A chemiluminescent probe with a Cypridina luciferin analog, 2-methyl-6-phenyl-3,7-dihydroimidazo[1,2-a]pyrazin-3-one, specific and sensitive for O2- production in phagocytizing macrophages

Maturational changes in superoxide anion production of rabbit alveolar macrophages

We investigated the effect of maturation on the superoxide anion production of rabbit alveolar macrophages by endothelin-1, N-formyl-methionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine, and phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate. The O2- production by phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate in young (0.2-0.3 kg) rabbits was as high as that in adult (3.0-3.5 kg) rabbits. However, when alveolar macrophages were stimulated by N-formyl-methionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine or preincubated with endothelin-1 before phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate stimulation, O2- production of young rabbits was relatively weak compared to adult rabbits. The present data indicate that the ability of O2- production is sufficiently developed with a chemotactic peptide which directly stimulates protein kinase C.

Cypridina luciferin analog reduces the incidence of ischemia/reperfusion-induced ventricular fibrillation

A Cypridina luciferin analog (CLA), considered to be a sensitive and specific agent for the assay of superoxide, was assessed in isolated hearts for its effects on ischemia/reperfusion injury. Hearts of anesthetized male Wistar rats were isolated and perfused with a modified Krebs-Henseleit bicarbonate buffer to serve as non-recirculating working heart preparations. After 15 min of perfusion to achieve stability, they underwent 20 min of global ischemia and were then reperfused for 30 min with or without 250 microM of CLA, dissolved in the perfusate. The incidence of ventricular fibrillation was only 13% in the CLA group, whereas it was 88% in the controls. The CLA treatment was further associated with significantly increased left ventricular developed pressure and cardiac output; and in contrast, the left ventricular end-diastolic pressure was significantly reduced, as compared with the control group. Thiobarbiturate reacting substance content in the hearts of the CLA group was significantly decreased (27.5 +/- 2.4 versus 36.9 +/- 9.7 mumol/g dry weight). This study thus indicates that CLA may be useful for alleviating ischemia/reperfusion injury (reperfusion-induced arrhythmia and damage to heart function) involving free radicals.

Decreased production of active oxygen species by neutrophils in patients with liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma

Adult respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) following infection is one of the postoperative complications of hepatectomy of cirrhosis. In this study we focused on the anti-microbial activity of neutrophils. We measured production of active oxygen species by neutrophils, and simultaneously examined their nutritional status, immunity and ICG (K-ICG) disappearance ratio. When compared to the controls, the patients with cirrhosis had significantly lower production of O2- upon stimulation by N-formyl-Met-Leu-Phe (fMLP) or opsonic zymosan (OZ). The presence of cancer did not affect results for the groups studied. Overall H2O2 production was lower in cirrhotic patients than in controls. There was a positive correlation between O2- production and K-ICG, which was used to estimate the severity of cirrhosis. Indicators of nutrition and immunity were also lower in cirrhotic patients, but neither of these indicators correlated with the production of active oxygen species. From these results, we concluded that the production of active oxygen species by neutrophils is lower in cirrhotic patients than in controls. Moreover, this decline correlates with the severity of cirrhosis.

The ability of polymorphonuclear leukocytes to produce active oxygen in a model of peritonitis in rats

To elucidate the mechanism of enhancing survival in peritonitis rats treated with lentinan, a fully purified beta-1,3-glucan, we measured the active oxygen-producing ability of polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNs). Four groups of rats (group I, fecal peritonitis control; II, rats receiving 3 mg/kg lentinan intraperitoneally at the same time as peritonitis induction; III, rats receiving 1 mg/kg gentamicin intramuscularly; and IV, rats receiving combined lentinan-gentamicin treatment) were used. The survival period was significantly longer in group IV than in the other three groups. The ability of ascitic PMNs to produce active oxygen (superoxide, H2O2, myeloperoxidase) was significantly more than that of blood PMNs in each group at 20 h after peritonitis induction. The increase in active oxygen production in ascitic PMNs was higher in group IV compared with that in the other three groups. The concentration of lentinan in the blood was high at 24 h after administering lentinan intraperitoneally to both the normal and peritonitis rats. In the in vitro study, the superoxide production in normal rat blood PMNs was significantly higher in the presence of cytokines (IL-1 beta, IL-6, TNF-alpha) without dose-dependence but was not higher for the lentinan group than in the control. This study therefore suggests that lentinan activated the peritoneal macrophage secretory activity and produced cytokines which thus enhanced the ability of PMNs to produce active oxygen, which possesses a bactericidal ability in PMNs.

Hypertonic glucose inhibits the production of oxygen-derived free radicals by rat neutrophils

We studied the influence of graded degrees of hypertonic glucose or sucrose on the generation of oxygen-derived free radicals by rat neutrophils. Hypertonic glucose and sucrose exerted dose- and time-dependent inhibition of chemiluminescence amplified by luciferin analog (CLA-DCL) and luminol (L-DCL) in response to fMLP. Hypertonic glucose was more effective to this chemiluminescence inhibition than hypertonic sucrose was. This inhibition of hypertonicity was more effective in CLA-DCL than in L-DCL. Although the production of superoxide anion measured by the reduction of ferricytochrome c was more inhibited by hypertonic glucose than by hypertonic sucrose, the myeloperoxidase activity was not affected by either glucose or sucrose hyperosmolarity. These data suggest that hyperosmotic state by itself and an additional direct glucose-toxicity may contribute to the impaired neutrophil function in the diabetic state.

Time course of superoxide generation by leukocytes--the MCLA chemiluminescence system

This study was performed to examine the pattern of superoxide (O2-.) generation from leukocytes using the O2-. specific chemiluminescence (CL) method. Cypridina luciferin analog, 2-methyl-6-(p-methoxyphenyl)-3,7-dihydroimidazo [1,2-alpha]pyrazin-3-one (MCLA) was used as a CL probe. The appropriate conditions of the MCLA method was first determined for the evaluation of the time course of O2-. generation by leukocytes. The time course of O2-. generation obtained by the MCLA-CL system was compared with that by the luminol-dependent CL, electron spin resonance (ESR)/spin trapping, and cytochrome c systems. Following stimulation by three different stimulants (PMA, OZ, FMLP), leukocytes continuously generated O2-. for up to 5 h in the MCLA-CL system, irrespective of the kind of stimulation. The curves obtained by generation ceased more rapidly in the luminol-CL, ESR/spin trapping, and cytochrome c systems. A 50% activity of the initial value was observed at 70 min in the MCLA-CL system, but 30, 10 and 35 min in the other systems, respectively. The CL or O2-. generation value decreased to less than 1% (possible termination) at 300, 90, 120 and 180 min, respectively. With the exception of ESR studies with OZ, the cell viability was not significantly affected in any of the trials. These results indicate that leukocytes can generate O2-. much longer than previously estimated and that the MCLA-CL-system is the most suitable system for the measurement of the O2-. generation by leukocytes.

Oxidation of methyl linoleate in aqueous dispersions induced by copper and iron

The oxidations of methyl linoleate micelles in aqueous dispersions induced by copper and iron have been studied, aiming specifically at elucidating the action of the copper ion in the chain initiation. Sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) and tetradecyltrimethylammonium bromide (TTAB) were used as anionic and cationic surfactants, respectively, in order to see the effect of the electric charge of the micelle surface. Both copper and iron induced the oxidations of methyl linoleate micelles by decomposing lipid hydroperoxide contained initially in methyl linoleate, tert-butyl hydroperoxide, or hydrogen peroxide added to the aqueous phase. The rate of oxidation induced by cupric ions was proportional to the first power of methyl linoleate concentration and to the half power of both cupric ion and hydroperoxide concentrations, suggesting that the oxidation was initiated by the peroxyl and alkoxyl radicals formed in the decomposition of hydroperoxide by copper. The formation of alkoxyl radicals was confirmed by its trapping with a spin trap. The rate of oxidation was dependent on the type of surfactant. Methyl linoleate containing a very small amount of hydroperoxide was oxidized by copper in the SDS system, but the rate of its oxidation was negligible when TTAB was used. However, the addition of tert-butyl hydroperoxide induced the oxidation even in the TTAB system. Hydroperoxyl and hydroxyl radicals formed in the SDS system induced the oxidation, but those formed in the TTAB system did not. It was shown that the effect of radicals on the initiation of lipid peroxidation depends on the type of radicals and site of radical formation.

Rates of interactions of superoxide with vitamin E, vitamin C and related compounds as measured by chemiluminescence

The rate constants for the interactions of superoxide with vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol), vitamin C (ascorbic acid) and their related compounds have been measured by a chemiluminescence method. A strong chemiluminescence of a constant intensity was observed when xanthine oxidase was added to an aqueous solution of hypoxanthine and a Cypridina luciferin analog, 2-methyl-6-phenyl-3-7-dihydroimidazo[1,2-a]pyrazin-3-one (CLA). Vitamin E, vitamin C and their related compounds competed with CLA to react with superoxide and reduced the chemiluminescence intensity. From a kinetic analysis of the effect of addition of these compounds on the chemiluminescence intensity, the rate constants for their interactions with superoxide were measured at 25 degrees C and pH 7.8. The rate constants were obtained as 3.3 x 10(5) and 1.7 x 10(4) M-1 s-1 for ascorbate and 2-carboxy-2,5,7,8-tetramethyl-6-chromanol, respectively, and also as 4.9 x 10(3) and 4.5 x 10(3) M-1 s-1 for alpha-tocopherol incorporated into soybean and dimyristoyl phosphatidylcholine liposomal membranes, respectively. It has been shown that this method is a sensitive and a quick method which can be applied for measurement of the reactivities of various natural and synthetic compounds toward superoxide. In addition it has been shown that this method can also be applied to the heterogeneous system as well as homogeneous solution, which makes it more versatile and useful for the study in biochemistry.

Role of platelet-activating factor (PAF) in superoxide production by human polymorphonuclear leukocytes

The effect of platelet-activating factor (PAF) in superoxide production by human polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMN) was studied. Cypridina luciferin analog (CLA) dependent chemiluminescence was used to detect superoxide anion radicals. PAF induced superoxide generation in human PMN in a dose-dependent manner. Preincubation with a small amount of PAF (5 x 10(-9) M) enhanced PMN superoxide release induced by various stimuli, such as phorbol myristate acetate (PMA), opsonized zymosan (OZ), calcium ionophore (A23187) and N-formyl-methionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine (FMLP). The PAF antagonist, CV-6209, inhibited superoxide production induced by PAF, but not that induced by other stimuli. These findings would indicate that PAF may play an important role at inflammatory reaction sites and that CV-6209 may inhibit excessive inflammatory reaction.

Failure of inhibitory effects by platelets on super-oxide anion generation from stimulated neutrophils in a severe bronchial asthmatic

Blood was drawn from healthy human volunteers and a 30-year-old woman with severe bronchial asthma (atopic and perennial type), whose peripheral blood platelets counts were continuously higher than 60 x 10(4)/mm3. Neutrophils were purified on a Conray-Ficoll gradient and platelets were isolated by a gel filtration method with Sepharose 2B. Superoxide anion (O2-) generation from the cells was measured by 2-methyl-6-[p-methoxyphenyl]-3,7-dihydroimidazo [1,2-a]purazin-3-one (MCLA)-dependent luminescence. Addition of 0.5 microM MCLA and 10(-8) M N-formyl-methionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine (fMLP) or 10 ng/ml phorbol myristate acetate (PMA) to a suspension of platelets obtained from the healthy controls and the patient caused no significant MCLA-dependent luminescence, 02- generation by neutrophils from healthy human volunteers, activated by 10(-8) M fMLP or 10 ng/ml PMA, was inhibited by their platelets in a concentration-dependent manner. Platelets from the patient failed to inhibit O2- generation from neutrophils activated by 10(-8)M fMLP. Cu-Zn superoxide dismutase concentrations in platelets from healthy human volunteers were not higher than the patient's. These data suggest that the absence of inhibition of superoxide generation from activated neutrophils by platelets might be involved in the pathogenesis of bronchial asthma.

O2- generation and lipid peroxidation during the oxidation of a glycated polypeptide, glycated polylysine, in the presence of iron-ADP

Oxidation of glycated polylysine, a model compound of glycated protein, caused O2- production even at physiological pH, which could be accelerated by Fe3(+)-ADP. An enediol structure in glycated polylysine and related compounds, which could be confirmed by I2 uptake, was related to their oxidizability. Glycated polylysine was easily coordinated with Fe3+ even in the presence of phosphate at pH 7.4 and the formation of the iron complex was prevented by desferrioxamine. The exposure of unsaturated phospholipid liposomes to glycated polylysine-Fe3(+)-ADP system caused the production of a thiobarbituric acid-reacting substance, which was completely inhibited by 5 microM alpha-tocopherol or 150 microM desferrioxamine and slightly by 0.5 microM SOD. Catalase (20 micrograms/ml) and 10 mM sodium-benzoate did not affect the iron-glycated polylysine-induced lipid peroxidation, indicating no participation of an OH. in this reaction. A ferrous ion-coordinated glycated polylysine may act as an initiator of phospholipid peroxidation in the presence of oxygen. A possible mechanism of the iron-glycated polylysine-induced lipid peroxidation was discussed.

Effects of psoriatic scale extracts on oxidative metabolic responses in granulocytes assessed by chemiluminescence

The peptide fractions containing C5a des arg and anionic neutrophil activating peptide (ANAP) and the low-molecular-weight fractions containing LTB4 in psoriatic scale extracts exert a potent polymorphonuclear leukocyte (PMN) chemotactic activity. To evaluate whether any of these components in the psoriatic scale extracts stimulate a respiratory burst in PMNs, we studied luminol-dependent chemiluminescence (CL) in PMNs under their direct stimulation. After fractionation by molecular sieve chromatography, pooled peptide fractions eluting near the cytochrome c marker from eight samples induced high CL in PMNs, whereas those eluted in low-molecular-weight fractions after vitamin B12 marker were very weak in this response. Moreover, in six samples such low-molecular-weight fractions eluting near the vitamin B12 marker were found to have a suppressive effect on the oxidative metabolism of neutrophils induced by other stimulators. These findings suggest that the fraction of chemotactic peptides in psoriatic scales plays a major role in the activation of PMNs, inducing tissue damage in the psoriatic lesional epidermis. On the other hand, at least some low-molecular-weight components in psoriatic scales seem to exert an inhibitory effect on the respiratory burst induced by other activators.

Assaying for superoxide dismutase activity: some large consequences of minor changes in conditions

Most assays for superoxide dismutase depend upon competition between the enzyme and some indicating scavenger for O-2. We have investigated the effects of experimental variables on assays based upon the use of either ferricytochrome c or nitro blue tetrazolium. Our results should help investigators to avoid the numerous potential pitfalls which necessarily surround these assay methods.

Chemiluminescence probe with Cypridina luciferin analog, 2-methyl-6-phenyl-3,7-dihydroimidazo[1,2-a]pyrazin-3-one, for estimating the ability of human granulocytes to generate O2-

The Cypridina luciferin analog, 2-methyl-6-phenyl-3,7-dihydroimidazo[1,2-a]pyrazin-3-one (CLA), in Hanks' balanced salt solution, emitted a weak luminescence which was not affected by superoxide dismutase or catalase and was not augmented by resting human granulocytes. In contrast, activated granulocytes caused a dramatic increase in the luminescence of CLA. The light emission by CLA in the presence of activated granulocytes was inhibited by superoxide dismutase, but not by catalase or benzoate. Azide at 0.5 mM did not inhibit light emission significantly. These results indicate that O2-, rather than H2O2, HO., singlet oxygen, or HOCl, was the agent responsible for eliciting the chemiluminescence of CLA. Moreover, the intensity of light emission by CLA correlated with the rate of production of O2- either by activated neutrophils or by the xanthine oxidase reaction.