Pulse radiolytically generated superoxide and Cu(II)-salicylates.

The rate constants of the reactions between pulse radiolytically produced superoxide anions and the Cu(II) chelates of salicylate, acetylsalicylate, p-aminosalicylate and diisopropylsalicylate were determined at pH 7.5 and found to range from 0.8 to 2.4 × 10⁹ M^?1 sec^?1. It was intriguing to note that they had a superoxide dismutase activity identical with that of native cuprein-copper (k₂₄₅ = 1.3 × 10⁹ M^?1 sec^?1 per g-atom of Cu). These measurements confirm our earlier observations using indirect assays that all copper salicylates act as perfect model superoxide dismutases and favour the proposal that the activity of anti-inflammatory agents might be assigned to their in vivo formed Cu complexes.