Radiation induced oxidation of sulphydryl molecules in aqueous solutions. A comprehensive review

Abstract

Radiation degradation studies of thiols in aqueous solutions under variety of conditions during the past more than three decades are reviewed. Radiolytic mechanism of γ-irradiated air free, air and N 2O-saturated solutions of cysteine, cysteamine, dithiothreitol, mercaptoethanol, glutathione and papain are high lighted. A large variety of thiols repair organic radicals by H atom transfer from SH group. The repair rate constants are found to be between 5 × 10 6M -1s -1 to 4.0 × 10 8M -1s -1. The data are tabulated. The rate constants of e - aq and ȮH radicals with variety of thiols evaluated by pulse radioanalysis and flash photolysis are found to be very high and are computed. Sulphur centered radicals e.g. RṠ;, RSSR ⨪ generated in the pulse radioanalysis of thiols are very important species. Their reactions with oxygen and other compounds are of relevance to radiation biology. The results, reaction mechanism, the repair rate constant, the rate constants of e - aq and ȮH radicals with thiols and the rate constants of sulphur centered radicals with oxygen and other compounds of biological interest can be of great use in the interpretation of the mechanism of the protection of cells, animals, DNA and other biological molecules and may well provide basic essential information for the understanding of radiation biology. The protection of biological target at chemical level is generally understood in terms of protecting compounds participating directly in the radiochemical event and reducing the damage to biological target. The damage to the biological target is repaired by the hydrogen transfer from the thiol. Biochemical and metabolic mechanisms are quite complex. There is no single mechanism which explains all the experimental observations on the metabolism of thiols. More work needs to be done in order to understand the metabolic aspect of the protection mechanism.