The lipid peroxidation model for halogenated hydrocarbon toxicity. Kinetics of peroxyl radical processes involving fatty acids and Fe(III) porphyrins

tert-Butyl Hydroperoxide (tBHP)-Induced Lipid Peroxidation and Embryonic Defects Resemble Glucose-6-Phosphate Dehydrogenase (G6PD) Deficiency in C. elegans

G6PD is required for embryonic development in animals, as severe G6PD deficiency is lethal to mice, zebrafish and nematode. Lipid peroxidation is linked to membrane-associated embryonic defects in Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans). However, the direct link between lipid peroxidation and embryonic lethality has not been established. The aim of this study was to delineate the role of lipid peroxidation in gspd-1-knockdown (ortholog of g6pd) C. elegans during reproduction. tert-butyl hydroperoxide (tBHP) was used as an exogenous inducer. Short-term tBHP administration reduced brood size and enhanced germ cell death in C. elegans. The altered phenotypes caused by tBHP resembled GSPD-1 deficiency in C. elegans. Mechanistically, tBHP-induced malondialdehyde (MDA) production and stimulated calcium-independent phospholipase A₂ (iPLA) activity, leading to disturbed oogenesis and embryogenesis. The current study provides strong evidence to support the notion that enhanced lipid peroxidation in G6PD deficiency promotes death of germ cells and impairs embryogenesis in C. elegans.

Antioxidant activity of NADH and its analogue--an in vitro study

The antioxidant activities of NADH and of its analogue, 1,4-dihydro-2,6-dimethyl-3,5-dicarbethoxy-pyridine (PyH(2)), were evaluated in vitro. NADH was found to be oxidized by the peroxyl radical derived from 2,2-azobis-(2-amidinopropane) dihydrochloride (AAPH) decomposition, in a pH-dependent manner. Both NADH and PyH(2) inhibited the peroxidation of egg yolk lecithin (EYL) liposomes, although PyH(2) was more effective than NADH when 2,2'-azobis-4-methoxy-2,4-dimethyl-valeronitrile (methoxy-AMVN) was employed to induce EYL liposome peroxidation. The antioxidant activities of NADH and PyH(2) were also evaluated by measuring their influences on 1,3-diphenylisobenzofuran (DPBF) fluorescence decay in the presence of peroxyl radicals. NADH and PyH(2) were much more effective at inhibiting DPBF quenching in Triton X-100 micelles than in liposomes. These results indicate that NADH can inhibit lipid peroxidation despite being hydrophilic. Nevertheless, membrane penetration is an important factor and limits its antioxidant activity.

Evidence for a lack of reactivity of carotenoid addition radicals towards oxygen: a laser flash photolysis study of the reactions of carotenoids with acylperoxyl radicals in polar and non-polar solvents

In this paper, we report the results of a laser flash photolysis study of the reactions of a range of carotenoids with acylperoxyl radicals in polar and nonpolar solvents. The results show, for the first time, that carotenoid addition radicals do not react with oxygen to form carotenoid peroxyl radicals; an observation which is of significance in relation to antioxidant/pro-oxidant properties of carotenoids. Acylperoxyl radicals, generated by photolysis of ketone precursors in oxygenated solvents, display high reactivity toward carotenoids in both polar and nonpolar solvents, but the nature of the carotenoid radicals formed is dependent on solvent polarity. In hexane, acylperoxyl radicals react with carotenoids with rate constants in the region of 10(9) M(-1) s(-1) and give rise to transient absorption changes in the visible region that are attributed to the formation of addition radicals. All of the carotenoids show bleaching in the region of ground-state absorption and, with the exception of 7,7'-dihydro-beta-carotene (77DH), no distinct absorption features due to addition radicals are observed beyond the ground state absorption region. For 77DH, the addition radical displays an absorption band that is spectrally resolved from the parent carotenoid absorption. The rate of decay of the 77DH addition radical is unaffected by oxygen in the concentration range 10(-4)-10(-2) M, suggesting that these resonance-stabilized carbon-centered radicals are not scavenged by oxygen. At low incident laser intensities, the 77DH addition radical decay kinetics are 1st order with k(1) approximately 4 x 10(3) s(-1) at room temperature. The 1st order decay is attributed to an intramolecular cyclization process, which is supported by the substantial negative entropies of activation obtained from measurements of the decay rate constants for different 77DH addition radicals as a function of temperature. No transient absorption features are observed in the red or near-infrared regions in hexane for any of the carotenoids studied. In polar solvents such as methanol, acylperoxyl radicals also react with carotenoids with rate constants in the region of 10(9) M(-1) s(-1), but give rise to transient absorption changes in both the visible and the red/near-infrared regions, where it is evident that there are two distinct species. For 77DH, the addition radical absorption around 450 nm is still evident, although its kinetic behavior differs from its behavior in hexane. For 77DH and zeta-carotene (zeta-CAR) the spectral and kinetic resolution of the various absorption bands simplifies kinetic analysis. The kinetic evidence suggests that addition radical formation precedes formation of the two near-infrared absorbing species, and that the kinetics of the addition radical decay match the kinetics of formation of the first of these species (NIR1, absorbing at shorter wavelengths). The decay of NIR1 leads to NIR2, which is attributed to the carotenoid radical cation. The solvent dielectric constant dependence of the relative amounts of NIR1 and NIR2 formed leads us to speculate that NIR1 is an ion-pair. However, an alternative assignment for NIR1 is an isomer of the radical cation. The results, in terms of the pattern of reactivity the carotenoids display and of the properties of the carotenoid radicals formed, are discussed in relation to the antioxidant/pro-oxidant properties of carotenoids.

Interaction of hydroxycinnamic acid derivatives with the Cl3COO radical: a pulse radiolysis study

The electron transfer reactions between the trichloromethylperoxyl radical (Cl3COO*) and hydroxycinnamic acid derivatives, including chlorogenic acid, sinapic acid, caffeic acid, ferulic acid and 3,4-(methylenedioxy)cinnamic acid, have been studied by pulse radiolysis. The hydroxycinnamic acid derivatives, especially sinapic acid, are identified as good antioxidants for reduction of Cl3COO* via electron transfer reactions. From buildup kinetic analysis of phenoxyl radical, the rate constant for reaction of Cl3COO* with sinapic acid has been determined to be 8.2x10(7) dm3 mol(-1) s(-1), while the rate constants of electron transfer from other hydroxycinnamic acid derivatives to Cl3COO* were obtained to be about 2x10(7) dm3 mol(-1) s(-1). The reaction of 3,4-(methylenedioxy) cinnamic acid with Cl3COO* was investigated as an evidence for the electron transfer mechanism.

Determination of free malonaldehyde formed in liver microsomes upon CCl4 oxidation

Free malonaldehyde formed in the microsomes prepared from livers of monkey, rat, rabbit, mouse, cow, pig, dog, sheep and horse upon CCl4 oxidation was derivatized by reaction with N-methylhydrazine to form 1-methylpyrazole which was subsequently analyzed by capillary gas chromatography. Among the livers from animals tested, the monkey and rat livers produced the most malonaldehyde upon CCl4 treatment. Horse liver showed the greatest resistance to CCl4 oxidation. The gas chromatography method used in the present study exhibited an accurate and specific measurement of free malonaldehyde that might provide an understanding of the biochemical process of in vitro lipid peroxidation.

Gas chromatographic determination of vapor-phase biomarkers formed from rats dosed with CCl4

Sprague-Dawley rats dosed with CCl4 (3 ml kg-1) were placed in a glass chamber through which air was passed continuously at a rate of 60 ml min-1. Volatile aldehydes and ketones in expired air from rats were derivatized to thiazolidines by passing the effluent gas stream through an aqueous cysteamine solution. The thiazolidine derivatives were then extracted and analyzed by gas chromatography with a nitrogen-phosphorus detector and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. The compounds identified were formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, acetone and formyl chloride. There were no appreciable differences in levels of formaldehyde and acetaldehyde between CCl4-dosed rats and control rats, whereas the levels of acetone in CCl4-dosed rats showed an increase compared to those in control rats. Results suggest that acetone is the major volatile carbonyl compound produced following acute doses of CCl4. Results of thiobarbituric acid assay on the livers from a control rat and a CCl4-dosed rat did not show any appreciable differences.

Oxidation of polyunsaturated fatty acids and lipids through thiyl and sulfonyl radicals: reaction kinetics, and influence of oxygen and structure of thiyl radicals

Thiyl free radicals have been shown to react with polyunsaturated fatty acids via abstraction of bisallylic hydrogen, forming pentadienyl radicals, and via addition to the double bonds. In the absence of oxygen, the latter pathway leads to regeneration of thiyl radicals through beta-elimination or "repair" of the adduct radicals by thiols. In the presence of oxygen, fixation of thiyl-induced damage occurs through reaction of O2 with the pentadienyl radical (yielding conjugated dienyl peroxyl radicals) and also with the thiyl-to-double bond adduct radical. A quantitative reaction scheme evaluated from these data considers abstraction, addition, rearrangement, and repair reactions, and the evaluation of rate constants for the individual steps. Absolute rate constants have been measured, in particular, for reactions of thiyl free radicals from glutathione, cysteine, homocysteine, N-acetylcysteine, cysteine ethyl ester, penicillamine, captopril, mercaptoethanol, and dithiothreitol with polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) ranging from 18:2 to 22:6, and the lipids trilinolein and trilinolenin. The rate constants for hydrogen abstraction were found to be typically of the order of 10(7) mol-1 dm3 s-1 and to increase with increasing lipophilicity of the attacking thiyl radical. Thioperoxyl radicals, RSOO., were found to be rather unreactive toward PUFAs, in contrast to the isomer sulfonyl radicals, RSO2., which not only abstract hydrogen from the bisallylic methylene groups of the PUFAs (although only at relatively small yield) but also readily add to the PUFA double bonds (major pathway). Specific information was obtained on the optical properties of the thiyl radical derived from the ACE inhibitor captopril, CpS. (lambda max = 340 nm, epsilon = 460 +/- 50 mol-1 dm3 cm-1), and its conjugate disulfide radical anion (CpS:.SCp) (lambda max = 420 nm).

Potentiating effects of chlorinated hydrocarbons on carbon tetrachloride toxicity in isolated rat hepatocytes and plasma membranes

A number of chemicals are known to potentiate the hepatotoxicity of carbon tetrachloride. The halocarbon trichloroethylene was shown in a previous study to enhance both carbon tetrachloride-induced toxicity and lipid peroxidation in isolated hepatocytes. In this study three other chlorocarbons have been investigated in order to determine whether this interaction was peculiar to trichloroethylene or common to chlorinated solvents. Hepatocyte suspensions were exposed to carbon tetrachloride at subthreshold levels of toxicity and various concentrations of 1,1,1-trichloroethane, tetrachloroethylene, and chloroform over an eightfold concentration range. Plasma membrane preparations were exposed to tetrachloroethylene and carbon tetrachloride and effects on Mg(2+)- and Na(+)-K(+)-ATPase activities determined. None of the treatments alone caused statistically significant toxicity. Combined treatments resulted in toxicity as demonstrated by potassium ion, alanine aminotransferase, and lactate dehydrogenase leakage from the cells on coincubation of carbon tetrachloride with each of the other halocarbons studied. Only tetrachloroethylene and chloroform were found to potentiate lipid peroxidation, however. In liver plasma membranes no changes in Na(+)-K(+)-ATPase were observed with any of the treatments and only the highest dose of tetrachloroethylene was able to inhibit Mg(2+)-ATPase activity. There was no increase in this inhibition on coincubation with carbon tetrachloride, which does not support involvement of ATPases in combined halocarbon toxicity. In conclusion, the data suggest a mechanism of action common to this class of chemical although its specific nature remains to be established.

Free radical modification of prosthetic heme groups

Hemoproteins catalyze reductive and oxidative one-electron transformations. Not infrequently, the radicals produced by these one-electron reactions add to the prosthetic heme group of the enzyme and modify or terminate its catalytic function. Reactions of the radicals with the heme group include additions to the iron atom, pyrrole nitrogens, pyrrole carbons, vinyl groups, and meso carbons. The radicals involved in these reactions derive from the oxidizing agent, the substrate, or the amino acid residues of the catalytic site. The mechanism by which the radicals are generated, their steric and electronic properties, and the extent to which they have access to the heme group determine the nature and regiospecificity of the reaction. The reaction of heme prosthetic groups with radicals is relevant to the inhibition of hemoprotein enzymes, the normal and pathological degradation of heme, and our understanding of hemoprotein function.

The formation and structure of the sulfoxyl radicals RSO(.), RSOO(.), RSO2(.), and RSO2OO(.) from the reaction of cysteine, glutathione and penicillamine thiyl radicals with molecular oxygen

This work reports an electron spin resonance study of the reactions of cysteine, glutathione and penicillamine thiyl radicals with molecular oxygen in frozen aqueous solutions at low temperatures. For all three thiols, the thiyl radical, RS., is found to react with oxygen to form the thiol peroxyl radical, RSOO(.). On the absorption of visible light, RSOO(.) photoisomerizes to the sulfonyl radical, RSO2(.), which subsequently reacts with molecular oxygen to form RSO2OO(.), the sulfonyl peroxyl radical. The identities of the sulfonyl and sulfonyl peroxyl radicals were confirmed by their production by a different route, from sulfinic acid. Sulfinyl radicals, RSO(.), are found as the final radical species in the reactions of thiyl radicals and oxygen. Parallel 17O hyperfine couplings (A parallel) are reported for each sulfoxyl radical and a correlation between the spin density on oxygen and the reactivity of the radical is suggested. As a result of this correlation sulfonyl peroxyl radicals are predicted to be far more reactive than thiol peroxyl radicals. We also report molecular orbital calculations on the nature of the spin density distribution and the molecular geometry of the model radicals CH3SO2(.) and CH3SO2OO(.).

Rate constants for one-electron oxidation by the CF3O2., CCl3O2., and CBr3O2. radicals in aqueous solutions

The peroxyl radicals CF3O2., CCl3O2. and CBr3O2. were produced by radiolysis of aerated aqueous-alcohol solutions of CF3Br, CF3Cl, CCl4 or CBr4. Kinetic spectrophotometric pulse radiolysis experiments were carried out in the presence of various substrates: urate, ascorbate, xanthine, hydroquinone, p-methoxyphenol, phenol and chlorpromazine. Absolute rate constants for one-electron oxidation of these substrates by the alkylperoxyl radicals were found to vary from less than 10(5) to greater than 10(9) M-1 s-1, depending to some extent on the redox potential of the substrate. For all substrates the order of reactivity was CF3O2. greater than CBr3O2. greater than CCl3O2. . Because of its high reactivity, CF3O2., may have deleterious effects on biological systems. Its likely environmental precursor, CF3Br, which is used as a fire extinguisher and a refrigerant, was found to be reduced by a ferrous porphyrin model for cytochrome P-450 only very slowly and thus is not expected to have a major toxic effect if inhaled.