The effect of EDTA and iron on the oxidation of hydroxyl radical scavenging agents and ethanol by rat liver microsomes

Rat liver microsomes catalyzed an NADPH-dependent oxidation of dimethylsulfoxide, 2-keto-4-thiomethylbutyrate and ethanol. The addition of EDTA and iron (ferric)-EDTA increased the oxidation of the hydroxyl radical scavenging agents and ethanol. Unchelated iron had no effect; therefore, appropriately chelated iron is required to stimulate microsomal production of hydroxyl radicals. Catalase strongly inhibited control rates as well as EDTA or iron-EDTA stimulated rates of hydroxyl radical production whereas superoxide dismutase had no effect. The rate of ethanol oxidation was ten- to twenty-fold greater than the rate of oxidation of hydroxyl radical scavengers in the absence of EDTA or iron-EDTA, suggesting little contribution by hydroxyl radicals in the pathway of ethanol oxidation. In the presence of EDTA or iron-EDTA, the rate of ethanol oxidation increased, and under these conditions, hydroxyl radicals appear to play a more significant role in contributing toward the overall oxidation of ethanol.     

Organic hydroperoxide-dependent oxidation of ethanol by microsomes: lack of a role for free hydroxyl radicals

Organic hydroperoxides can replace NADPH in supporting the oxidation of ethanol by liver microsomes. Experiments were carried out to evaluate the role of hydroxyl radicals in the organic hydroperoxide-catalyzed reaction. Maximum rates of ethanol oxidation occurred in the presence of either 0.5 mM cumene hydroperoxide or 2.5 mM t-butyl hydroperoxide and were linear for 2 to 4 min. The Km for ethanol was about 12 mM and Vmax was about 8 nmol ethanol oxidized/min/mg microsomal protein. Besides ethanol, the organic hydroperoxides supported the oxidation of longer-chain alcohols (1-butanol), and secondary alcohols (isopropanol). The organic hydroperoxide-supported oxidation of alcohols was not affected by several hydroxyl-radical scavengers such as dimethylsulfoxide, mannitol, or 2-keto-4-thiomethylbutyrate which blocked NADPH-dependent oxidation of alcohols by 50% or more. Iron-EDTA, which increases the production of hydroxyl radicals, increased the NADPH-dependent oxidation of ethanol, whereas desferrioxamine, which blocks the production of hydroxyl radicals, inhibited the NADPH-dependent oxidation of ethanol. Neither iron-EDTA nor desferrioxamine had any effect on the organic hydroperoxide-supported oxidation of ethanol. Cumene-and t-butyl hydroperoxide did not support microsomal oxidation of hydroxyl-radical scavengers. These results suggest that, in contrast to the NADPH-dependent oxidation of ethanol, free-hydroxyl radicals do not play a role in the organic hydroperoxide-dependent oxidation of ethanol by microsomes. Ethanol appears to be oxidized by two pathways in microsomes, one which is dependent on hydroxyl radicals, and the other which appears to be independent of these oxygen radicals.     

Microsomal interactions between iron, paraquat, and menadione: effect on hydroxyl radical production and alcohol oxidation

The addition of menadione or paraquat to rat liver microsomes resulted in about a threefold increase in the production of hydroxyl radical (.OH) as reflected by the increased oxidation of 2-keto-4-thiomethylbutyric acid (KMBA) to ethylene. This increase was not sensitive to superoxide dismutase but was blocked by catalase. The increase occurred in the absence of added iron and was not affected by the potent iron chelating agent, desferrioxamine, which suggests the possibility that .OH was produced from an interaction between H2O2 and the paraquat or menadione radical. Menadione and paraquat were especially effective in stimulating the oxidation of KMBA in the presence of certain iron chelates such as ferric-ADP, -ATP, or -EDTA, but not ferric-desferrioxamine, -citrate, or -histidine, or unchelated iron. In fact, ferric-ADP or -ATP only stimulated .OH production in the presence of menadione or paraquat. In the presence of ferric-EDTA, the greater than additive increase of .OH production was sensitive to catalase, but not to superoxide dismutase, suggesting the possibility of reduction of ferric-EDTA by paraquat or menadione radical. The interactions with ferric adenine nucleotides may increase the catalytic effectiveness of menadione or paraquat in producing potent oxidants such as the hydroxyl radical, and thus play a role in the toxicity associated with these agents. Paraquat and menadione had little effect on the overall oxidation of ethanol by microsomes. Microsomal drug metabolism was decreased by menadione or paraquat. As a consequence, the effect of these agents on the microsomal oxidation of ethanol was complex since it appeared that paraquat and menadione stimulated the oxidation of ethanol by a .OH-dependent mechanism, but inhibited the oxidation of ethanol by a cytochrome P-450-dependent oxidation pathway. Experiments with carbon monoxide, ferric-EDTA, and 2-butanol plus catalase tended to verify that microsomal oxidation of alcohols was increased by a .OH-dependent pathway when menadione or paraquat were added to microsomes.     

The role of iron chelates in hydroxyl radical production by rat liver microsomes,NADPH-cytochrome P-450 reductase and xanthine oxidase

Uninduced rat liver microsomes and NADPH-Cytochrome P-450 reductase, purified from phenobarbital-treated rats, catalyzed an NADPH-dependent oxidation of hydroxyl radical scavenging agents. This oxidation was not stimulated by the addition of ferric ammonium sulfate, ferric citrate, or ferric-adenine nucleotide (AMP, ADP, ATP) chelates. Striking stimulation was observed when ferric-EDTA or ferric-diethylenetriamine pentaacetic acid (DTPA) was added. The iron-EDTA and iron-DTPA chelates, but not unchelated iron, iron-citrate or iron-nucleotide chelates, stimulated the oxidation of NADPH by the reductase in the absence as well as in the presence of phenobarbital-inducible cytochrome P-450. Thus, the iron chelates which promoted NADPH oxidation by the reductase were the only chelates which stimulated oxidation of hydroxyl radical scavengers by reductase and microsomes. The oxidation of aminopyrine, a typical drug substrate, was slightly stimulated by the addition of iron-EDTA or iron-DTPA to the microsomes. Catalase inhibited potently the oxidation of scavengers under all conditions, suggesting that H₂O₂ was the precursor of the hydroxyl radical in these systems. Very high amounts of superoxide dismutase had little effect on the iron-EDTA-stimulated rate of scavenger oxidation, whereas the iron-DTPA-stimulated rate was inhibited by 30 or 50% in microsomes or reductase, respectively. This suggests that the iron-EDTA and iron-DTPA chelates can be reduced directly by the reductase to the ferrous chelates, which subsequently interact with H₂O₂ in a Fenton-type reaction. Results with the reductase and microsomal systems should be contrasted with results found when the oxidation of hypoxanthine by xanthine oxidase was utilized to catalyze the production of hydroxyl radicals. In the xanthine oxidase system, ferric-ATP and -DTPA stimulated oxidation of scavengers by six- to eightfold, while ferric-EDTA stimulated 25-fold. Ferric-desferrioxamine consistently was inhibitory. Superoxide dismutase produced 79 to 86% inhibition in the absence or presence of iron, indicating an iron-catalyzed Haber-Weiss-type of reaction was responsible for oxidation of scavengers by the xanthine oxidase system. These results indicate that the ability of iron to promote hydroxyl radical production and the role that superoxide plays as a reductant of iron depends on the nature of the system as well as the chelating agent employed.     

Oxidative demethylation of t-butyl alcohol by rat liver microsomes

Tertiary butyl alcohol has often been used experimentally as a “non-metabolizable” alcohol. In this report, evidence is presented that t-butanol serves as a substrate for rat liver microsomes and that it is oxidatively demethylated to yield formaldehyde. The apparent K_m for t-butanol is 30 mM while V_max is about 5.5 nmol per min per mg microsomal protein. Formaldehyde production is stimulated by azide, which prevents destruction of H₂O₂ by catalase. Hydroxyl radical scavenging agents, such as benzoate, mannitol, and 2-keto-4-thiomethylbutyrate, suppress formaldehyde production. Therefore, the microsomal reaction pathway appears to involve the interaction of t-butanol with hydroxyl radicals generated from H₂O₂ by the microsomes. Formaldehyde is also produced when t-butanol is incubated with model hydroxyl radical-generating systems such as the iron-EDTA-stimulated oxidation of xanthine by xanthine oxidase or the iron-EDTA-catalyzed autoxidation of ascorbate. These results indicate that t-butanol cannot be used to distinguish metabolically-linked from non-metabolically-linked actions of ethanol.     

Increased microsomal interaction with iron and oxygen radical generation after chronic acetone treatment

In vivo administration of acetone influences a variety of reactions catalyzed by rat liver microsomes. The effect of chronic treatment with acetone (1% acetone in the water for 10-12 days) on interaction with iron and subsequent oxygen radical generation by liver microsomes was evaluated. Microsomes from the acetone-treated rats displayed elevated rates of H2O2 generation, an increase in iron-dependent lipid peroxidation, and enhanced chemiluminescence upon the addition of t-butylhydroperoxide. The ferric EDTA-catalyzed production of formaldehyde from DMSO or of ethylene from 2-keto-4-thiomethylbutyrate was increased 2-fold after acetone treatment. This increase in hydroxyl radical generation was accompanied by a corresponding increase in NADPH utilization and was sensitive to inhibition by catalase and a competitive scavenger, ethanol, but not to superoxide dismutase. In vitro addition of acetone to microsomes had no effect on oxygen radical generation. Associated with the chronic acetone treatment was a 2-fold increase in the microsomal content of cytochrome P-450 and in the activity of NADPH-cytochrome-P-450 reductase. It appears that increased oxygen radical generation by microsomes after chronic acetone treatment reflects the increase in the major enzyme components which comprise the mixed-function oxidase system.     

Role of hydroxyl radicals in the iron-ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid mediated stimulation of microsomal oxidation of ethanol

The microsomal oxidation of ethanol or 1-butanol was increased by ferrous ammonium sulfate-ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (1:2) (Fe-EDTA) (3.4-50 microM). The increase was blocked by hydroxyl radical scavenging agents such as dimethyl sulfoxide or mannitol. The activities of aminopyrine demethylase or aniline hydroxylase were not affected by Fe-EDTA. The accumulation of H2O2 was decreased in the presence of Fe-EDTA, consistent with an increased utilization of H2O2. Other investigators have shown that Fe-EDTA increases the formation of hydroxyl radicals in systems where superoxide radicals are generated. The stimulation by Fe-EDTA appears to represent a pathway involving hydroxyl radicals rather than catalase because (1) stimulation occurred in the presence of azide, which inhibits catalase, (2) stimulation occurred in the presence of 1-butanol, which is not an effective substrate for catalase, and (3) stimulation was blocked by hydroxyl radical scavenging agents, which do not affect catalase-mediated oxidation of ethanol. A possible role for contaminating iron in the H2O or buffers could be ruled out since similar results were obtained with or without chelex-100 treatment of these solutions. The stimulatory effect by Fe-EDTA required microsomal electron transfer with NADPH, and H2O2 could not replace the NADPH-generating system. In the absence of microsomes or catalase, Fe-EDTA also stimulated the coupled oxidation of ethanol during the oxidation of xanthine by xanthine oxidase. These results suggest that during microsomal electrom transfer, conditions may be appropriate for a Fenton type or a modified Haber-Weiss type of reaction to occur, leading to the production of hydroxyl radicals.     

Hydroxyl Radicals are Generated by Hepatic Microsomes During Nadph Oxidation: Relationship to Ethanol Metabolism

Ethanol is metabolized to acetaldehyde by hepatic microsomes in a reaction that requires cytochrome P-450, and a role for hydroxyl radicals has been implicated in this process. However, previous spin trapping experiments have failed to demonstrate the production of hydroxyl radicals by liver microsomes unless iron or other metal catalysts have been added. The spin trapping experiments described in this report provide unambiguous evidence that liver microsomes form hydroxyl radicals during oxidation of NADPH, that the addition of exogenous iron is unnecessary for this process, and that hydroxyl radicals participate in the metabolism of ethanol. Liver microsomes are known to metabolize ethanol to the 1-hydroxyethyl radical, and our experimental data support the conclusion that a significant part of the production of the 1-hydroxethyl radical occurs as a consequence of hydroxyl radical attack on ethanol. Lack of previous observation of microsomal hydroxyl radical production in spin trapping experiments is shown to be related to the contamination of the microsomes with catalase.     

Hydroxyl Radicals are Generated by Hepatic Microsomes During Nadph Oxidation: Relationship to Ethanol Metabolism

Ethanol is metabolized to acetaldehyde by hepatic microsomes in a reaction that requires cytochrome P-450, and a role for hydroxyl radicals has been implicated in this process. However, previous spin trapping experiments have failed to demonstrate the production of hydroxyl radicals by liver microsomes unless iron or other metal catalysts have been added. The spin trapping experiments described in this report provide unambiguous evidence that liver microsomes form hydroxyl radicals during oxidation of NADPH, that the addition of exogenous iron is unnecessary for this process, and that hydroxyl radicals participate in the metabolism of ethanol. Liver microsomes are known to metabolize ethanol to the 1-hydroxyethyl radical, and our experimental data support the conclusion that a significant part of the production of the 1-hydroxethyl radical occurs as a consequence of hydroxyl radical attack on ethanol. Lack of previous observation of microsomal hydroxyl radical production in spin trapping experiments is shown to be related to the contamination of the microsomes with catalase.     

Hydroxyl and 1-hydroxyethyl free radical detection using spin traps followed by derivatization and gas chromatography—mass spectrometry

Summary

Detection of hydroxyl free radicals is frequently performed by electron spin resonance (ESR) following spin trapping of the radical using 5,5-dimethylpyrroline N-oxide (DMPO) to generate a stable free radical having a characteristic ESR spectrum. The necessary ESR equipment is expensive and not readily available to many laboratories. In the present study, a specific and sensitive gas chromatography—mass spectrometry (GC/MS) method for detection of hydroxyl and hydroxyethyl free radicals is described. The DMPO or N-t-butyl—α—phenylnitrone (PBN) radical adducts are extracted and derivatized by trimethylsylilation and analyzed by GC/MS. To standardize the method, ^.OH and 1-hydroxyethyl radicals were generated in two different systems: 1) a Fenton reaction in a pure chemical system in the absence or presence of ethanol and 2) in liver microsomal suspensions where ethanol is metabolized in the presence of NADPH. In the Fenton system both radicals were easily detected and specifically identified using DMPO or PBN. In microsomal suspensions DMPO proved better for detection of ^.OH radicals and PBN more suitable for detection of 1-hydroxyethyl radicals. The procedure is specific, sensitive and potentially as useful as ESR.     

Production of hydroxyl radicals and their role in the oxidation of ethanol by a reconstituted microsomal system containing cytochrome P-450 purified from phenobarbital-treated rats

Ethanol oxidation by a reconstituted system composed of cytochrome P-450 purified from liver microsomes of phenobarbital-treated rats, NADPH-cytochrome c reductase, phospholipid and NADPH was inhibited by a series of hydroxyl radical scavenging agents. Inhibition was competitive with respect to ethanol and was specific in the sense that the metabolism of aminopyrine or benzphetamine by the reconstituted system was not affected by the scavengers. The generation of ethylene gas from 2-keto-4-thiomethylbutyric acid in an ethanol-sensitive manner provided chemical evidence consistent with the ability of the reconstituted system to generate hydroxyl radicals. These results suggest that the oxidation of ethanol by the reconstituted system reflects the interaction of ethanol with hydroxyl radicals generated during NADPH oxidation.     

Oxygen Radical Formation in Well-Washed Rat Liver Microsomes: Spin Trapping Studies

The generation of hydroxyl radicals by rat liver microsomes was monitored by spin trapping with 5, 5-dimethylpyrroline N-oxide (DMPO). The results confirm and extend previous data which demonstrated that hydroxyl radicals are produced by microsomes in the presence of NADPH and O₂, and without the exogenous addition of iron. No EPR signals could be detected unless catalase activity which was associated with the microsomes could be substantially diminished. Addition of azide was the most effective means of eliminating catalase activity, but azide also reacted rapidly with hydroxyl radicals, forming azidyl radicals which were in turn trapped by DMPO. Extensive washing and preincubation of microsomes with 3-amino-1, 2,4-triazole in the presence of H₂O₂ were evaluated as alternative methods of decreasing the catalase contamination of microsomes. Although neither method completely eliminated microsomal catalase activity, addition of azide was no longer necessary for hydroxyl radical detection with DMPO. When highly washed microsomal preparations were tested, weak signals of the superoxide radical adduct of DMPO could also be detected. These data indicate that the sensitivity of spin trapping in microsomal systems can be improved substantially when care is taken to eliminate cytosolic contaminants such as catalase.     

Pyrazole and 4-methylpyrazole inhibit oxidation of ethanol and dimethyl sulfoxide by hydroxyl radicals generated from ascorbate, xanthine oxidase, and rat liver microsomes

Pyrazole and 4-methylpyrazole, which are potent inhibitors of alcohol dehydrogenase, inhibited the oxidation of ethanol and of dimethyl sulfoxide by two model hydroxyl radical-generating systems. The systems used were the iron-catalyzed oxidation of ascorbic acid and the coupled oxidation of xanthine by xanthine oxidase. Pyrazole and 4-methylpyrazole were more effective inhibitors at lower substrate concentrations than at higher substrate concentrations; the oxidation of ethanol was inhibited to a greater extent than the oxidation of dimethyl sulfoxide. These results are consistent with competition between pyrazole or 4-methylpyrazole with the substrates for the generated hydroxyl radicals. Pyrazole and 4-methylpyrazole appear to be equally effective in reacting with hydroxyl radicals. An approximate rate constant of about 8 × 10⁹m^?1 s^?1 was calculated from the inhibition curves, indicating that pyrazole and 4-methylpyrazole are potent scavengers of the hydroxyl radical. Previous studies have implicated a role for hydroxyl radicals in the microsomal pathway of ethanol oxidation. In the presence of azide (to inhibit catalase), pyrazole and 4-methylpyrazole inhibited the NADPH-dependent microsomal oxidation of ethanol, as well as several other hydroxyl radical-scavenging agents. This inhibition by pyrazole and by 4-methylpyrazole may reflect a mechanism involving competition for hydroxyl radicals generated by the microsomes. However, the kinetics of inhibition by pyrazole were mixed, not competitive, and pyrazole and 4-methylpyrazole also inhibited aminopyrine demethylase activity. Pyrazole has been shown by others to interact with cytochrome P-450. It is suggested that pyrazole and 4-methylpyrazole affect microsomal oxidation of ethanol via effects on the mixed-function oxidase system and via competition for the generated hydroxyl radicals. In view of these results, low concentrations of pyrazole and 4-methylpyrazole should be used in studies on pathways of alcohol metabolism, and caution should be made in interpreting the actions of these compounds when used at high concentrations.     

Microsomal metabolism of hydroxyl radical scavenging agents: Relationship to the microsomal oxidation of alcohols

Previous studies provided indirect evidence that hydroxyl radicals are involved in the oxidation of primary aliphatic alcohols by rat liver microsomes. In the current study, three ·OH scavengers were used as chemical probes to evaluate ·OH production by microsomes. The scavengers and their products were 3-thiomethylpropanal (methional) and 2-keto-4-thiomethylbutyric acid, which yield ethylene gas, and dimethylsulfoxide, which yields methane gas. We observed that microsomes actively generate the appropriate hydrocarbon gas from each scavenger when electron transport is initiated with NADPH. Hydrocarbon gas production is augmented by 0.5 mm azide, an agent which inhibits catalase and, thereby, permits H₂O₂ to accumulate. However, no metabolism of scavengers occurs when H₂O₂ is added in the absence of microsomes. These results are consistent with a presumed role for H₂O₂ as a precursor of hydroxyl radicals. In addition, no metabolism of scavengers occurs when azide and H₂O₂ are added either to boiled microsomes or to intact microsomes in the absence of electron transport (NADPH-generating system omitted). Therefore, both H₂O₂ and simultaneous electron transport are required. Ethanol inhibits the metabolism of the scavengers. Similarly, the scavengers inhibit the oxidation of ethanol to acetaldehyde; inhibition in the presence of azide is competitive. These latter results indicate a competition between the scavengers and ethanol for metabolically generated ·OH in microsomes. The specificity of this interaction is evident from the observation that the scavengers do not affect the activities of microsomal aminopyrine demethylase or aniline hydroxylase. Two model ·OH-generating systems (Fenton's reagent and iron-EDTA-ascorbate) were also studied and they produced acetaldehyde from ethanol and hydrocarbon gases from the scavengers. These results, as a whole, tend to verify a role for ·OH in the microsomal oxidation of alcohols.     

Spin-trapping studies of hydroxyl radical production involved in lipid peroxidation.

Evidence presented in this report suggests that the hydroxyl radical (OH.), which is generated from liver microsomes is an initiator of NADPH-dependent lipid peroxidation. The conclusions are based on the following observations: 1) hydroxyl radical production in liver microsomes as measured by esr spin-trapping correlates with the extent of NADPH induced microsomal lipid peroxidation as measured by malondialdehyde formation; 2) peroxidative degradation of arachidonic acid in a model OH · generating system, namely, the Fenton reaction takes place readily and is inhibited by thiourea, a potent OH · scavenger, indicating that the hydroxyl radical is capable of initiating lipid peroxidation; 3) trapping of the hydroxyl radical by the spin trap, 5,5-dimethyl-1-pyrroline-1-oxide prevents lipid peroxidation in liver microsomes during NADPH oxidation, and in the model system in the presence of linolenic acid. The possibility that cytochrome P-450 reductase is involved in NADPH-dependent lipid peroxidation is discussed. The optimal pH for the production of the hydroxyl radical in liver microsomes is 7.2. The generation of the hydroxyl radical is correlated with the amount of microsomal protein, possibly NADPH cytochrome P-450 reductase. A critical concentration of EDTA (5 × 10^?5m) is required for maximal production of the hydroxyl radical in microsomal lipid peroxidation during NADPH oxidation. High concentrations of Fe²⁺-EDTA complex equimolar in iron and chelator do not inhibit the production of the hydroxyl radical. The production of the hydroxyl radical in liver microsomes is also promoted by high salt concentrations. Evidence is also presented that OH radical production in microsomes during induced lipid peroxidation occurs primarily via the classic Fenton reaction.     

In vivo and in vitro oxidative biotransformation of dimethylformamide in rat

In rats and in humans, dimethylformamide (DMF) is mainly metabolized into N-hydroxymethyl-N-methylformamide (DMF-OH). The in vitro oxidation of DMF by rat liver microsomes is decreased in the presence of catalase and superoxide dismutase. The radical scavengers, dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO), tertiary butyl alcohol (t-butanol), aminopyrine, hydroquinone and trichloroacetonitrile reduce the oxidation of DMF to DMF-OH in vitro and in vivo. Conversely, DMF inhibits the demethylation of DMSO, t-butanol and aminopyrine. The addition of iron-EDTA to the incubation system induces the production of N-methylformamide (NMF) from DMF. These results support the hypothesis that the metabolic pathway leading from DMF to DMF-OH and NMF involves hydroxyl radicals. Superoxide radical and hydrogen peroxide take part in the metabolic process. DMF is preferentially metabolized into DMF-OH. NMF appears mainly when the production of hydroxyl radicals is stimulated, the methyl group being recovered as formic acid.     

Hydroxyl radical production in a purified NADPH--cytochrome c (P-450) reductase system.

Using the spin trap, 5,5-dimethyl-1-pyrroline-1-oxide (DMPO) we have demonstrated that hydroxyl radicals are generated indirectly from purified preparations of rat liver microsomal NADPH-cytochrome c (P-450) reductase during NADPH oxidation. Hydroxyl radical formation is completely inhibited by p-chloromercuribenzoate, but not by metyrapone. In addition, hydroxyl radical DMPO adduct formation is blocked by added linolenic acid which, in turn, is peroxidatively degraded into malondialdehyde, suggesting that hydroxyl radicals formed from purified NADPH-cytochrome c (P-450) reductase are capable of initiating lipid peroxidation. A mechanism for the indirect production of hydroxyl radicals from NADPH-cytochrome P-450 reductase is discussed.     

Spin trapping of free radical species produced during the microsomal metabolism of ethanol

Liver microsomes incubated with a NADPH regenerating system, ethanol and the spin trapping agent 4-pyridyl-1-oxide-t-butyl nitrone (4-POBN) produced an electron spin resonance (ESR) signal which has been assigned to the hydroxyethyl free radical adduct of 4-POBN by using 13C-labelled ethanol. The free radical formation was dependent upon the activity of the microsomal monoxygenase system and increased following chronic feeding of the rats with ethanol. The production of hydroxyethyl free radicals was stimulated by the addition of azide, while catalase and OH. scavengers decreased it. This suggested that hydroxyl radicals (OH.) produced in a Fenton-type reaction from endogenously formed hydrogen peroxide were involved in the free radical activation of ethanol. Consistently, the supplementation of iron, under various forms, also increased the intensity of the ESR signal which, on the contrary, was inhibited by the iron-chelating agent desferrioxamine. Microsomes washed with a solution containing desferrioxamine and incubated in a medium treated with Chelex X-100 in order to remove contaminating iron still produced hydroxyethyl radicals, although at a reduced rate. Under these conditions the free radical formation was apparently independent from the generation of OH. radicals, whereas addition of cytochrome P-450 inhibitors decreased the hydroxyethyl radical formation, suggesting that a cytochrome P-450-mediated process might also be involved in the activation of ethanol. Reduced glutathione (GSH) was found to effectively scavenge the hydroxyethyl radical, preventing its trapping by 4-POBN. The data presented suggest that ethanol-derived radicals could be generated during the microsomal metabolism of alcohol probably through two different pathways. The detection of ethanol free radicals might be relevant in understanding the pathogenesis of the liver lesions which are a consequence of alcohol abuse.     

Free Radical Metabolism of Alcohols by Rat Liver Microsomes

By using e.s.r. spectroscopy coupled with the spin trapping technique we have detected the formation of free radical intermediates by rat liver microsomes incubated with either ethanol, 2-propanol or 2-butanol in the presence of a NADPH regenerating system and 4-pyridyl-l-oxide-t-butyl nitrone (4-POBN) as spin trap. The e.s.r. spectra have been identified as due to the hydroxyalkyl free radical adducts of 4-POBN.

The free radical formation depends upon the activity of the microsomal monoxygenase system and is blocked by omitting NADP⁺ from the incubation mixture, by anaerobic incubation or by enzyme denaturation. The involvement of hydroxyl radicals (OH) produced through a Fenton-type reaction from endogenously formed hydrogen peroxide is suggested by the opposite effects exerted on the e.s.r. signal intensity by azide and catalase. Consistently, iron chelation by desferrioxamine inhibits the free radical formation, while the supplementation of EDTA-iron increases it by several fold. Inhibitors of cytochrome P₄₅₀-dependent monoxygenase system reduce to various extents the production of free radical intermediates suggesting that reactive oxygen species might be formed at the active site of cytochrome P₄₅₀ where they react with alkyl alcohol molecules.

The data presented support the hypothesis that free radical species are generated during the microsomal metabolism of alcohols and suggest the possibility that ethanol-derived radicals might play a role in the pathogenesis of the liver lesions consequent upon alcoholic abuse.     

Possible Roles of Free Radicals in Alcoholic Tissue Damage

Hepatic microsornes metabolize ethanol to a free radical metabolite which forms adducts with the spin trapping agents PBN (phenyl-N-t-butylnitrone) and DMPO (5,5-dimethyl-l-pyrroline N-oxide). This ethanol radical has been identified as the I-hydroxyethyl radical through the use of ¹³C-labelled ethanol. A role of the cytochrome P-450 enzymes in the generation of the I-hydroxyethyl radical was suggested by requirements for oxygen and NADPH. as well as inhibition in the presence of SKF 525-A and imidazole. In contrast. the ESR signal intensity of the I-hydroxyethyl radical was diminished when either catalase. or the iron chelating agent deferoxdmine. was added to the microsomal incubations, and was increased by the addition of ADP-Fe. These observations suggest that the ethanol radicals may arise secondary to iron-catalyzed formation of hydroxyl radicals from hydrogen peroxide. This possibility was supported by enhanced rates of I-hydroxyethyl radical formation when microsomal catalase activity was inhibited by the addition of sodium azide, or by pretreatment of rats with aminotriazole. However, the reaction was relatively insensitive to scavengers of the hydroxyl radical. Thus, the mechanism of I-hydroxycthyl radical formation could involve two cytochrome P-450-dependent pathways: generation of hydrogen peroxide required for a Fenton reaction, as well as direct catalytic formation of the ethanol radical.