The NADPH:O2 oxidoreductase of human neutrophils. Stoichiometry of univalent and divalent reduction of O2

Impacts of vesicular environment on Nox2 activity measurements in vitro

BACKGROUND

The production of superoxide anions (O₂^•-) by the phagocyte NADPH oxidase complex has a crucial role in the destruction of pathogens in innate immunity. Majority of in vitro studies on the functioning of NADPH oxidase indirectly follows the enzymatic reaction by the superoxide reduction of cytochrome c (cyt c). Only few reports mention the alternative approach consisting in measuring the NADPH consumption rate. When using membrane vesicles of human neutrophils, the enzyme specific activity is generally found twice higher by monitoring the NADPH oxidation than by measuring the cyt c reduction. Up to now, the literature provides only little explanations about such discrepancy despite the critical importance to quantify the exact enzyme activity.

METHODS

We deciphered the reasons of this disparity in studying the role of key parameters, including. cyt c and arachidonic acid concentrations, in conjunction with an ionophore, a detergent and using Clark electrode to measure the O₂ consumption rates.

RESULTS

Our results show that the O₂^•- low permeability of the vesicle membrane as well as secondary reactions (O₂^•- and H₂O₂ disproportionations) are strong clues to shed light on this inconsistency.

CONCLUSION AND GENERAL SIGNIFICANCE

These results altogether indicate that the cyt c reduction method underestimates the accurate Nox2 activity.

Human spermicidal activity of inorganic and organic oxidants

OBJECTIVE

To identify prospective oxidants that rapidly immobilize human sperm upon contact with human semen.

DESIGN

Inorganic, organic, and enzymatically-generated oxidants were mixed with human semen and spermicidal activity was tracked by a modified Sander-Cramer assay.

SETTING

Commercial and university-based laboratories.

PATIENT(S)

Semen samples obtained through a university-based andrology laboratory.

INTERVENTION(S)

Not applicable.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S)

Quantitation of spermicidal activity of test oxidants.

RESULT(S)

Sperm lost motility within 20 seconds of exposure to enzymatically generated free iodine (I(2)). Toluidine blue, phenazine methosulfate, or methylene blue exhibited some, albeit much less, spermicidal activity. Oxidants formed by mixing ascorbic acid with Fe(III)-EDTA, xanthine with xanthine oxidase, or by exposing sperm to the nitric oxide generator, SIN-1 (3-morpholinosydnonimine hydrochloride), were far less potent spermicidal agents.

CONCLUSION(S)

Free I(2) formed in situ and presented to semen is an extremely potent spermicide. Additional studies on methods of generating de novo I(2) may be beneficial in developing a novel new class of nondetergent-based spermicides.

Aerobic and anaerobic functioning of superoxide-producing cytochrome b-559 reconstituted with phospholipids

Cytochrome b-559 reconstituted with phospholipids and FAD represents the simplest model of the respiratory burst NADPH oxidase and reproduces the main catalytic features of this system (Koshkin, V. and Pick, E. (1993) FEBS Lett. 327, 57-62; (1994) FEBS Lett. 338, 285-289). In the present report it is shown that activation by oxygen, characteristic of the NADPH oxidase complex, is an intrinsic property of flavocytochrome b-559, in principle independent of its complexation with the other components of NADPH oxidase. Facilitation of electron transfer from NADPH to FAD is found to be the reason for this phenomenon. Kinetic studies of anaerobic operation of flavocytochrome b-559 revealed the functional heterogeneity of two hemes, manifested as a dramatic difference in their reducibility under these conditions.

Is aspirin a prodrug for antioxidant and cytokine-modulating oxymetabolites?

Aspirin and salicylate are transformed by stimulated human polymorphonuclear leucocytes (PMN), likely to be found at inflammatory sites, into both 2,3- and 2,5-dihydroxybenzoates (DHB). These DHB inhibit both the production of hydrogen peroxide by stimulated human PMN and prostaglandin (PG) E2 by activated rat macrophages. In contrast, DHB stimulated production of interleukin (IL)-1 and tumour necrosis factor (TNF) but inhibited IL-6 production by rat macrophages. These effects were probably a consequence of PGE2 inhibition. Gentisate (2,5-DHB) and homogentisate (a tyrosine metabolite) inhibited the lymphoproliferative action of IL-1. Some related phenols, e.g. 5-aminosalicylate, inhibited H2O2 production but had little effect on PGE2 production. These findings suggest that the local synthesis of DHB may contribute to the overall anti-inflammatory activity of salicylate, which (unlike aspirin) has little direct effect on PG production.

Sensitivity of Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans and Haemophilus aphrophilus to oxidative killing

We examined the killing of Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans and Haemophilus aphrophilus by oxygen metabolites generated by the xanthine-xanthine oxidase (X-XO) system. This system generates a mixture of oxidants, including superoxide radical, hydrogen peroxide, hydroxyl radical, and possibly singlet oxygen. Differential sensitivity to the X-XO system was observed among strains of A. actinomycetemcomitans; notably, 2 catalase-deficient strains and 2 strains representative of serotypes b and c were the most susceptible. H. aphrophilus was not sensitive. The amount of oxidants produced by the X-XO system more closely correlated with killing than the ratio of oxidant production. Cytochrome c, superoxide dismutase, catalase, dimethyl sulfoxide, and desferrioxamine were used to determine the role of superoxide radical, hydrogen peroxide and hydroxyl radical in the bactericidal process. Hydrogen peroxide was the major bactericidal agent against A. actinomycetemcomitans. Superoxide anion participated in killing of A. actinomycetemcomitans to varying but lesser degrees. The intracellular generation of hydroxyl radical was implicated in the killing of several strains. We conclude that (i) strains of A. actinomycetemcomitans are differentially sensitive to the bactericidal effects of the X-XO system and (ii) of the oxidants produced by the X-XO system, hydrogen peroxide is the most bactericidal against A. actinomycetemcomitans.

Superoxide production by respiring membranes of Escherichia coli

O2- production by homogenates and isolated membranes of E. coli has been examined. Approximately one-fourth of the O2- generated by extracts in the presence of NAD (P) H is attributable to the membranes. The autoxidizable membrane component is a member of the respiratory chain, since O2- production is NADH-specific, amplified by cyanide, and absent from membranes lacking the respiratory NADH dehydrogenase. Other respiratory substrates (succinate, 1-phosphoglycerol, D-lactate, and L-lactate) supported O2-production at efficiencies between 3 and 30 O2- released per 10,000 electrons transferred, under conditions of substrate saturation. Membranes from quinoneless mutants quantitatively retain the ability to evolve O2-, indicating that the dehydrogenases are the sites of O2- production. Relative O2- production was greater at low substrate concentrations, probably reflecting the facilitation of unpairing of electrons that may occur when enzymes with multiple redox centers are only partially reduced. Respiration rate, cell volume, rates of membraneous and cytosolic O2- production, and SOD levels were used to calculate a steady-state concentration of O2- between 10(-10) and 10(-9) M in well-fed, aerobic, SOD-proficient cells.

Altered O2-/H2O2 production ratio by in vitro and in vivo primed human neutrophils

Human neutrophils were primed by exudation or pretreatment with a synthetic diacylglycerol (diC10), the Ca2+ ionophore ionomycin or lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Compared to control cells, these primed cells showed a significantly decreased O2-/H2O2 ratio when stimulated with formylmethionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine (FMLP). This shift indicates a comparative (and net) increased H2O2 detection in the extracellular medium and can not be explained by a dose-dependent impairment in either O2- or H2O2 detecting capacity. An altered H2O2 degenerating capacity was not observed in the primed cells. We propose that priming enhances the capacity to divalently reduce oxygen and thereby directly produce H2O2.

Effects of low molecular constituents from Aloe vera gel on oxidative metabolism and cytotoxic and bactericidal activities of human neutrophils

In traditional South-East Asian medicine the therapeutic value of the parenchymous leaf-gel of Aloe vera for inflammatory-based diseases is well-reputed. The aim of this study is to investigate at which level gel-constituents exert their activity. We show here that low -Mr constituents of an aqueous gel-extract inhibit the release of reactive oxygen species (ROS) by PMA-stimulated human PMN. The compounds inhibit the ROS-dependent extracellular effects of PMN such as lysis of red blood cells. The capacity of the PMN to phagocytose and kill micro-organisms at the intracellular level is not affected. The inhibitory activity of the low-Mr compounds is most pronounced in the PMA-induced ROS production, but is significantly antagonized by the Ca-ionophore A23187. It is shown that the inhibitory effect of the low-Mr compounds is the indirect result of the diminished availability of intracellular free Ca-ions.

Leukocytic oxygen activation and microbicidal oxidative toxins

Following a brief introduction of cellular response to stimulation comprising leukocyte activation, three major areas are discussed: (1) the neutrophil oxidase; (2) myeloperoxidase (MPO)-dependent oxidative microbicidal reactions; and (3) MPO-independent oxidative reactions. Topics included in section (A) are current views on the activation mechanism, redox composition, structural and topographic organization of the oxidase, and its respiratory products. In section (B), emphasis is placed on recent research on cidal mechanisms of HOCl, including the oxidative biochemistry of active chlorine compounds, identification of sites of lesions in bacteria, and attendant metabolic consequences. In section (C), we review the (bio)chemistry of H2O2 and .OH microbicidal reactions, with particular attention being given to addressing the controversial issue of probe methods to identify .OH radical and critical assessment of the recent proposal that MPO-independent killing arises from site-specific metal-catalyzed Fenton-type chemistry.

The superoxide-forming enzymatic system of phagocytes

The formation of oxygen-derived free radicals by the phagocytes (neutrophils, eosinophils, monocytes and macrophages) is catalysed by a membrane-bound NADPH oxidase which is dormant in resting cells and becomes activated during phagocytosis or following interaction of the cells with suitable soluble stimulants. This enzyme is under investigation in many laboratories but its molecular structure remains to be clarified. Possible components such as flavoproteins, cytochrome b558, and quinones have been proposed on the basis of enzyme purification studies, effects of inhibitors, kinetic properties and analysis of genetic defects of the oxidase. An extensive discussion of the evidence for the participation of these constituents is reported. On the basis of the available information on the structure and the catalytic properties of the NADPH oxidase, a series of possible models of the electron-transport chain from NADPH to O2 is presented. Finally, the triggering mechanism of the respiratory burst is discussed, with particular reference to the stimulus-response coupling and the final modification(s) of the oxidase (phosphorylation, assembly, change of lipid environment, etc.) which are involved in its activation.

A reassessment of the product specificity of the NADPH:O2 oxidoreductase of human neutrophils

Native ferricytochrome c, but not acetylated ferricytochrome c, stimulates the flow of electron equivalents passing through the neutrophil NADPH:O2 oxidoreductase complex. At 28 mM it increases NADPH oxidase activity by 157 +/- 15% (n = 5) over that measured in its absence. Enhanced activity is predominantly seen in oxidoreductase-rich 27,000 X g membrane preparations obtained from phorbol myristate acetate activated cells. Superoxide formation is also enhanced. Although some of the stimulatory activity seen with addition of native ferricytochrome c to oxidoreductase-rich membrane suspensions might have been explained in terms of mitochondrial contamination, this was ruled out. Comparable membrane preparations from resting cells were devoid of NADPH oxidase activity. Azide, a well-known inhibitor of the electron transport chain, did not block the enhancing effect of native ferricytochrome c. These results indicate that native ferricytochrome c is not a suitable scavenger of superoxide in quantitating the product specificity of the oxidoreductase since it amplifies the apparent rate of superoxide formation with respect to measured rates of NADPH oxidation conducted in its absence. By using acetylated ferricytochrome c in place of native ferricytochrome c in quantitating the product specificity of the oxidoreductase we show that no more than 70% of the electron equivalents donated by NADPH to the oxidoreductase are involved in superoxide formation. The remaining 30% of the electron equivalents given up by NADPH to the oxidoreductase appear to be involved in direct formation of hydrogen peroxide.