Oxygen activation. II. The effect of catecholamines

Abstract

1. Adrenal hormones greatly accelerated the autoxidation of p-hydroquinone by activating the O 2 molecule through complex formation by charge transfer. 2. O 2 activation by o-diphenolic compounds was also observed by using p-phenylenediamine as substrate. This explains the abnormally high O 2 uptake by the diamine in the presence of melanoma extracts, DOPA or catechol (the Greenstein-Riley effect). 3. The kinetics of catechol autoxidation is consistent with the view that one molecule is oxidized while a second catechol molecule acts as activator. 4. It is suggested that one of the primary roles of catecholamines is to active O 2.