Effect of the microsomal system on interconversions between hydroquinone, benzoquinone, oxygen activation, and lipid peroxidation

Our previous results indicated that cytochrome P450 destruction by benzene metabolites was caused mainly by benzoquinone (Soucek et al., Biochem. Pharmacol. 47 (1994) 2233-2242). The aim of this study was to investigate the interconversions between hydroquinone, semiquinone, and benzoquinone with regard to both spontaneous and enzymatic processes in order to test the above hypothesis. We have also studied the participation of hydroquinone and benzoquinone in OH radicals formation and lipid peroxidation as well as the role of ascorbate and transition metals. In buffered aqueous solution, hydroquinone was slowly oxidized to benzoquinone via a semiquinone radical. This conversion was slowed down by the addition of NADPH and completely stopped by microsomes in the presence of NADPH. Benzoquinone was reduced to semiquinone radical at a significantly higher rate and this conversion was stimulated by NADPH and more effectively by microsomes plus NADPH while semiquinone radical was quenched there. In microsomes with NADPH. both hydroquinone and benzoquinone stimulated the formation of OH radicals but inhibited peroxidation of lipids. Ascorbate at 0.5-5 mM concentration also produced significant generation of OH radicals in microsomes. Neither hydroquinone nor benzoquinone did change this ascorbate effect. On the contrary, 0.1-1.0 mM ascorbate stimulated peroxidation of lipids in microsomes whereas presence of hydroquinone or benzoquinone completely inhibited this deleterious effect of ascorbate. Iron-Fe2+ apparently played an important role in lipid peroxidation as shown by EDTA inhibition, but it did not influence OH radical production. In contrast, Fe3+ did not influence lipid peroxidation, but stimulated OH radical production. Thus, our results indicate that iron influenced the above processes depending on its oxidation state, but it did not influence hydroquinone/benzoquinone redox processes including the formation of semiquinone. It can be concluded that interconversions between hydroquinone and benzoquinone are influenced by NADPH and more effectively by the complete microsomal system. Ascorbate, well-known antioxidant produces OH radicals and peroxidation of lipids. On the other hand, both hydroquinone and benzoquinone appear to be very efficient inhibitors of lipid peroxidation.