The oxygen sensing characteristics of microsomal enzymes

Heme degradation by reactive oxygen species

Heme proteins play a major role in various biological functions, such as oxygen sensing, electron transport, signal transduction, and antioxidant defense enzymes. Most of these reactions are carried out by redox reactions of heme iron. As the heme is not recycled, most cells containing heme proteins have the microsomal mixed function oxygenase, heme oxygenase, which enzymatically degrades heme to biliverdin, carbon monoxide, and iron. However, the red cell with the largest pool of heme protein, hemoglobin, contains no heme oxygenase, and enzymatic degradation of the red cell heme occurs only after the senescent red cells are removed by the reticuloendothelial system. Therefore, only nonenzymatic heme degradation initiated when the heme iron undergoes redox reactions in the presence of oxygen-producing reactive oxygen species takes place in the red cell. Unlike enzymatic degradation, which specifically attacks the alpha-methene bridge, reactive oxygen species randomly attack all the carbon methene bridges of the tetrapyrrole rings, producing various pyrrole products in addition to releasing iron. This review focuses on the literature related to nonenzymatic heme degradation with special emphasis on hemoglobin, the dominant red cell heme protein.

Nitric oxide binding to the heme of neuronal nitric-oxide synthase links its activity to changes in oxygen tension

Neuronal nitric-oxide synthase (NOS-1) is a hemeprotein that generates NO and citrulline from L-arginine, O2, and NADPH. During catalysis, a majority of NOS-1 binds self-generated NO and converts to a ferrous-NO complex, which causes it to operate at a fraction of its maximum possible activity during the steady state (Abu-Soud, H. M., Wang, J., Rousseau, D. L., Fukuto, J., Ignarro, L. J., and Stuehr, D. J. (1995) J. Biol. Chem. 270, 22997-23006). To examine how NO complex formation affects the O2 response of NOS-1, we measured rates of NO synthesis and NADPH oxidation versus O2 concentration in the presence and absence of L-arginine. In the absence of L-arginine, NOS-1 catalyzed simple O2 reduction, and its heme iron displayed a typical affinity for O2 (estimated KmO2 </= 40 microM, saturation at approximately 100 microM). In the presence of L-arginine, the rates of NO synthesis and NADPH oxidation were proportional to the O2 concentration over a much broader range (estimated KmO2 approximately 400 microM, saturation at approximately 800 microM), indicating that ferrous-NO complex formation altered the O2 response of NOS-1. Stopped-flow experiments revealed that the rate of ferrous-NO complex formation was relatively independent of the O2 concentration between 100 and 700 microM, while the rate of complex breakdown was directly proportional to O2 concentration. We conclude that the O2 sensitivity of the ferrous-NO complex governs the O2 response of NOS-1 and thus its activity during the steady state. This enables NOS-1 to couple its rate of NO synthesis to the O2 concentration throughout the physiologic range.

Extraction and analysis of superoxide free radicals (.O2-) from whole mammalian liver

Extraction of whole lobes of normal rat liver with dimethyl sulphoxide (DMSO) under N2 gives extracts which contain 5-10 mumol/l.O2- (50-100 nmol.O2- per 10 ml extract per 4 g liver; 1.25-2.50 nmol.O2- per millilitre per gram liver). Evidence for .O2- in the extracts is given by: (1) electron spin resonance signals (ESR), (2) differential pulse polarography (DPP), (3) chemiluminescence (CL), and (4) nitroblue tetrazolium reduction (NBT). All tests yield results identical with those obtained with authentic .O2-. Extraction of .O2- is enhanced by tetrabutyl ammonium ion, and is maximal at 1-3 min. These results raise the possibility that substantial amounts of .O2- are normally sequestered in protective membranous sites in vivo.

Prooxidant states and tumor promotion

There is convincing evidence that cellular prooxidant states--that is, increased concentrations of active oxygen and organic peroxides and radicals--can promote initiated cells to neoplastic growth. Prooxidant states can be caused by different classes of agents, including hyperbaric oxygen, radiation, xenobiotic metabolites and Fenton-type reagents, modulators of the cytochrome P-450 electron-transport chain, peroxisome proliferators, inhibitors of the antioxidant defense, and membrane-active agents. Many of these agents are promoters or complete carcinogens. They cause chromosomal damage by indirect action, but the role of this damage in carcinogenesis remains unclear. Prooxidant states can be prevented or suppressed by the enzymes of the cellular antioxidant defense and low molecular weight scavenger molecules, and many antioxidants are antipromoters and anticarcinogens. Finally, prooxidant states may modulate the expression of a family of prooxidant genes, which are related to cell growth and differentiation, by inducing alterations in DNA structure or by epigenetic mechanisms, for example, by polyadenosine diphosphate-ribosylation of chromosomal proteins.

Effect of prostaglandin E2 and of indomethacin upon cerebral and pulmonary consequences of exposure to hyperbaric oxygen in rats

There are few data in the literature suggesting that endogenous prostaglandins (PGs) might be involved in the pathomechanism of seizures. Since the mechanism of seizures inducted by exposure to oxygen high pressure (OHP) is not fully elucidated, this study was designed to investigate the effect of exogenous PG s and of indomethacin (a Pg synthesis inhibitor) upon the development and consequences of seizures in rats exposed to OHP (5 ata). In the animals pretreated with PGE2 (1 ng/kg s.c.) pre-seizure time was shortened, lung weight : body weight index increased and symptoms of respiratory failure potentiated, as compared with the control group. Indomethacin (5 mg/kg i.p) prevented the development of seizures and of pulmonary consequences of OHP exposure. Biochemical examination of brains has shown that velocity of free radical oxidation of lipids (reactions manifested by the breakdown of phospholipid fatty acids, mainly unsaturated ones) enhanced by OHP exposure, is further potentiated in rats pretreated with PGE2. Electron microscopic study has shown the alterations similar to those seen in brain ischemia and/or hypoxia, and the magnitude of changes was related to the intensity of symptoms evoked by OHP. The results show that cerebral and pulmonary consequences of OHP exposure are potentiated by exogenous PGE2 and prevented by inhibition of endogenous PG synthesis. This suggests that PGs and/or their active metabolites might be involved in the mechanism of oxygen toxicity during exposure to hyperbaric oxygen.