self-synthesis). Two "melanocentric systems"--key molecular systems in which melanin plays a central if not controlling role--are examined: 1) the melanin-purine-pteridine (covalent modification) system and 2) the APUD (or diffuse neuroendocrine) system. Melanin's role in embryological organization and tissue repair/regeneration via sustained or direct current is considered in addition to its possible control of the major homeostatic regulatory systems--autonomic, neuroendocrine, and immunological.

Evidence for the involvement of activated oxygen in fungal degradation of lignocellulose

Oxygen has been shown to be necessary as a cosubstrate for the fungal degradation of lignins. In this work, the active forms of oxygen were tentatively identified in three ways: --effect of chemically generated active radicals and molecular species on lignocellulosic complexes, --use of activated oxygen scavengers in culture media of ligninolytic fungi, --characterization of active forms of oxygen by specific reactions. The data obtained strongly suggest that two main oxygen species are involved, namely OH radical and singlet oxygen (1O2). Chemical or enzymic scavengers inhibit the degradation of lignocelluloses by Phanerochaete chrysosporium. The fungus has been demonstrated to synthesize OH.

Initiation of lipid peroxidation by a peroxidase/hydrogen peroxide/halide system

A lactoperoxidase/H2O2/halide system caused the initiation of linoleate peroxidation as indicated by diene conjugation. Coupled lipid peroxidation was accelerated by iodide, chloride and bromide ions at pH 4.0 and 6.2. No peroxidation occurred in the presence of H2O2 or lactoperoxidase alone. The rate of linoleate peroxidation by lactoperoxidase in the presence of chloride depended on the concentration of H2O2. Linoleate peroxidation by the enzymatic system was inhibited by high concentration of H2O2 by methionine, tryptophan and BHT. Oxygen was absorbed during peroxidation and the major products were the 13-hydroperoxides. The mechanisms of the initiation of lipid peroxidation by a peroxidase/H2O2/halide system are discussed.

Inhibition of microsomal oxidation of alcohols and of hydroxyl-radical-scavenging agents by the iron-chelating agent desferrioxamine

Rat liver microsomes (microsomal fractions) catalyse the oxidation of straight-chain aliphatic alcohols and of hydroxyl-radical-scavenging agents during NADPH-dependent electron transfer. The iron-chelating agent desferrioxamine, which blocks the generation of hydroxyl radicals in other systems, was found to inhibit the following microsomal reactions: production of formaldehyde from either dimethyl sulphoxide or 2-methylpropan-2-ol (t-butylalcohol); generation of ethylene from 4-oxothiomethylbutyric acid; release of 14CO2 from [I-14C]benzoate; production of acetaldehyde from ethanol or butanal (butyraldehyde) from butan-1-ol. Desferrioxamine also blocked the increase in the oxidation of all these substrates produced by the addition of iron-EDTA to the microsomes. Desferrioxamine had no effect on a typical mixed-function-oxidase activity, the N-demethylation of aminopyrine, nor on the peroxidatic activity of catalase/H2O2 with ethanol. H2O2 appears to be the precursor of the oxidizing radical responsible for the oxidation of the alcohols and the other hydroxyl-radical scavengers. Chelation of microsomal iron by desferrioxamine most likely decreases the generation of hydroxyl radicals, which results in an inhibition of the oxidation of the alcohols and the hydroxyl-radical scavengers. Whereas desferrioxamine inhibited the oxidation of 2-methylpropan-2-ol, dimethyl sulphoxide, 4-oxothiomethylbutyrate and benzoate by more than 90%, the oxidation of ethanol and butanol could not be decreased by more than 45-60%. Higher concentrations of desferrioxamine were required to block the metabolism of the primary alcohols than to inhibit the metabolism of the other substrates. The desferrioxamine-insensitive rate of oxidation of ethanol was not inhibited by competitive hydroxyl-radical scavengers. These results suggest that primary alcohols may be oxidized by two pathways in microsomes, one dependent on the interaction of the alcohols with hydroxyl radicals (desferrioxamine-sensitive), the other which appears to be independent of these radicals (desferrioxamine-insensitive).

Role of catalase and hydroxyl radicals in the oxidation of methanol by rat liver microsomes

In view of the presence of adventitious catalase in isolated microsomes, and the requirement for H2O2, it has been suggested that NADPH-dependent oxidation of methanol by rat liver microsomes was mediated exclusively by the peroxidatic activity of catalase. However, H2O2 may also serve as a precursor of the hydroxyl radical, and methanol reacts with hydroxyl radicals to produce formaldehyde. Inhibition of H2O2 production should therefore decrease methanol oxidation by either a hydroxyl radical-dependent pathway or a catalase-dependent pathway. To attempt to clarify some of the controversies concerning the roles of H2O2 and catalase in the microsomal pathway of oxidation of short chain alcohols, studies were carried out to determine the nature of the pathway responsible for methanol oxidation by isolated microsomes. In the absence of the catalase inhibitor azide, methanol may be oxidized primarily by the peroxidatic activity of catalase since there was little effect on methanol oxidation by competing hydroxyl radical scavengers. Azide, which inhibited catalase activity greater than 95%, inhibited NADPH-dependent oxidation of methanol by 30-50%. The azide-insensitive (catalase-independent) pathway of methanol oxidation was inhibited by scavengers of hydroxyl radicals. The inhibition of the scavengers reflected the rate constant for interaction with hydroxyl radicals and was greater at lower concentrations of methanol than at higher concentrations, suggesting competition between the scavengers and methanol. The addition of H2O2 stimulated the oxidation of methanol in the presence of azide; H2O2 may serve as a precursor of the hydroxyl radical. Iron-EDTA, which is known to increase hydroxyl radical production, stimulated the oxidation of methanol in the absence and presence of azide. The stimulation by iron-EDTA was blocked by the competing hydroxyl radical scavengers even in the absence of azide, suggesting that the added iron-EDTA favorably with microsomal catalase for H2O2 to produce hydroxyl radicals (or a species with the oxidizing power of the hydroxyl radical). These results suggest that in microsomes, depending on the absence or presence of azide, methanol may be oxidized by two primary pathways, one involving the peroxidatic activity of catalase, and the other in which hydroxyl radicals, generated from microsomal electron transfer, play a role. In view of the crucial role played by H2O2 in both pathways, inhibition of H2O2 formation should not be interpreted solely as evidence for a role for catalase in the microsomal oxidation of alcohols.