Control of the generation and reactions of free radicals in biological systems by kinetic and thermodynamic factors

Quinones and nitroaromatic compounds as subversive substrates of Staphylococcus aureus flavohemoglobin

In microorganisms, flavohemoglobins (FHbs) containing FAD and heme (Fe³⁺, metHb) convert NO. into nitrate at the expense of NADH and O₂. FHbs contribute to bacterial resistance to nitrosative stress. Therefore, inhibition of FHbs functions may decrease the pathogen virulence. We report here a kinetic study of the reduction of quinones and nitroaromatic compounds by S. aureus FHb. We show that this enzyme rapidly reduces quinones and nitroaromatic compounds in a mixed single- and two-electron pathway. The reactivity of nitroaromatics increased upon an increase in their single-electron reduction potential (E¹₇), whereas the reactivity of quinones poorly depended on their E¹₇ with a strong preference for a 2-hydroxy-1,4-naphthoquinone structure. The reaction followed a 'ping-pong' mechanism. In general, the maximal reaction rates were found lower than the maximal presteady-state rate of FAD reduction by NADH and/or of oxyhemoglobin (HbFe²⁺O₂) formation (~130 s^-1, pH 7.0, 25 °C), indicating that the enzyme turnover is limited by the oxidative half-reaction. The turnover studies showed that quinones prefreqently accept electrons from reduced FAD, and not from HbFe²⁺O₂. These results suggest that quinones and nitroaromatics act as 'subversive substrates' for FHb, and may enhance the cytotoxicity of NO. by formation of superoxide and by diverting the electron flux coming from reduced FAD. Because quinone reduction rate was increased by FHb inhibitors such as econazole, ketoconazole, and miconazole, their combined use may represent a novel chemotherapeutical approach.

One- and two-electron reduction of 2-methyl-1,4-naphthoquinone bioreductive alkylating agents: kinetic studies, free-radical production, thiol oxidation and DNA-strand-break formation

The one- and two-electron enzymic reduction of the bioreductive alkylating agents 2-methylmethoxynaphthoquinone (quinone I) and 2-chloromethylnaphthoquinone (quinone II) was studied with purified NADPH-cytochrome P-450 reductase and DT-diaphorase respectively, and characterized in terms of kinetic constants, oxyradical production, thiol oxidation and DNA-strand-break formation. The catalytic-centre activity values indicated that DT-diaphorase catalysed the reduction of quinone I far more efficiently than NADPH-cytochrome P-450 reductase, although the Km values of the two enzymes for this quinone were similar (1.2-3.0 microM). The one-electron-transfer flavoenzyme also catalysed the reduction of quinone II, but the behaviour of DT-diaphorase towards this quinone did not permit calculation of kinetic constants. A salient feature of the redox transitions caused by the one- and two-electron catalysis of these quinones was the different contributions of disproportionation and autoxidation reactions respectively. In the former case, about 26% of NADPH consumed was accounted for in terms of autoxidation (as H2O2 formation), whereas in the latter, the autoxidation component accounted for most (98%) of the NADPH consumed. This difference was abrogated by superoxide dismutase, which enhanced autoxidation during NADPH-cytochrome P-450 catalysis to a maximal value. E.s.r. analysis indicated the formation of superoxide radicals, the signal of which was suppressed by superoxide dismutase and unaffected by catalase. The one- and two-electron reduction of these quinones in the presence of GSH was accompanied by formation of thiyl radicals. Although superoxide dismutase suppressed the thiol radical e.s.r. signal in both instances, the enzyme enhanced GSSG accumulation during NADPH-cytochrome P-450 catalysis of quinone I, whereas it inhibited GSSG formation during reduction of the quinone by DT-diaphorase. One- and two-electron reduction of quinone I led to calf thymus DNA-strand-break formation, a process that (a) was substantially decreased in experiments performed with dialysed DNA and in the presence of desferal and (b) was partially sensitive to superoxide dismutase and/or catalase. These findings are rationalized in terms of the occurrence of metal ions ligated to DNA, protecting against the toxic effects of superoxide radicals generated during enzymic reduction of quinones.

Radiation chemistry applied to drug design

Radiation chemistry can contribute to drug design by quantifying redox properties of drugs (useful parameters in quantitative structure-activity relationships), and where free radicals are suspected intermediates in drug action, radiation can be used to generate these putative species and help characterize relevant reactions. Steady radiolysis produces radicals at a readily-varied but quantified rate; pulse radiolysis with fast spectrophotometric and/or conductimetric detection enables the kinetic properties of radicals to be monitored directly. Using these methods, radical intermediates from drugs with specific cytotoxicity towards hypoxic cells have been shown to react rapidly with oxygen, a reaction probably responsible for the therapeutic differential. Radical oxidants from activated neutrophils include superoxide and hydroxyl radicals, and radiation-chemical methods have an important role to play in rational drug design to exploit such oxidative chemistry. Antioxidants can also be evaluated quantitatively by radiolysis methods; the conjugation reactions of thiyl radicals with thiolate and oxygen are now recognised to be major contributions of pulse radiolysis to thiol biochemistry.

Reactions of the alpha-tocopheroxyl radical in micellar solutions studied by nanosecond laser flash photolysis

Laser flash photolysis of alpha-tocopherol in methanol and in aqueous micellar solutions has been shown to produce the alpha-tocopheroxyl radical. The reaction between the alpha-tocopheroxyl radical and ascorbate in positively charged hexadecyltrimethylammonium chloride (HTAC) micelles occurred with a second order rate constant of 7.2 x 10(7) M-1.s-1, whereas in negatively charged sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS) micelles the rats constant was only 3.8 x 10(4) M-1.s-1. The alpha-tocopheroxyl radical was found to be relatively long-lived in HTAC micelles (t1/2 greater than or equal to 5 min), allowing the slow disappearance of the alpha-tocopheroxyl radical by reaction with glutathione to be observed.

Glutathionyl- and hydroxyl radical formation coupled to the redox transitions of 1,4-naphthoquinone bioreductive alkylating agents during glutathione two-electron reductive addition

The kinetic parameters of the redox transitions subsequent to the two-electron transfer implied in the glutathione (GSH) reductive addition to 2- and 6-hydroxymethyl-1,4-naphthoquinone bioalkylating agents were examined in terms of autoxidation, GSH consumption in the arylation reaction, oxidation of the thiol to glutathione disulfide (GSSG), and free radical formation detected by the spin-trapping electron spin resonance method. The position of the hydroxymethyl substituent in either the benzenoid or the quinonoid ring differentially influenced the initial rates of hydroquinone autoxidation as well as thiol oxidation. Thus, GSSG- and hydrogen peroxide formation during the GSH reductive addition to 6-hydroxymethyl-1,4-naphthoquinone proceeded at rates substantially higher than those observed with the 2-hydroxymethyl derivative. The distribution and concentration of molecular end products, however, was the same for both quinones, regardless of the position of the hydroxymethyl substituent. The [O2]consumed/[GSSG]formed ratio was above unity in both cases, thus indicating the occurrence of autoxidation reactions other than those involved during GSSG formation. EPR studies using the spin probe 5,5'-dimethyl-1-pyrroline-N-oxide (DMPO) suggested that the oxidation of GSH coupled to the above redox transitions involved the formation of radicals of differing structure, such as hydroxyl and thiyl radicals. These were identified as the corresponding DMPO adducts. The detection of either DMPO adduct depended on the concentration of GSH in the reaction mixture: the hydroxyl radical adduct of DMPO prevailed at low GSH concentrations, whereas the thiyl radical adduct of DMPO prevailed at high GSH concentrations. The production of the former adduct was sensitive to catalase, whereas that of the latter was sensitive to superoxide dismutase as well as to catalase. The relevance of free radical formation coupled to thiol oxidation is discussed in terms of the thermodynamic and kinetic properties of the reactions involved as well as in terms of potential implications in quinone cytotoxicity.

Effect of superoxide dismutase on the autoxidation of substituted hydro- and semi-naphthoquinones

The effect of superoxide dismutase on the autoxidation of hydro- and semi-1,4-naphthoquinones with different substitution pattern and covering a one-electron reduction potential range from -95 to -415 mV was examined. The naphthoquinone derivatives were reduced via one or two electrons by purified NADPH-cytochrome P-450 reductase or DT-diaphorase, respectively. Superoxide dismutase did not alter or slightly enhance the initial rates of enzymic reduction, whereas it affected in a different manner the following autoxidation of the semi- and hydroquinones formed. Autoxidation was assessed as NADPH oxidation in excess to the amounts required to reduce the quinone present, H2O2 formation, and the redox state of the quinones. Superoxide dismutase enhanced 2--8-fold the autoxidation of 1,4-naphthosemiquinones, following the reduction of the oxidized counterpart by NADPH-cytochrome P-450 reductase, except for the glutathionyl-substituted naphthosemiquinones, whose autoxidation was not affected by superoxide dismutase. Superoxide dismutase exerted two distinct effects on the autoxidation of naphthohydroquinones formed during DT-diaphorase catalysis: on the one hand, it enhanced slightly the autoxidation of 1,4-naphthohydroquinones with a hydroxyl substituent in the benzene ring: 5-hydroxy-1,4-naphthoquinone and the corresponding derivatives with methyl- and/or glutathionyl substituents at C2 and C3, respectively. On the other hand, superoxide dismutase inhibited the autoxidation of naphthohydroquinones that were either unsubstituted or with glutathionyl-, methyl-, methoxyl-, hydroxyl substituents (the latter in the quinoid ring). The inhibition of hydroquinone autoxidation was reflected as a decrease of NADPH oxidation, suppression of H2O2 production, and accumulation of the reduced form of the quinone. The enhancement of autoxidation of 1,4-naphthosemiquinones by superoxide dismutase has been previously rationalized in terms of the rapid removal of O2-. by the enzyme from the equilibrium of the autoxidation reaction (Q2-. + O2----Q + O2-.), thus displacing it towards the right. The superoxide dismutase-dependent inhibition of H2O2 formation as well as NADPH oxidation during the autoxidation of naphthohydroquinones--except those with a hydroxyl substituent in the benzene ring--seems to apply to those organic substrates which can break down with simultaneous formation of a semiquinone and O2-.. Inhibition of hydroquinone autoxidation by superoxide dismutase can be interpreted in terms of suppression by the enzyme of O2-.- dependent chain reactions or a direct catalytic interaction with the enzyme that might involve reduction of the semiquinone at expense of O2(-.).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Bioreductive activation of quinones: redox properties and thiol reactivity

Redox properties and thiol reactivity are central to the therapeutic and toxicological properties of quinones. The use of other physicochemical parameters to establish predictive relationships for redox properties of quinones is discussed, and attention drawn to situations where such relationships may be unreliable. The rates of reaction of semiquinone radicals with oxygen, including those of chemotherapeutic agents such as mitomycin and the anthracyclines, can be predicted with reasonable confidence from the redox properties. The reactions of quinones with thiols such as glutathione produces reduced quinones and radicals, but the reactions are complex and all the features are not well understood.

Effect of glutathione on the redox transitions of naphthohydroquinone derivatives formed during DT-diaphorase catalysis

The oxidation of GSH coupled to the redox transitions of 1,4-naphthoquinone derivatives during DT-diaphorase catalysis was examined. The quinones studied included 1,4-naphthoquinone and its dimethoxy- and hydroxy derivatives and were selected according to their different ability to undergo nucleophilic addition with GSH and the dual effect of superoxide dismutase on hydroquinone autoxidation. GSH was oxidized to GSSG during the redox transitions of the above quinones, regardless of their substitution pattern. This effect was accompanied by an increase of total O2 consumption, indicating the ability of GSH to support quinone redox cycling. The values for the relationship [O2]consumed/[GSSG]formed were, with every quinone examined, above unity, thus pointing to the occurrence of autoxidation reactions other than those involved during GSSG formation. These results are discussed in terms of the functional group chemistry of the quinones and the thermodynamic properties of the reactions involved in the reduction of the semi- to the hydro-quinone by GSH.

Weiss lecture. Radiation chemistry: basic, strategic or tactical science?

The work of Weiss in the 1930s, particularly with Haber, has only recently been recognized to have implications in biology and medicine. Similarly, research in radiation chemistry and the application of the pulse radiolysis technique, for example, have implications far beyond traditional radiation chemistry. Some examples of such research are discussed against a background of categorization into 'basic', 'strategic' or 'tactical' science, rather than 'pure' and 'applied'. Examples discussed include redox properties of free radicals, which are now on a firm quantitative basis, and the identification and characterization of nitro radicals as intermediates in drug metabolism. Radical reactions often take place in multicomponent systems, and the techniques of radiation chemistry can be used to probe, for example, events occurring at interfaces in micelles. Industrial processes involving radiation are attracting investment, particularly in Japan. Radiation chemistry deserves further support to exploit its full potential, but much research using radiation chemical techniques often appears, probably more appropriately, under different labels.

Properties of the radicals formed by one-electron oxidation of acetaminophen--a pulse radiolysis study

The semi-iminoquinone radical of acetaminophen, which has previously been proposed as a possible hepatotoxic intermediate in the cytochrome P-450 catalysed oxidation of acetaminophen, has been generated and studied by pulse radiolysis. In the absence of other reactive solutes, the radical decays rapidly by second order kinetics with a rate constant (2k2) of (2.2 +/- 0.4) x 10(9) M-1 sec-1. In alkaline solutions the radical deprotonates with a pK of 11.1 +/- 0.1 to form a radical-anion, as confirmed by the effect of ionic strength on the rate of radical decay. The acetaminophen radical-anion reacts with resorcinol at high pH values, leading to the formation of a transient equilibrium from which the one-electron reduction potential of the semi-iminoquinone radical of acetaminophen is estimated to be +0.707 +/- 0.01 V at pH 7. This value predicts that acetaminophen should be oxidised by thiyl radicals. This was confirmed by pulse radiolysis experiments for reaction of the cysteinyl radical, for which rate constants of 7 x 10(6) M-1 sec-1 at pH 7 and 2.7 x 10(8) M-1 sec-1 at pH 11.3 were obtained. The reaction of O2 with the acetaminophen semi-iminoquinone radical could not be detected by pulse radiolysis, and alternative mechanisms for superoxide radical formation are discussed.

One-electron reduction of the antimalarial drug primaquine, studied by pulse radiolysis

One-electron reduction of the antiparasitic drug primaquine has been studied by pulse radiolysis. Primaquine is reduced by the hydrated electron at neutral pH with a rate constant of (2.47 +/- 0.1) x 10(10) dm3mol-1s-1. Reduction by formate and isopropanol radicals is relatively slow (less than or equal to 10(7) dm3mol-1s-1) at neutral pH, but increases in rate with decreasing pH on protonation of the quinoline moiety. The one-electron reduction product form reaction of the hydrated electron with primaquine at neutral pH reacts with O2, benzyl viologen and NAD+ with rates of (1-2.3) x 10(9) dm3mol-1s-1. The relevance of these observations to the mechanisms proposed by Thornalley et al. (Biochem. Pharmacol. 32, 357, (1983] for oxygen free radical generation in solutions of NADPH and primaquine and the antiparasitic action of the drug is discussed.

Model study on the bioreduction of paraquat, MPP+, and analogs. Evidence against a "redox cycling" mechanism in MPTP neurotoxicity

The ability of paraquat, MPP+, and analogs to be reduced by chemical reductants and by NADPH, as catalyzed by liver microsomes or purified NADPH cytochrome P-450 reductase, is reported. The analogs span a range of electrochemical potential, including values in-between that of paraquat and MPP+. Analogs with an Eo below -.55 V (vs. NHE) are not reduced by either the NADPH-microsomes or NADPH-reductase systems. The inability of MPP+ to be bio-reduced or to stimulate the production of superoxide during aerobic reduction is evidence against a redox-cycling (oxidant stress) role of MPP+ in MPTP neurotoxicity.