Mechanism of thiol oxidation by the superoxide radical

In spite of the large quantity of experimental work that deals with the oxidation of thiols by superoxide, the mechanism of this reaction is still controversial. The ab initio molecular orbital calculations reported here predict that the main reaction pathway includes the formation of a three-electron-bonded adduct followed by the elimination of the hydroxide anion, giving the sulfinyl radical as the reaction product. The alternative reaction pathway consisting of hydrogen atom transfer from the thiol to the protonated superoxide radical involves a reaction energy barrier that is significantly higher. The difference between the two reaction energy barriers is clearly beyond the expected computational uncertainty. The systematic scanning of the potential energy surface reveals no other competitive reaction pathways. The present results provide a useful basis for the interpretation of the complex experimental data related to thiol oxidation by superoxide radical in a biological environment.     

The mechanism of reaction of ebselen with superoxide in aprotic solvents as examined by cyclic voltammetry and ESR

The mechanism of the redox reaction of ebselen with superoxide was investigated using both ESR and electrochemical techniques. The reaction with superoxide in aprotic solvents was followed by means of cyclic voltammetry and ESR spin-trapping. A decrease in the oxidation current due to superoxide as a result of the addition of ebselen was clearly observed in the cyclic voltammograms. Ebselen reduced the ESR signal intensity of 5,5-dimethyl-1-pyrroline N-oxide (DMPO)-superoxide in a dose-dependent manner. The formation of an amidyl radical in this redox reaction was confirmed by rapid mixing continuous-flow ESR. The selenonate form and the seleninate form of ebselen were identified as the final products of the reaction of ebselen with superoxide. The following mechanism for this redox reaction can be proposed: First, ebselen reacts with superoxide and is converted to an ebselen anion radical; second, the ebselen anion radical reacts with superoxide and is converted to the amidyl radical. Hydrogen abstraction by the amidyl radical occurs and gives both a seleninate form and a selenonate form.     

Cleavage of disulfide dependent on superoxide

Disulfide bond was created by superoxide in aprotic media and by a hydroxyl radical derived from superoxide in aqueous medium. The reaction mechanism was examined in detail.     

Quantification of singlet oxygen production in the reaction of superoxide with hydrogen peroxide using a selective chemiluminescent probe

A sensitive chemiluminescent probe that selectively reacts with singlet oxygen in the presence of superoxide and hydrogen peroxide has been used to quantify the production of singlet oxygen in the reaction of superoxide with hydrogen peroxide. The yield of singlet oxygen from this reaction was found to be low (0.2% relative to the initial superoxide concentration). No evidence for the formation of hydroxyl radical was observed in this reaction, ruling out the Haber-Weiss mechanism as a major singlet oxygen formation pathway. No singlet oxygen production was observed in the reaction of superoxide with 2-nitrobenzoic acid, which has a pKa similar to that of hydrogen peroxide, rendering the protonation of superoxide, followed by its disproportionation, an unlikely explanation for the formation of singlet oxygen in this system. The low yields of singlet oxygen and hydroxyl radical suggest that their formation in this reaction should be relatively unimportant in biological systems.     

Reactivity of superoxide anion radical with a perchlorotriphenylmethyl (trityl) radical

The reaction of superoxide radical with a tricarboxylate derivative of perchlorotriphenylmethyl radical (PTM-TC) is studied. PTM-TC is a stable ("inert") free radical, which gives a single sharp electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) peak in aqueous solutions. PTM-TC also gives a characteristic optical absorption at 380 nm. Superoxide, on reaction with PTM-TC, induced a decrease in the intensity of the EPR signal and optical absorption of PTM-TC at 380 nm. The signal loss was specific to superoxide and linearly dependent on the superoxide flux in the system. Competitive kinetics experiments revealed that PTM-TC reacts with superoxide with an apparent second-order rate constant of 8.3x10(8) M(-1) s(-1). Electrochemical and mass spectrometric analyses of the reaction suggested the formation of perchlorotriphenylmethane and molecular oxygen as products. The high sensitivity of detection of PTM-TC combined with the high rate constant of the reaction of superoxide with PTM-TC may offer a potential opportunity for measurement of superoxide in biological systems. In conclusion, the PTM-TC molecule has high sensitivity and specificity for superoxide radicals and thus may enable quantitative detection of superoxide generation in biological systems using EPR and/or spectrophotometric methods.     

Effect of the phosphoryl substituent in the linear nitrone on the spin trapping of superoxide radical and the stability of the superoxide adduct: combined experimental and theoretical studies

A new phosphorylated linear nitrone N-(4-hydroxybenzyliene)-1-diethoxyphosphoryl-1-methylethylamine N-oxide (4-HOPPN) was synthesized, and its X-ray structure was determined. The spin trapping ability of various kinds of free radicals by 4-HOPPN was evaluated. Kinetic study of decay of the superoxide spin adduct (4-HOPPN-OOH) shows the half-life time of 8.8 min. On the basis of the X-ray structural coordinates, theoretical analyses using density functional theory (DFT) calculations at the B3LYP/6-31+G(d,p)//B3LYP/6-31G(d) level were performed on spin-trapping reactions of superoxide radical with 4-HOPPN and PBN and three possible decay routes for their corresponding superoxide adducts. The comparative calculations on the spin-trapping reactions with superoxide radical predicted that both spin traps share an identical reaction type and have comparable potency when spin trapping superoxide radical. Analysis of the optimized geometries of 4-HOPPN-OOH and PBN-OOH reveals that an introduction of the phosphoryl group can efficiently stabilize the spin adduct through the intramolecular H-bonds, the intramolecular nonbonding attractive interactions, as well as the bulky steric protection. Examination of the decomposition thermodynamics of 4-HOPPN-OOH and PBN-OOH further supports the stabilizing role of the phosphoryl group to a linear phosphorylated spin adduct.     

Reaction of superoxide radical with quinone molecules

When the superoxide radical O(2)(?-) is generated on reaction of KO(2) with water in dimethyl sulfoxide, the decay of the radical is dramatically accelerated by inclusion of quinones in the reaction mix. For quinones with no or short hydrophobic tails, the radical product is a semiquinone at much lower yield, likely indicating reduction of quinone by superoxide and loss of most of the semiquinone product by disproportionation. In the presence of ubiquinone-10, a different species (I) is generated, which has the EPR spectrum of superoxide radical. However, pulsed EPR shows spin interaction with protons in fully deuterated solvent, indicating close proximity to the ubinquinone-10. We discuss the nature of species I, and possible roles in the physiological reactions through which ubisemiquinone generates superoxide by reduction of O(2) through bypass reactions in electron transfer chains.     

Detection of synergistic effect of superoxide dismutase and jujubosides on scavenging superoxide anion radical by capillary electrophoresis

A new capillary electrophoresis method was developed to study the synergistic effect of superoxide dismutase and jujuboside A or B on scavenging superoxide anion radical in serum matrix respectively, in which superoxide anion radical was generated from pyrogallol autoxidation. The electrophoresis conditions, and the factors affecting the productive rate of purpurogallin, such as pyrogallol autoxidation product and the activity of superoxide dismutase, were optimized. Under optimal conditions, the content of superoxide dismutase in Gibco newborn calf serum was 7.06 mg/L, RSD was 2.01% and the average recovery was 98.4%. The values of IC₅₀ for jujuboside A and B in the serum matrix were 157.67 and 31.60 mg/L respectively, and they both had synergy on scavenging superoxide anion radical with superoxide dismutase, but there was no the dose‐dependency on this synergy.     

Copper-zinc superoxide dismutase: theoretical insights into the catalytic mechanism

The mechanism for the toxic superoxide radical disproportionation to molecular oxygen and hydrogen peroxide by copper-zinc superoxide dismutase (CuZnSOD) has been studied using the B3LYP hybrid density functional. On the basis of the X-ray structure of the enzyme, the molecular system investigated includes the first-shell protein ligands of the two metal centers as well as the second-shell ligand Asp122. The substrates of the model reaction are two superoxide radical anions, approaching the copper center at the beginning of two half-reactions: the first part of the catalytic cycle involving Cu+ oxidation and the second part reducing Cu2+ back to its initial state. The quantitative free energy profile of the reaction is obtained and discussed in connection with the experimental data on the reduction potentials and CuZnSOD kinetics. The optimized structures are analyzed and compared to the experimental ones. The two transition states alternate the protonation state of His61 and correspond to histidine Cu-His61-Zn bridge rupture/reformation. Modifications applied to the initial model allow the importance of Asp122 for catalysis to be estimated.     

Efficiency of superoxide anions in the inactivation of selected dehydrogenases

The most ubiquitous of the primary reactive oxygen species, formed in all aerobes, is the superoxide free radical. It is believed that the superoxide anion radical shows low reactivity and in oxidative stress it is regarded mainly as an initiator of more reactive species such as OH and ONOO^‐.In this paper, the effectiveness of inactivation of selected enzymes by radiation-generated superoxide radicals in comparison with the effectiveness of the other products of water radiolysis is examined. We investigate three enzymes: glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH), alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH).We show that the direct contribution of the superoxide anion radical to GAPDH and ADH inactivation is significant. The effectiveness of the superoxide anion in the inactivation of GAPDH and ADG was only 2.4 and 2.8 times smaller, respectively, in comparison with hydroxyl radical. LDH was practically not inactivated by the superoxide anion.Despite the fact that the studied dehydrogenases belong to the same class of enzymes (oxidoreductases), all have a similar molecular weight and are tetramers, their susceptibility to free-radical damage varies. The differences in the radiosensitivity of the enzymes are not determined by the basic structural parameters analyzed. A significant role in inactivation susceptibility is played by the type of amino acid residues and their localization within enzyme molecules.     

Catalytic spectrofluorimetric determination of superoxide anion radical and superoxide dismutase activity using N,N-dimethylaniline as the substrate for horseradish peroxidase (HRP)

The coupled reaction of N,N-dimethylaniline (DMA) with 4-aminoantipyrine (4-AAP) using superoxide anion radical (O2-) as oxidizing agent under the catalysis of horseradish peroxidase (HRP) was studied. Based on the reaction, O2- produced by irradiating Vitamin B2, (VB2) was spectrophotometricly determined at 554 nm. The linear range of this method was 1.8 x 10(-6)-1.2 x 10(-4) mol l(-1) with a detection limit of 5.3 x 10(-7) mol l(-1). The effect of interferences on the determination of O2- was investigated. The proposed method was successfully applied to the determination of superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity in human blood and mouse blood.     

Quantitative studies on the peroxidation of human low-density lipoprotein initiated by superoxide and by charged and neutral alkylperoxyl radicals.

Rates of peroxidation of human LDL and rates of consumption of the LDL's alpha-tocopherol (TocH) have been measured at 37 degrees C. Peroxidation was initiated by radicals generated in the aerated aqueous phase at known rates by thermal decomposition of appropriate precursors: superoxide (O2(*-)/HOO(*)) from a hyponitrite and alkylperoxyls (ROO(*), two positively charged, one negatively charged and one neutral) from azo compounds. The efficiencies of escape from the solvent cage of the geminate pair of neutral carbon-centered radicals was found to be 0.1, but it was 0.5 for the three charged radicals, a result attributed to radical/radical Coulombic repulsion within the cage. All four alkylperoxyls initiated and terminated tocopherol-mediated peroxidation (TMP) with about equal efficiency and essentially all of these radicals that were generated were consumed in these two reactions. TMP is a radical chain process, and when initiated by the alkylperoxyls, the rate of LDL peroxidation was faster in the early stages while TocH was present than later, after all of this "antioxidant" had been consumed. In contrast, only about 3-4% of the generated superoxide radicals reacted in any measurable fashion with TocH-containing LDL at pH's from 7.6 to 6.5 and peroxidation was much slower than with a similar rate of generation of alkylperoxyls. After all the TocH had been consumed, LDL peroxidation was negligible at pH 7.6 and 7.4, but at pH 6.8 and 6.5, the peroxidation rates showed a large increase over the rates while the TocH had been present. That is, endogenous TocH behaves as an antioxidant in LDL subjected to attack by the physiologically relevant superoxide radical, whereas TocH behaves as a prooxidant in LDL subjected to attack by the probably far less physiologically important alkylperoxyls. Rates of LDL peroxidation initiated by superoxide increased as the pH was decreased, and the results are consistent with the initiation of peroxidation of fresh LDL occurring via H-atom abstraction from TocH by HOO(*) to form the Toc(*) radical and termination by reaction of O2(*-) with Toc(*), a process that occurs partly by addition leading to TocH consumption and partly by electron plus proton transfer leading to the regeneration of TocH.     

Inhibition of superoxide dismutase, Vitamin C and glutathione on chemiluminescence produced by luminol and the mixture of sulfite and bisulfite

In a system which consisted of luminol (3-aminophthalhydrazide), cobalt sulfate (CoSO4), alkaline buffer and the mixture of NaSO3 and sodium bisulfite (NaHSO3) (sulfite and bisulfite=3:1, m/m), a strong chemiluminescence (CL) was observed using a BPCL ultra-weak luminometer. The CL signals resulted from 3-aminophthalate (the product of oxidized luminol), and were affected by the buffer pH, buffer medium and the concentrations of luminol, CoSO4 and the NaSO3-NaHSO3 mixture. The observation that the CL intensities were inhibited by superoxide dismutase (SOD), Vitamin C (Vc) and glutathione (GSH) in a dose-dependent manner suggested that superoxide radical (O2*-) was involved in the CL reaction and responsible for oxidation of luminol.     

Validation of a new method using the reactivity of electrogenerated superoxide radical in the antioxidant capacity determination of flavonoids

This article lays out a new method to measure the antioxidant capacity of some flavonoids. The methodology developed is based on the kinetics of the reaction of the antioxidant substrate with the superoxide radical (O(2)(*-)). A cyclic voltammetric technique was used to generate O(2)(*-) by reduction of molecular oxygen in aprotic media. In the same experiment the consumption of the radical was directly measured by the anodic current decay of the superoxide radical oxidation in the presence of increasing concentrations of antioxidant substrate. The method was statistically validated on flavonoid monomers and on the standard antioxidants: trolox, ascorbic acid and phloroglucinol. The linear correlations between the anodic current of O(2)(*-) and the substrate concentration allowed the determination of antioxidant index values expressed by the substrate concentration needed to consume 30% (AI(30)) and 50% (AI(50)) of O(2)(*-) in given conditions of oxygen concentration and scanning rate. The fidelity of the method was examined intraday and interlaboratories.     

Reaction of singlet oxygen with 2-pyrazoline: implication for cation radical - superoxide ion pair intermediate

Kinetic studies on photosensitized oxygenation of 1,3,5-triaryl-2-pyrazolines show that an electron-transfer from the pyrazoline to singlet oxygen may take place to give a cation radical and superoxide ion pair. The reaction of pyrazoline cation radicals with superoxide ion shows the same product distribution with singlet oxygenation.     

Tetraorganylammonium superoxide compounds: close to unperturbed superoxide ions in the solid state

Trimethylphenylammonium superoxide (1) and tetrabutylammonium superoxide (2) were prepared by ion-exchange reaction in liquid ammonia. Both compounds were structurally characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. The crystal structure of 2 contains solvent ammonia molecules that are hydrogen bonded to the superoxide ion and therefore may influence the bonding properties of the superoxide ion. The crystal structure of 1 does not contain any solvent molecules. Therefore, it represents the best known approximation to the virtually isolated superoxide ion in the solid state to date. The O-O bond length is 1.332(2) A in 1 and 1.312(2) A in 2. Magnetization measurements show that the susceptibilities of both compounds follow an ideal Curie law down to 2 K reflecting an absence of intermolecular exchange effects between the superoxide ions. The effective magnetic moments of both compounds are larger than the spin-only value due to contributions of the orbital momentum in the superoxide ion. The values of the magnetic moment comply well with the g factors obtained from electron paramagnetic resonance spectra. The g tensors themselves reflect the anisotropic environment of the superoxide ions. The Pi(g) energy levels which are degenerate in the free superoxide ion split up in crystal fields of lower than tetragonal symmetry. The energy splitting is estimated from the diagonal elements of the g tensor of 1.     

超氧负离基研究: 无水乙腈中超氧负离子基的稳定性及其捕获

考察了影响无水乙腈中超氧负离子基(O2^-)稳定性的因素,发现氧促使乙腈中O2^-浓度迅速减小,通过产物鉴定和UV动力学分析提出氧促O2^-与乙腈反应的可能机理。研究了O2^-与2,2,6,6-四甲基-4-羟基-N-溴哌啶(NB)的反应,表明NB可望成为非水溶剂中O2^-的专一捕获剂。     

Nickel superoxide dismutase reaction mechanism studied by hybrid density functional methods

The reaction mechanism for the disproportionation of the toxic superoxide radical to molecular oxygen and hydrogen peroxide by the nickel-dependent superoxide dismutase (NiSOD) has been studied using the B3LYP hybrid DFT method. Based on the recent X-ray structures of the enzyme in the resting oxidized Ni(III) and X-ray-reduced Ni(II) states, the model investigated includes the backbone spacer of six residues (sequence numbers 1-6) as a structural framework. The side chains of residues His1, Cys2, and Cys6, which are essential for nickel binding and catalysis, were modeled explicitly. The catalytic cycle consists of two half-reactions, each initiated by the successive substrate approach to the metal center. The two protons necessary for the dismutation are postulated to be delivered concertedly with the superoxide radical anions. The first (reductive) phase involves Ni(III) reduction to Ni(II), and the second (oxidative) phase involves the metal reoxidation back to its resting state. The Cys2 thiolate sulfur serves as a transient protonation site in the interim between the two half-reactions, allowing for the dioxygen and hydrogen peroxide molecules to be released in the reductive and oxidative phases, respectively. The His1 side chain nitrogen and backbone amides of the active site channel are shown to be less favorable transient proton locations, as compared to the Cys2 sulfur. Comparisons are made to the Cu- and Zn-dependent SOD, studied previously using similar models.     

Antioxidative properties of probucol estimated by the reactivity with superoxide and by electrochemical oxidation

The reaction of probucol with superoxide (O2(*-)) was investigated in acetonitrile using both electron spin resonance (ESR) and electrochemical techniques. The formation of phenoxyl radical was observed during the reaction of probucol with O2(*-) by ESR spectroscopy. The reaction of probucol with O2(*-) in acetonitrile was followed by cyclic voltammetry. With the addition of probucol, the oxidation peak current of O2(*-) decreased concentration dependently. This suggests that probucol reacts with O2(*-), that is, probucol scavenges O2(*-) in acetonitrile. 2,6-Di-tert-butyl-p-benzoquinone was identified as the major product of the reaction of probucol with O2(*-) in acetonitrile. Electrochemical oxidation of probucol was also performed. Probucol gives an irreversible oxidation peak at ca. +1.4 V vs. the saturated calomel electrode in the cyclic voltammogram. Controlled-potential electrolysis was carried out at +1.2 V in a divided cell. 2,6-Di-tert-butyl-p-benzoquinone, 4,4'-dithiobis(2,6-di-tert-butylphenol), and 4,4'-trithiobis(2,6-di-tert-butylphenol) were identified as the products of anodic oxidation. These redox properties of probucol may correlate with the physiological activities.     

Singlet oxygen production in the reaction of superoxide with organic peroxides

[reaction: see text] A selective chemiluminescent probe for singlet oxygen has been employed to detect and quantify singlet oxygen in the reactions of superoxide with organic peroxides. The production of singlet oxygen has been quantified in the reaction of superoxide with benzoyl peroxide (BP). No singlet oxygen was detected in the reactions of superoxide with cumyl peroxide, tert-butyl peroxide, or tert-butyl hydroperoxide. On the basis of these results and on the temperature dependence of the reaction, we proposed a mechanism for singlet oxygen formation in the reaction of superoxide with BP.