Glenn F. Vile

Inhibition of adriamycin-promoted microsomal lipid peroxidation by β-carotene, α-tocopherol and retinol at high and low oxygen partial pressures

Iron‐dependent peroxidation of rat liver microsomes, enhanced by adriamycin, was measured in the presence of increasing concentrations of α‐tocopherol, β‐carotene and retinol at low and high pO2. β‐Carotene and α‐tocopherol inhibited lipid peroxidation by more than 60% when present at concentrations greater than 50 nmol/mg microsomal protein at both high and low pO2. Retinol inhibited peroxidation by 39% at concentrations greater than 100 nmol/mg microsomal protein. This maximal level of inhibition by retinol was unaltered by pO2. However, β‐carotene was more effective than α‐tocopherol or retinol at a pO2 of 4 mmHg, whereas α‐tocopherol was more effective under aerobic conditions. Since adriamycin‐dependent lipid peroxidation is maximal at low pO2, β‐carotene may play a role in protecting against this process.

Release of iron from ferritin by semiquinone, anthracycline, bipyridyl, and nitroaromatic radicals

The cytotoxicity of many xenobiotics is related to their ability to undergo redox reactions and iron dependent free radical reactions. We have measured the ability of a number of redox active compounds to release iron from the cellular iron storage protein, ferritin. Compounds were reduced to their corresponding radicals with xanthine oxidase/hypoxanthine under N2 and the release of Fe2+ was monitored by complexation with ferrozine. Ferritin iron was released by a number of bipyridyl radicals including those derived from diquat and paraquat, the anthracycline radicals of adriamycin, daunorubicin and epirubicin, the semiquinones of anthraquinone-2-sulphonate, 1,5 and 2,6-dihydroxyanthraquinone, 1-hydroxyanthraquinone, purpurin, and plumbagin, and the nitroaromatic radicals of nitrofurantoin and metronidazole. In each case, iron release was more efficient than with an equivalent flux of superoxide. Introduction of air decreased the rate of iron release, presumably because the organic radicals reacted with O2 to form superoxide. In air, iron release was inhibited by superoxide dismutase. Semiquinones of menadione, benzoquinone, duroquinone, anthraquinone 1,5 and 2.6-disulphonate, 1,4 naphthoquinone-2-sulphonate and naphthoquinone, when formed under N2, were unable to release ferrin iron. In air, these systems gave low rates of superoxide dismutase-inhibitible iron release. Of the compounds investigated, those with a single electron reduction potential less than that of ferritin were able to release ferritin iron.

İron binding to microsomes and liposomes in relation to lipid peroxidation

The effects of ADP, ATP, citrate and EDTA on iron‐dependent microsomal and liposomal lipid peroxidation, and on 59FeCl3 binding to the lipid membranes were measured. The aim was to test if initiation of lipid peroxidation is a site‐specific mechanism requiring bound iron. In the absence of chelator, iron was bound to both membranes. EDTA and citrate removed the iron and inhibited peroxidation. ATP and ADP stimulated peroxidation, but whereas ADP allowed only half of the iron to remain bound, all was removed by ATP. Chelators, therefore, cannot be simply influencing a site‐specific mechanism. Their effects must relate to the reactivities of the different iron chelates as initiators of lipid peroxidation.

ACTIVE OXYGEN SPECIES MEDIATE THE SOLAR ULTRAVIOLET RADIATION-DEPENDENT INCREASE IN THE TUMOUR SUPPRESSOR PROTEIN P53 IN HUMAN SKIN FIBROBLASTS

Active oxygen species mediate many of the biological consequences of exposing cultured human skin cells to solar ultraviolet (UV) radiation (290–380 nm). A critical step in the escape from the carcinogenic potential of UV radiation is mediated by the protein p53. P53 activates growth arrest, allowing for DNA repair, and apoptosis, which removes damaged cells. Here I show that p53 in cultured human skin fibroblasts is elevated after treatment with hydrogen peroxide, an oxidant produced in cells during exposure to solar UV radiation. Simulated solar UV radiation increased p53, and agents that scavenge active oxygen species, N‐acetylcysteine, ascorbate and α‐tocopherol, inhibited the increase. The generation of DNA single strand breaks has been proposed to be an important step in the pathway leading to the increase in p53 initiated by a variety of cytotoxic agents. In this study I show that compounds that allow the accumulation of DNA single strand breaks, ara c and hydroxyurea, enhanced the UVC radiation (254 nm)‐dependent increase in p53, but had no effect on the solar UV radiation‐dependent increase. Thus, while DNA single strand breaks are involved in the UVC radiation‐dependent increase in p53, the increase caused by solar UV radiation occurs by an alternative mechanism involving active oxygen species.

Radical driven fenton reactions—Evidence from paraquat radical studies for production of tetravalent iron in the presence and absence of ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid

Micromolar concentrations of nonchelated ferrous sulfate catalyze a reaction between H2O2 and radiolytically generated paraquat radicals, causing the concurrent oxidation of deoxyribose to thiobarbituric acid reactive products. The oxidation yield per paraquat radical increases with increasing concentration of deoxyribose, and decreases as the instantaneous or steady-state concentration of paraquat radicals is increased, thus explaining previous anomalies in which oxidation was not observed at high paraquat radical concentrations. The process is not mediated by OH. (which gives different products) but is attributed to an oxidizing intermediate resulting from the two electron oxidation of Fe2+ to a peroxo complex, or a derivative of tetravalent iron. Similar but less pronounced concentration dependences occur in the corresponding oxidation of formate or of deoxyribose catalyzed by Fe(EDTA), where at pH 7.3 90% of the pathway is attributed to one electron oxidation of the Fe2+(EDTA) by H2O2, producing OH., while two electron oxidation accounts for the remaining 10%.

Radical-driven fenton reactions: Studies with paraquat, adriamycin, and anthraquinone 6-sulfonate and citrate, ATP, ADP, and pyrophosphate iron chelates

Using paraquat, adriamycin, and anthraquinone 6-sulfonate, we have investigated the ability of radical-driven Fenton reactions to oxidize formate or deoxyribose when catalyzed by iron complexed with citrate, ADP, ATP, or pyrophosphate. Radicals were generated either radiolytically or enzymatically with xanthine oxidase or ferredoxin reductase. With each radical source, the citrate, ADP, and ATP complexes were at least 50% as active as Fe(EDTA) at catalyzing deoxyribose oxidation, and slightly less active as catalysts of CO2 formation from formate. Fe(pyrophosphate) was less efficient and in some cases inactive. Although it is not possible to definitively identify the oxidant involved, it behaved more like the hydroxyl radical than the proposed ferryl or peroxoferrous species formed in equivalent reactions catalyzed by nonchelated iron, which can oxidize deoxyribose but not formate. Chelator concentrations of 1-2 mM were required for maximum effect, which implies that the major effect of the chelators is on the reactivity of Fe2+ in the Fenton reaction with H2O2. This also suggests that any iron available physiologically could participate in the Fenton reaction in a nonchelated form, and produce a ferryl species rather than the hydroxyl radical. Reactions of the organic radicals contrast with the equivalent reactions of superoxide (Haber-Weiss reaction) for which the same iron chelates are all very inefficient catalysts. Fenton reactions driven by organic reducing radicals may therefore contribute more to the toxicity of redox cycling compounds than equivalent reactions of superoxide.

Ferritin, Lipid Peroxidation and Redox-Cycling Xenobiotics

A number of xenobiotics are toxic because they redox cycle and generate free radicals. Interaction with iron, either to produce reactive species such as the hydroxyl radical, or to promote lipid peroxidation, is an important factor in this toxicity. A potential biological source of iron is ferritin. The cytotoxic pyrimidines, dialuric acid, divicine and isouramil, readily release iron from ferritin and promote ferritin-dependent lipid peroxidation. Superoxide dismutase and GSH, which maintain the pyrimidines in their reduced form, enhance both iron release and lipid peroxidation. Microsomes plus NADPH can reduce a number of iron complexes, although not ferritin. Reduction of Adriamycin, paraquat or various quinones to their radicals by the microsomes enhances reduction of the iron complexes, and in some cases, enables iron release from ferritin. Adriamycin stimulates iron-dependent lipid peroxidation of the microsomes. Ferritin can provide the iron, and peroxidation is most pronounced at low pO2. Complexing agents that suppress intracellular iron reduction and lipid peroxidation may protect against the toxicity of Adriamycin.

Microsomal reduction of low-molecular-weight Fe3+ chelates and ferritin: enhancement by adriamycin, paraquat, menadione, and anthraquinone 2-sulfonate and inhibition by oxygen.

Reduction of iron is important in promoting xenobiotic-enhanced, microsomal lipid peroxidation, yet there is little evidence that Fe3+ chelates that promote lipid peroxidation can be reduced by the microsomal system. We have shown that rat liver microsomes catalyse NADPH-dependent reduction of Fe3+ without chelator, as well as Fe3+(ADP), Fe3+(ATP), Fe3+(citrate), Fe3+(EDTA), and ferrioxamine in N2. The NADPH oxidation that accompanied Fe3+ reduction was inhibited by CO for all chelates, except Fe3+ (EDTA). This implies that, except for Fe3+ (EDTA), cytochrome P450 was involved in reduction of the complexes. Adriamycin, paraquat, and anthraquinone 2-sulfonate (AQS) enhanced reduction of all the Fe3+ chelates, whereas menadione enhanced reduction only of Fe3+(ADP) and Fe3+(citrate). All the compounds enhanced oxidation of NADPH in the presence or absence of iron. This was not inhibited by CO, and the results are compatible with Fe3+ reduction occurring via the xenobiotic radicals produced by cytochrome P450 reductase. Microsomal reduction of the xenobiotics, except menadione, enabled the reduction and release of iron from ferritin. Fe3+ chelate reduction, both with and without xenobiotic, was inhibited by O2, although it still proceeded in air at 10-20% of the rate in N2. Iron-dependent lipid peroxidation was promoted by ADP and ATP, inhibited 50% by citrate, and completely inhibited by EDTA and desferrioxamine. Of the xenobiotics, only Adriamycin enhanced microsomal lipid peroxidation. These results indicate that the effects of chelators and xenobiotics on Fe3+ reduction do not correlate with lipid peroxidation and, although reduction is necessary, there must be other factors involved.

Adriamycin-dependent peroxidation of rat liver and heart microsomes catalysed by iron chelates and ferritin: Maximum peroxidation at low oxygen partial pressures

NADPH- and iron-dependent lipid peroxidation of rat heart and liver microsomes was measured in the presence and absence of adriamycin. Lipid peroxidation was enhanced by adriamycin when incubated in air and was increased as the pO2 was lowered, to a maximum of 3-4 times the aerobic level at a pO2 of approx. 4 mm Hg. Fe-ADP, Fe-ATP and ferritin were able to catalyse adriamycin-dependent peroxidation of microsomes under low pO2. Superoxide dismutase and catalase had minimal effect. These results indicate that adriamycin-dependent lipid peroxidation is favoured by the low O2 concentration that exist in active muscle cells and suggest that ferritin could provide the iron catalyst for the reaction.

Thiol oxidation and inhibition of Ca-ATPase by adriamycin in rabbit heart microsomes

Incubation of rabbit heart microsomes with Adriamycin and NADPH resulted in the oxidation of approximately 25% of protein thiols and 66% inhibition of Ca-ATPase activity. Thiol oxidation and Ca-ATPase inactivation were iron-dependent and could be catalysed by ferritin. Removal of contaminating catalase revealed that both processes required H2O2 which could be supplied by O2 under aerobic conditions. However, O2- was not involved. Butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT), alpha-tocopherol and beta-carotene inhibited lipid peroxidation of microsomes, but did not inhibit thiol oxidation or the inactivation of Ca-ATPase. Likewise, the hydroxyl radical scavengers benzoate, formate and mannitol were not inhibitory. Glutathione (GSH), however, prevented inactivation of Ca-ATPase. It is concluded that Adriamycin-enhanced redox reactions involving iron and H2O2 are responsible for oxidizing microsomal thiol groups and inhibition of Ca-ATPase. Disruption of Ca transport within the myocyte by this process could contribute to the cardiotoxicity of Adriamycin.