Iron nitrosyl hemoglobin formation from the reaction of hydroxylamine and hemoglobin under physiological conditions

Sickle cell disease patients receiving hydroxyurea (HU) therapy have shown increases in the production of nitric oxide (NO) metabolites, which include iron nitrosyl hemoglobin (HbNO), nitrite, and nitrate. However, the exact mechanism by which HU forms HbNO in vivo is not understood. Previous studies indicate that the reaction of oxyhemoglobin (oxyHb) or deoxyhemoglobin (deoxyHb) with HU are too slow to account for in vivo HbNO production. In this study, we show that the reaction of methemoglobin (metHb) with HU to form HbNO could potentially be fast enough to account for in vivo HbNO formation but competing reactions of either excess oxyHb or deoxyHb during the reaction reduces the likelihood that HbNO will be produced from the metHb-HU reaction. Using electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy we have detected measurable amounts of HbNO and metHb during the reactions of oxyHb, deoxyHb, and metHb with excess hydroxylamine (HA). We also demonstrate HbNO and metHb formation from the reactions of excess oxyHb, deoxyHb, or metHb and HA, conditions that are more likely to mimic those in vivo. These results indicate that the reaction of hydroxylamine with hemoglobin produces HbNO and lend chemical support for a potential role for hydroxylamine in the in vivo metabolism of hydroxyurea.     

Trapping of nitric oxide produced during denitrification by extracellular hemoglobin

A spectrophotometric method has been developed that uses extracellular hemoglobin (Hb) to trap nitric oxide (NO) released during denitrification as nitrosyl hemoglobin (HbNO). The rate of complexation of NO with Hb is about at the diffusion controlled limit for protein molecules and the product, HbNO, is essentially stable. Hb was added to an anaerobic bacterial suspension and denitrification was initiated with either KNO2 or KNO3. HbNO formation was observed for six species of denitrifying bacteria and showed isosbestic points at 544, 568, and 586 nm. Cellular NO production, presumably by nitrite reductase, was kinetically distinct from the much slower chemical reaction of Hb with KNO2 to form methemoglobin and HbNO. The rate of HbNO formation was proportional to cell density, essentially independent of pH from 6.8 to 7.4, nearly zero order in [Hb] and, at least with Paracoccus denitrificans, strongly inhibited by rotenone and antimycin A. The Cu chelator, diethyldithiocarbamate, had no effect on HbNO formation by Pa. denitrificans, but abolished that by Achromobacter cycloclastes which uses a Cu-containing nitrite reductase known to be inactivated by the chelator. HbNO formation did not occur with non-denitrifying bacteria. The stoichiometry at high [Hb] for conversion of Hb to HbNO was 1.3-1.8 KNO2 per Hb for Pa. denitrificans, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and A. cycloclastes and about 3.4 for Pseudomonas stutzeri. The former range of values corresponds to a partition of about 2 N atoms in 3 toward trapping and 1 in 3 toward reduction on the pathway to N2. Nitrogen not trapped appeared largely as N2O in presence of acetylene. The results are consistent with a model in which NO is a freely diffusible intermediate between nitrite and N2O, providing that nitric oxide reductase is or nearly is a diffusion controlled enzyme.     

An electron paramagnetic resonance investigation of the oxygen dependence of the arterial-venous gradient of nitrosyl hemoglobin in blood circulation

Whether there is a nitrosyl hemoglobin (HbNO) gradient between the venous and the arterial parts of the circulatory system is a very controversial issue in nitric oxide research. We have carefully evaluated the measurement of HbNO concentration in blood using EPR generated in vivo by the NO donor DEANO under various oxygen tensions. We found that the absolute concentrations of HbNO in venous and arterial blood were the same within experimental error, independent of hemoglobin saturation; only the ratios of 5-coordinate and 6-coordinate HbNO differed. The HbNO concentration increased when the oxygen concentration breathed by the rats decreased in a manner that was linear in hemoglobin saturation. These results do not support the existence of an arterial-venous gradient of HbNO under our experimental conditions.     

Nitric oxide binding to oxygenated hemoglobin under physiological conditions.

We have added nitric oxide (NO) to hemoglobin in 0.1 M and 0.01 M phosphate buffers as well as to whole blood, all as a function of hemoglobin oxygen saturation. We found that in all these conditions, the amount of nitrosyl hemoglobin (HbNO) formed follows a model where the rates of HbNO formation and methemoglobin (metHb) formation (via hemoglobin oxidation) are independent of oxygen saturation. These results contradict those of an earlier report where, at least in 0.01 M phosphate, an elevated amount of HbNO was formed at high oxygen saturations. A radical rethink of the reaction of oxyhemoglobin with NO under physiological conditions was called for based on this previous proposition that the primary product is HbNO rather than metHb and nitrate. Our results indicate that no such radical rethink is called for.     

Nitric oxide binding to oxygenated hemoglobin under physiological conditions

We have added nitric oxide (NO) to hemoglobin in 0.1 M and 0.01 M phosphate buffers as well as to whole blood, all as a function of hemoglobin oxygen saturation. We found that in all these conditions, the amount of nitrosyl hemoglobin (HbNO) formed follows a model where the rates of HbNO formation and methemoglobin (metHb) formation (via hemoglobin oxidation) are independent of oxygen saturation. These results contradict those of an earlier report where, at least in 0.01 M phosphate, an elevated amount of HbNO was formed at high oxygen saturations. A radical rethink of the reaction of oxyhemoglobin with NO under physiological conditions was called for based on this previous proposition that the primary product is HbNO rather than metHb and nitrate. Our results indicate that no such radical rethink is called for.     

Electron paramagnetic resonance analysis of nitrosylhemoglobin in humans during NO inhalation

The reactions of nitric oxide with hemoglobin play an important role in explaining the vascular biology of this free radical. It is perhaps surprising that the level of nitrosylhemoglobin (HbNO) in which NO is bound to the ferrous hemoglobin heme in whole human blood under basal and stimulated conditions is a matter of some controversy, with measurements ranging from <1 nm to close to 10 mum. In order to examine HbNO levels in human blood by using EPR spectroscopy, we have developed a regression-based spectral analysis technique that has a detection level of about 200 nm HbNO. We have utilized this methodology to detect the level of HbNO under basal conditions and during NO inhalation. The major findings of this study are as follows. (i) HbNO can be accurately detected and quantified in whole blood with a detection limit of approximately 200 nm. (ii) By using regression analysis, levels of HbNO as low as 0.5-1 mum can be deconvoluted into component species. (iii) HbNO is present at less than 200 nm at basal conditions in both arterial and venous blood and is formed at a level of 0.5-2.5 mum upon inhalation of 80 ppm NO. (iv) The levels of HbNO detected by EPR are remarkably close (within a factor of 2) to those detected by tri-iodide-based chemiluminescence and much smaller than those detected by photolysis chemiluminescence. (v) The half-time of HbNO in vivo is approximately 40 min.     

Detection of nitric oxide production in lipopolysaccharide-treated rats by ESR using carbon monoxide hemoglobin.

Release of nitric oxide (NO), from macrophages activated with E. coli lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and endothelial cells, has been proposed using chemiluminescence and spectrophotometry. However these methods can not distinguish NO from NO2-. The present study was aimed to prove in vivo production of NO, by ESR using CO-hemoglobin (HbCO) as a trapping agent of NO in the peritoneal cavity of rats treated with LPS. We detected a broad signal in the recovered HbCO solution. Inositol hexaphosphate induced a three-line hyperfine structure, characteristic of NO-hemoglobin (HbNO). In the arterial blood, ESR signal of HbNO with faint hyperfine structure was detected. NG-Monomethyl-L-arginine inhibited the formation of HbNO. HbNO was not detected in the peritoneal cavity of the LPS-untreated rat given i.p. both NO2- and HbCO. HbNO was, therefore, derived from NO, not from NO2-. These results show that free NO is produced in vivo by the stimulation of LPS.     

Oxidation of iron-nitrosyl-hemoglobin by dehydroascorbic acid releases nitric oxide to form nitrite in human erythrocytes

The reaction of deoxyhemoglobin with nitric oxide (NO) or nitrite ions (NO 2 (-)) produces iron-nitrosyl-hemoglobin (HbNO) in contrast to the reaction with oxyhemoglobin, which produces methemoglobin and nitrate (NO 3 (-)). HbNO has not been associated with the known bioactivities of NO. We hypothesized that HbNO in erythrocytes could be an important source of bioactive NO/nitrite if its oxidation was coupled to the ascorbic acid (ASC) cycle. Studied by absorption and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy, DHA oxidized HbNO to methemoglobin and liberated NO from HbNO as determined by chemiluminescence. Both DHA and ascorbate free radical (AFR), the intermediate between ASC and DHA, enhanced NO oxidation to nitrite, but not nitrate; nor did either oxidize nitrite to nitrate. DHA increased the basal levels of nitrite in erythrocytes, while the reactions of nitrite with hemoglobin are slow. In erythrocytes loaded with HbNO, HbNO disappeared after DHA addition, and the AFR signal was detected by EPR. We suggest that the ASC-AFR-DHA cycle may be coupled to that of HbNO-nitrite and provide a mechanism for the endocrine transport of NO via hemoglobin within erythrocytes, resulting in the production of intracellular nitrite. Additionally, intracellular nitrite and nitrate seem to be largely generated by independent pathways within the erythrocyte. These data provide a physiologically robust mechanism for erythrocytic transport of NO bioactivity allowing for hormone-like properties.     

Nitrite is an alternative source of NO in vivo

In this study, we investigated whether orally administered nitrite is changed to NO and whether nitrite attenuates hypertension in a dose-dependent manner. We utilized a stable isotope of [15N]nitrite (15NO2-) as a source of nitrite to distinguish between endogenous nitrite and that exogenously administered and measured hemoglobin (Hb)-NO as an index of circulating NO in whole blood using electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy. When 1 mg/kg Na15NO2 was orally administered to rats, an apparent EPR signal derived from Hb15NO (A(Z) = 23.4 gauss) appeared in the blood. The peak blood HbNO concentration occurred at the first measurement after intake (5 min) for treatment with 1 and 3 mg/kg (HbNO: 4.93 +/- 0.52 and 10.58 +/- 0.40 microM, respectively) and at 15 min with 10 mg/kg (HbNO: 38.27 +/- 9.23 microM). In addition, coadministration of nitrite (100 mg/l drinking water) with N(omega)-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME; 1 g/l) for 3 wk significantly attenuated the L-NAME-induced hypertension (149 +/- 10 mmHg) compared with L-NAME alone (170 +/- 13 mmHg). Furthermore, this phenomenon was associated with an increase in circulating HbNO. Our findings clearly indicate that orally ingested nitrite can be an alternative to L-arginine as a source of NO in vivo and may explain, at least in part, the mechanism of the nitrite/nitrate-rich Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension diet-induced hypotensive effects.     

Nitric oxide effect on the hemoglobin-oxygen affinity.

The biological roles of nitric oxide (NO)-hemoglobin (Hb) derivatives are obscure. It is proposed that NO can function as an allosteric regulator of hemoglobin oxygen-binding properties. We aimed to estimate the effects of NO donors and NO-synthase substrate (L-arginine) on hemoglobin-oxygen affinity (HOA) in experiments in vitro with the various ratios between NO formed and Hb and various oxygen pressures. HOA index (p50), blood pH, plasma and red blood cell (RBC) concentrations of nitrite/nitrate and methemoglobin amounts were measured after the experiments. In our experiments, blood incubation with NO donors (glyceryltrinitrate, molsidomine, sodium nitroprusside, S-nitrosocysteine) or NO-synthase substrate (L-arginine) did not change HOA even at NO:Hb ratio of 1:1. At the same time our results showed that oxygenated blood incubation with S-nitrosocysteine induced an oxyhemoglobin dissociation curve shift leftwards. This indicates a leading role of met-Hb in a modification of Hb oxygen-binding properties. However other NO-modified forms of hemoglobin (S-nitroso- and nitrosylhemoglobin) also may be involved in the regulation of HOA. The results obtained indicate that nitric oxide can be the allosteric effector of hemoglobin, increasing or decreasing its oxygen affinity - possibly, through the generation of different NO-Hb derivatives.     

Rates of release of nitric oxide from HbSNO and internal electron transfer

The discovery that hemoglobin (Hb) in erythrocytes contains a fraction of beta-Cys-93 thiols as the nitrosylated derivative (HbSNO) led to the suggestion that this species is involved in transporting and releasing nitric oxide, which is the signal for local vasodilation. The release of NO from HbSNO requires an electron transfer to facilitate release and to regenerate the cysteine thiol via one-electron reduction in the absence of added thiols. An alternative mechanism, which has received much attention, transfers the nitrosyl group to an external thiol, which in turn would have to be reduced. The observed first order rate constant for the spontaneous oxidation of the ferrous heme of deoxy HbSNO is 1.0 x 10(-4)s(-1) in the absence of thiols. Under the same conditions, native Hb is stable. The oxidation of HbSNO occurs with the same rate constant that can be derived for the rate reported for the formation of HbNO from HbSNO. These similarities suggest that both processes involve the same reaction: internal electron transfer and direct release of nitric oxide.     

Active nitric oxide produced in the red cell under hypoxic conditions by deoxyhemoglobin-mediated nitrite reduction

Recent studies have generated a great deal of interest in a possible role for red blood cells in the transport of nitric oxide (NO) to the microcirculation and the vascular effect of this nitric oxide in facilitating the flow of blood through the microcirculation. Many questions have, however, been raised regarding such a mechanism. We have instead identified a completely new mechanism to explain the role of red cells in the delivery of NO to the microcirculation. This new mechanism results in the production of NO in the microcirculation where it is needed. Nitrite produced when NO reacts with oxygen in arterial blood is reutilized in the arterioles when the partial pressure of oxygen decreases and the deoxygenated hemoglobin formed reduces the nitrite regenerating NO. Nitrite reduction by hemoglobin results in a major fraction of the NO generated retained in the intermediate state where NO is bound to Hb(III) and in equilibrium with the nitrosonium cation bound to Hb(II). This pool of NO, unlike Hb(II)NO, is weakly bound and can be released from the heme. The instability of Hb(III)NO in oxygen and its displacement when flushed with argon requires that reliable determinations of red blood cell NO must be performed on freshly lysed samples without permitting the sample to be oxygenated. In fresh blood samples Hb(III)NO accounts for 75% of the red cell NO with appreciably higher values in venous blood than arterial blood. These findings confirm that nitrite reduction at reduced oxygen pressures is a major source for red cell NO. The formation and potential release from the red cell of this NO could have a major impact in regulating the flow of blood through the microcirculation.     

Electrochemical assay for determining nitrosyl derivatives of human hemoglobin: nitrosylhemoglobin and S-nitrosylhemoglobin

Nitric oxide (NO) is an important biological regulator. It can bind to heme iron and form NO+, involved in the synthesis of S-nitrosothiols (-SNOs). NO reacts with human hemoglobin (Hb) to produce the derivatives: S-nitrosylhemoglobin (-SNOHb) and nitrosylhemoglobin (HbNO). At neutral pH values, free NO does not react directly with the -SH groups of Hb. The reductive nitrosylation of Fe(III) heme upon reaction with NO has long been studied, but it is not yet completely known. To quantify the reaction of NO with Hb, we developed a new, sensitive (nanomolar concentration range) electrochemical assay to selectively measure HbNO and -SNOHb. The assay also allows the monitoring of free NO during the reaction with human Fe(III)Hb and Fe(II)HbO(2).     

Leishmania amazonensis infection does not inhibit systemic nitric oxide levels elicited by lipopolysaccharide in vivo

Leishmaniasis is a parasitic disease that leads to chronic inflammation. Macrophages, depending on their activation state, are either hosts or killers of the parasites. Downregulation of nitric oxide (NO) synthesis by the parasite infecting the macrophages has been proposed to be an important evading mechanism based on in vitro studies. We confirmed inhibition of NO release by macrophages infected with Leishmania amazonensis in vitro. To examine the role of the parasite in regulating NO production in vivo, we monitored systemic NO levels elicited by challenging naive and L. amazonensis-infected BALB/c mice with lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Animals were challenged after 1, 2, 6, and 9 wk of infection. NO production was monitored by electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy as the levels of hemoglobin nitrosyl complexes (HbNO) present in the animal's blood. No significant differences in HbNO levels were observed between LPS-treated naive and inoculated mice at any time during infection. To control for increased macrophage numbers in infected mice, naive mice were injected with a macrophage cell line before LPS challenge; this treatment did not increase produced NO levels. The results argue against a major role for the parasite in downregulating NO production in vivo.     

The reaction of deoxy-sickle cell hemoglobin with hydroxyurea.

In addition to its capacity to increase fetal hemoglobin levels, other mechanisms are implicated in hydroxyurea's ability to provide beneficial effects to patients with sickle cell disease. We hypothesize that the reaction of hemoglobin with hydroxyurea may play a role. It is shown that hydroxyurea reacts with deoxy-sickle cell hemoglobin (Hb) to form methemoglobin (metHb) and nitrosyl hemoglobin (HbNO). The products of the reaction as well as the kinetics are followed by absorption spectroscopy and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy. Analysis of the kinetics shows that the reaction can be approximated by a pseudo-first order rate constant of 3.7x10(-4) (1/(s.M)) for the disappearance of deoxy-sickle cell hemoglobin. Further analysis shows that HbNO is formed at an observed average rate of 5.25x10(-5) (1/s), three to four times slower than the rate of formation of metHb. EPR spectroscopy is used to show that the formation of HbNO involves the specific transfer of NO from the NHOH group of hydroxyurea. The potential importance of this reaction is discussed in the context of metHb and HbNO being able to increase the delay time for sickle cell hemoglobin polymerization and HbNO's vasodilating capabilities through conversion to S-nitrosohemoglobin.     

Hemoglobin α in the blood vessel wall

Hemoglobin has been studied and well characterized in red blood cells for over 100 years. However, new work has indicated that the hemoglobin α subunit (Hbα) is also found within the blood vessel wall, where it appears to localize at the myoendothelial junction (MEJ) and plays a role in regulating nitric oxide (NO) signaling between endothelium and smooth muscle. This discovery has created a new paradigm for the control of endothelial nitric oxide synthase activity, nitric oxide diffusion, and, ultimately, vascular tone and blood pressure. This review discusses the current knowledge of hemoglobin׳s properties as a gas exchange molecule in the bloodstream and extrapolates the properties of Hbα biology to the MEJ signaling domain. Specifically, we propose that Hbα is present at the MEJ to regulate NO release and diffusion in a restricted physical space, which would have powerful implications for the regulation of blood flow in peripheral resistance arteries.     

Stabilization of the T-state of human hemoglobin by proflavine, an antiseptic drug.

The effect of proflavine (3,6-diaminoacridine), an antiseptic drug, on the spectroscopic and oxygen binding properties of ferrous human adult hemoglobin (Hb) has been investigated. Upon binding of proflavine to the nitric oxide derivative of ferrous human adult hemoglobin (HbNO), the X-band EPR spectrum displays the characteristics which have been attributed to the T-state of the ligated tetramer. In parallel, oxygen affinity for the deoxygenated derivative of ferrous human adult Hb decreases in the presence of proflavine. The effect of proflavine on the spectroscopic and ligand binding properties of ferrous human adult Hb is reminiscent that of 2,3-D-glycerate bisphosphate, the physiological modulator of Hb action.     

Oxidation and nitrosylation of oxyhemoglobin by S-nitrosoglutathione via nitroxyl anion

The reaction between low molecular weight S-nitrosothiols and hemoglobin is often used to synthesize S-nitrosohemoglobin, a form of hemoglobin suggested to be involved in the regulation of vascular oxygen delivery. However, this reaction has not been studied in detail, and several groups have reported a variable co-formation of oxidized methemoglobin (metHb) during synthesis. This study examines the mechanism of metHb formation and shows that nitrosylhemoglobin (HbNO) can also be formed. Generation of metHb and HbNO is largely dependent on the presence of protein thiol groups. We present evidence for a mechanism for the formation of metHb and HbNO involving the intermediacy of nitroxyl anion. Specifically, the reaction of nitroxyl with S-nitrosothiols to liberate nitric oxide and reduced thiol is proposed to be central to the reaction mechanism.     

Effect of bezafibrate and clofibric acid on the spectroscopic properties of the nitric oxide derivative of ferrous human hemoglobin.

The effect of bezafibrate (BZF) and clofibric acid (CFA) on the spectroscopic (EPR and absorbance) properties of the nitric oxide derivative of ferrous human hemoglobin (HbNO) has been investigated quantitatively. In the presence of BZF and CFA, the X-band EPR spectra and the absorption spectra in the Soret region of HbNO display the same basic characteristics described in the presence of inositol hexakisphosphate (IHP) and 2, 3-diphosphoglycerate (2,3-DPG). Next, in the presence of these allosteric effectors, the oxygen affinity for ferrous human hemoglobin (Hb) is reduced. These findings indicate that BZF and CFA, as already reported for IHP and 2, 3-DPG, induce the stabilization of a low affinity conformation of the ligated hemoprotein (i.e., HbNO). Values of the apparent equilibrium constant for BZF and CFA binding to HbNO (K) are 1.5(+/- 0.2) x 10(-2) M and 2.8(+/- 0.3) x 10(-2) M, respectively, at pH 7.0 (in 0.1 M N-[2-hydroxyethyl]piperazine-N'-[2-ethanesulfonic acid]/NaOH buffer system plus 0.1 M NaCl) and 20 degrees C. The results reported here represent clearcut evidence for BZF and CFA specific (i.e., functionally relevant) binding to a ligated derivative of Hb (i.e., HbNO).     

Cooperative effect of inositol hexakisphosphate, bezafibrate, and clofibric acid on the spectroscopic properties of the nitric oxide derivative of ferrous human hemoglobin

The cooperative effect of inositol hexakisphosphate (IHP), bezafibrate (BZF), and clofibric acid (CFA) on the spectroscopic (EPR and absorbance) properties of the nitric oxide derivative of ferrous human hemoglobin (HbNO) has been investigated quantitatively. In the presence of IHP, BZF, and CFA, the X-band EPR spectra and the absorption spectra in the Soret region of HbNO display the same basic characteristics described in the presence of 2,3-diphosphoglycerate (2,3-DPG), which have been attributed to a low affinity conformation of the tetramer. Addition to HbNO of two allosteric effectors together (such as IHP and BZF, or IHP and CFA) further stabilizes the low affinity conformation of the ligated hemoprotein (i.e., HbNO). Moreover, in the presence of saturating amounts of IHP, the affinity of BZF and CFA for HbNO increases by about fifteenfold. Likewise, in the presence of both IHP and BZF, as well as in IHP and CFA, the oxygen affinity for ferrous human hemoglobin (Hb) is reduced with respect to that observed in the presence of IHP, BZF, or CFA alone, which in turn is lower than that reported in the absence of any allosteric effector. All the data were obtained at pH 7.0 (in 1.0 × 10⁻¹ M N-[2-hydroxyethyl]piperazine-N′-[2-ethanesulfonic acid]/NaOH buffer system plus 1.0 × 10⁻¹ M NaCl), as well as at 100 K and/or 20°C. The results here reported represent clearcut evidence for the cooperative and specific (i.e., functionally relevant) binding of IHP, BZF, and CFA to Hb.