Influence of oxygen concentration on redox cycling of alloxan and dialuric acid.

Alloxan, a chemical diabetogen, decays in the absence of reductants into alloxanic acid. In the presence of glutathione, it is reduced via the alloxan radical into dialuric acid, which autoxidizes back to alloxan. During this redox cycling process, reactive oxygen species are formed that destroy beta-cells in islets of Langerhans. Previous experiments were conducted with oxygen concentrations about ten times as high as within cells. The aim of our in vitro study was to evaluate the impact of different oxygen concentrations (0, 25, 250 micromol/l) at a given initial ratio of glutathione and alloxan on this redox cycling. Reduction of alloxan, oxidation of glutathione, and the formation of glutathiol (GSSG) were continuously recorded by HPLC for 90 minutes at 25 degrees C in air, calibration gas, or argon. In the absence of reductants, alloxan irreversibly decomposed into alloxanic acid regardless of oxygen presence. When the reaction system contained glutathione, decomposition was significantly retarded and therefore influenced by oxygen. In argon, decay could not be observed due to its reduction and the absence of oxygen. Increasing oxygen concentration enabled a redox cycling and therefore an ongoing decay. The highest decomposition along with the highest consumption of glutathione occurred at 250 micromol/l oxygen. The lower the oxygen, the more dialuric acid could be detected. After calculation, about 33 redox cycles per hour generates an amount of reactive oxygen species sufficient to damage pancreatic beta cells and induce insulin deficiency.