Nitro Anion Free Radical Research Articles

Effect of the Metal Ion on the anti T. cruzi Activity and Mechanism of Action of 5‐Nitrofuryl‐Containing Thiosemicarbazone Metal Complexes

AbstractChagas disease, caused by the protozoan parasite Trypanosoma cruzi, is a major health problem worldwide. In this work, we report the development of palladium and platinum metal complexes with 5‐nitrofuryl‐containing thiosemicarbazones (L) as bioactive ligands against T. cruzi and PTA (1,3,5‐triaza‐7‐phosphaadamantane) as co‐ligand. Eight new complexes of the formula [MCl(L)(PTA)] with M = Pd or Pt were synthesized and fully characterized. Most complexes showed similar activities against T. cruzi to those of the corresponding free thiosemicarbazone ligands. No significant differences between palladium and platinum complexes were observed. Metal compounds with the phenylthiosemicarbazone derivative were the most active ones (IC50 = 9.84 ± 0.32 and 4.94 ± 0.24 μM for Pd2+ and Pt2+, respectively). The prepared complexes were not toxic on mammalian cells, showing selective indexes of more than 10–20. The ability of the complexes to be reduced in the parasite, which leads to toxic free radical species, was confirmed by the detection of OH· and nitroanion free radical species by ESR spectroscopy experiments. Gel electrophoresis and fluorescence experiments were consistent with an intercalating‐like mode of DNA interaction for the complexes, but DNA interaction does not seem to be the main mechanism of anti T. cruzi action for these compounds. The results obtained show that complexation of the bioactive ligands with the selected metals is a valid strategy to obtain improved metal‐based antiparasitic compounds.

Metabolic Activation of the Antitumor Drug 5-(Aziridin-1-yl)-2,4-Dinitrobenzamide (CB1954) by NO Synthases

Nitric oxide synthases (NOSs) are flavohemeproteins that catalyze the oxidation of L-arginine to L-citrulline with formation of the signaling molecule nitric oxide (NO). In addition to their fundamental role in NO biosynthesis, NOSs are also involved in the formation of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (RONS) and in the interactions with some drugs. 5-(Aziridin-1-yl)-2,4-dinitrobenzamide (CB1954) is a dinitroaromatic compound tested as an antitumor prodrug that requires reduction to the 2- and 4-hydroxylamines to be cytotoxic. Here, we studied the interaction of neuronal, inducible, and endothelial NOSs with CB1954. Our results showed that the three purified recombinant NOSs selectively reduced the 4-nitro group of CB1954 to the corresponding 4-hydroxylamine with minimal 2-nitroreduction. Little further two-electron reduction of the hydroxylamines to the corresponding 2- and 4-amines was observed. The reduction of CB1954 catalyzed by the neuronal NOS (nNOS) was inhibited by O 2 and a flavin/NADPH binding inhibitor, diphenyliodonium (DPI), but insensitive to the addition of the heme ligands imidazole and carbon monoxide and of l-arginine analogues. This reduction proceeded with intermediate formation of a nitro-anion free radical observed by EPR. Involvement of the reductase domain of nNOS in the reduction of CB1954 was confirmed by the ability of the isolated reductase domain of nNOS to catalyze the reaction and by the stimulating effect of Ca (2+)/calmodulin on the accumulation of 4- and 2-hydroxylamines. The recombinant inducible and endothelial NOS isoforms reduced CB1954 with lower activity but higher selectivity for the cytotoxic 4-hydroxylamine compared with nNOS. Finally, CB1954 did not modify the formation of l-citrulline and RONS catalyzed by nNOS. Our results show that all three NOS isoforms are involved in the nitroreduction of CB1954, with predominant formation of the cytotoxic 4-hydroxylamine derivative. This nitroreduction could be of interest for the selective activation of prodrugs by NOSs overexpressed in tumor cells.

Generation of free radicals during the reductive metabolism of nilutamide by lung microsomes: Possible role in the development of lung lesions in patients treated with this anti-androgen

The pulmonary metabolism of nilutamide, a nitroaromatic anti-androgen drug leading to pulmonary lesions in a few recipients, has been investigated in rats. Incubation of nilutamide (1 mM) with rat lung microsomes and NADPH under anaerobic conditions led to the formation of the nitro anion free radical, as indicated by ESR spectroscopy. The steady state concentration of this radical was not decreased by CO or SKF 525-A (two inhibitors of cytochrome P450), but was decreased by NADP + (10 mM) or p-chloromercuribenzoate (0.47 mM) (two inhibitors of NADPH-cytochrome P450 reductase activity). Anaerobic incubations of [ 3H]nilutamide (0.1 mM) with rat lung microsomes and a NADPH-generating system resulted in the in vivo covalent binding of [ 3H]nilutamide metabolites to microsomal proteins; covalent binding required NADPH; it was decreased in the presence of NADP + (10 mM), or in the presence of the nucleophile glutathione (10 mM), but was unchanged in the presence of carbon monoxide. Under aerobic conditions, in contrast, the nitro anion free radical was reoxidized by oxygen, and its ESR signal was not detected. Covalent binding was essentially suppressed. Instead, there was consumption of NADPH and oxygen, and production of Superoxide anion and hydogen peroxide. We conclude that nilutamide is reduced by rat lung microsomes NADPH-cytochrome P450 reductase into a nitro anion free radical. In anaerobiosis, the radical is reduced further to covalent binding species. In the presence of oxygen, in contrast, this nitro anion free radical undergoes redox cycling, with the generation of reactive oxygen species.

Detection of Free Radicals as a Consequence of Dog Tracheal Epithelial Cellular Xenobiotic Metabolism

1. Spin-trapping techniques have been used to examine the metabolism of three xenobiotics known to produce free radicals during their metabolism. Reaction with oxygen generated superoxide, the location of which was dependent upon the xenobiotic. 2. Paraquat was metabolized by dog trachea epithelial cells under anaerobiosis to the paraquat free radical, some of which diffused into the extracellular milieu. With the addition of oxygen, superoxide was spin-trapped both intra- and extracellularly. 3. When menadione was metabolized by epithelial cells, superoxide was spin-trapped within the cell and in the surrounding media. However, in this case, extracellular superoxide arose as the result of the disproportionation reaction of menadione and menadiol, resulting from DT-diaphorase reduction of menadione followed by diffusion into extracellular space, to give the menadione semiquinone. Reduction of oxygen resulted in formation of superoxide. 4. For nitrazepam, only intracellular superoxide was generated, resulting from the one-electron reduction of this drug to its corresponding nitro anion free radical. Reaction with oxygen produced superoxide.

Detection of superoxide generated by endothelial cells.

Superoxide and lipid free-radical generation in cultured endothelial cells treated with menadione or nitrazepam were measured using electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy. Superoxide was detected both intracellularly and extracellularly. Extracellular generation of superoxide and hydrogen peroxide was also measured, either by spectrophotometric measurement of succinoylated cytochrome c reduction or by polarography. Extracellular superoxide was generated due to reduced menadione diffusing across the plasma membrane and reacting with oxygen to generate superoxide in the medium. Increased intracellular oxygen tension favored intracellular oxidation of reduced menadione, thus decreasing diffusion of reduced menadione from the cells and, hence, decreasing extracellular superoxide production. The nitro anion free radical of reduced nitrazepam, which cannot cross the plasma membrane, did not generate detectable extracellular superoxide. Our results show that intracellular superoxide can be spin-trapped using 5,5-dimethyl-1-pyrroline-1-oxide and that secondary free-radical injury to membrane lipids, due to excess production of partially reduced species of oxygen by intact cells, can be detected by spin-trapping lipid free radicals with phenyl N-tert-butylnitrone.

No detectable reaction of the anion radical metabolite of nitrofurans with reduced glutathione or macromolecules

The initial metabolite formed by most mammalian nitroreductases is the nitro anion free radical. We, as well as others, have proposed that nitroheterocyclic anion radicals covalently bind to protein, DNA, or thiol compounds such as reduced glutathione (GSH). Our results indicate that even at 100 mM GSH does not affect the steady-state concentration of the nitro anion free radical of N-[4-(5-nitro-2-furyl)-2-thiazolyl]acetamide (NFTA) in rat hepatic microsomal or xanthine oxidase incubations. The steady-state ESR amplitude of the anion radical is also unchanged by the addition of BSA or DNA. Similar results are obtained with nitrofurazone and nitrofurantoin. The reactive chemical species which binds to tissue macromolecules and GSH upon the reduction of nitrofurans remains unknown, but the anion free radical metabolite can be excluded from consideration.

Not all aromatic nitro compounds form free radicals

One-electron reduction of the aromatic nitro-containing drug, clonazepam, by rat hepatic microsomes was found to produce a nitro anion radical which was observable by electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectrometry under anaerobic conditions. It was determined that NADPH-cytochrome P-450 reductase may be the enzyme responsible for this reduction and that this free radical reacts rapidly with oxygen to produce Superoxide. The vasodilator nifedipine, another aromatic nitro-containing drug, was found not to be reduced by rat hepatic microsomes to a free radical nor to stimulate Superoxide production. Based on a series of experiments, we propose that the inability of nifedipine to be bioreduced to its nitro anion free radical is the result of geometric restrictions which prevent the transfer of an electron from cytochrome P-450 reductase to nifedipine.

Production of superoxide during the metabolism of nitrazepam.

Nitrazepam is metabolized in both humans and rats to 7-amino-nitrazepam OFFicating that this drug is reduced to a number of metabolic intermediates including several free radical species. When rat-hepatic microsomes are incubated with NADPH in the presence of nitrazepam, its nitro anion free radical was observed under anaerobic conditions. In the presence of oxygen, this free radical reduced oxygen giving nitrazepam and superoxide. 7-Nitroxyl-nitrazepam was produced by the chemical oxidation of 7-amino-nitrazepam using m-chloroperbenzoic acid. Reaction of this reactive free radical with hepatic microsomes led to the covalent spin labelling of microsomal protein. This phenomenon was also observed by the enzymic oxidation of 7-amino-nitrazepam with hepatic microsomes, obtained from a phenobarbital-induced rat, in the presence of a NADPH-generating system. With the generation of superoxide and hydrogen peroxide (arising from the dismutation of superoxide), it is not surprising that nitrazepam-enhanced lipid peroxidation was demonstrated by monitoring the production of lipid peroxyl radicals using spin-trapping techniques.

Metabolic activation of oxygen by nitrofurantoin in the young chick

Anaerobic incubations containing nitrofurantoin, and NADPH-generating system, and chick hepatic microsomes produced an electron spin resonance spectrum identified as the nitro anion free radical. Aerobically, nitrofurantoin markedly stimulated oxygen consumption, superoxide formation, and NADPH oxidation in hepatic microsomal preparations from control and selenium-deficient chicks. The nitrofurantoin-stimulated oxidation of NADPH was inhibited by superoxide dismutase (SOD). The superoxide-dependent oxidation of NADPH did not appear to be mediated by an NADP • radical, as has been shown for lactate dehydrogenase. Further, the aerobic metabolism of the nitro drug was also affected by SOD, suggesting the existence of a previously unreported metabolic pathway for nitrofurantoin. These studies support the growing body of evidence which suggests that nitrofurantoin toxicity is mediated, at least in part, by the metabolic activation of oxygen by the nitro aromatic anion radical. Further, these data suggest that superoxide may be involved in the oxidative metabolism of the aromatic nitro compounds.

Mechanism of reduction of nitrofurantoin on liver microsomes

Summary Reduction of the nitro-group of nitrofurantoin /N-[5-Nitro-2-furfuryliden-] 1-aminohydantoin/ on liver microsomes is supported both by NADPH and NADH. The site of interaction of nitrofurantoin with microsomes appears to be on two flavoproteins, NADPH-cytochrome P450 reductase and NADH-cytochrome b5 reductase; interaction with the former enzyme is much stronger then with the later. Cytochromes P450 and b5 are not the sites of nitro-reduction. Aerobic and anaerobic fate of nitro-group is different. Under aerobic conditions, nitrofurantoin serves as a cyclic catalyst for the HAD/P/H-supported reduction of molecular oxygen to water; it becomes only catalytically reduced to nitro-anion free radical. Under anaerobic conditions, nitrofurantoin is permanently reduced by NAD/P/H; we were able to identify two successive reduction products of nitro-group, nitroso- and hydroxylamine-group. Normal redox potential of the nitro/nitroso redox couple is approx. O.O Volts. Under physiological conditions, nitrofurantoin, in addition to its transformations into stable reduction products, has a substantial draining effect on the HADPH-, NADH- and O2-pool in liver cells. A stronger cytotoxicity of nitrofurantoin should be expected under aerobic, compared to anaerobic conditions.

Oxygen-sensitive and -insensitive nitroreduction by Escherichia coli and rat hepatic microsomes.

Nitrofurazone is shown to undergo an initial 1-electron (oxygen-sensitive) or 2- or more electron (oxygen-insensitive) reduction by partially purified nitroreductases from Escherichia coli. Nitrofurazone (50 micronM) is reduced by the oxygen-sensitive reductase to a nitro anion free radical as indicated by ESR and visible spectroscopy. The visible spectrum of the nitro anion free radical is characterized by an increase in absorption at 406 nm. In the presence of the oxygen-sensitive reductase, nitrofurazone stimulates superoxide formation and oxygen consumption. This enzyme gives a steady state radical concentration which is proportional to the square root of the enzyme concentration, suggesting that the nitrofurazone anion radical is an obligate intermediate in the reduction and that the radical decays by a nonenzymatic second order process. The oxygen-insensitive reductase does not form the nitro anion free radical nor in the presence of nitrofurazone does it stimulate oxygen consumption. Visible spectroscopy shows that nitrofurazone is reduced by the oxygen-sensitive reductase to a species with an absorption maximum at 335 nm, which has been previously identified as the amine. The oxygen-insensitive reductase reduces nitrofurazone to a previously identified cyano derivative with an absorption maximum at 280 nm. Rat hepatic microsomes appear to metabolize nitrofurazone in a manner similar to the oxygen-sensitive E. coli reductase.