Stimulation of phospholipase A2 by xanthine oxidase in the rat corpus luteum.

The ability of the superoxide radical (SOR) generated by xanthine oxidase to activate phospholipase A2 (PLA2) was examined in microsomes prepared from luteinized rat ovaries. Treatment of microsomes with xanthine oxidase resulted in a rapid burst in SOR formation followed by an increase in PLA2 activity. Stimulation of PLA2 activity was dose related and similar in microsomes prepared from control or prostaglandin F2 alpha (PGF2 alpha)-treated rats. Activation was inhibited by the antioxidants, vitamin E and nordihydroguaiaretic acid, and by superoxide dismutase and catalase, which metabolize SOR and H2O2 to remove reactive oxygen species from the cell. The stimulation of PLA2 activity by xanthine oxidase was dependent upon the addition of calcium ions, and it was highest in samples in which cytosol was added to membranes. These results indicate that the SOR and/or H2O2 may mediate PLA2 activation, which may be involved in the luteolytic process.