Microsomal C-nitroso reductase activity

Abstract

Washed microsomes prepared from animal tissues possess the capacity to reduce 1-nitrosoadamantane to N-hydroxy-1-aminoadamantane in the presence of an NADPH generating system under aerobic conditions. No reduction of N-hydroxy-1-aminoadamantane to 1-aminoadamantane (amantadine) or of 2-adamantanone to 2-adamantanol occurred under these conditions. Reduced pyridine nucleotide cofactor is needed for the metabolic reaction. Maximum activity was obtained using washed microsomes from rabbit liver. The results obtained imply that the microsomal reduction of a C-nitroso compound involves a different enzyme system than that of a ketone reduction.