title: Superoxide dismutase-like activities of copper(II) complexes tested in serum.
abstract: The superoxide dismutase-like activities of a series of coordination complexes of copper were evaluated and compared to the activities of bovine erythrocyte superoxide dismutase (superoxide: superoxide oxidoreductase, EC 1.15.1.1) in serum using the nitroblue tetrazolium chloride (NBT)-reduction assay and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy. A 40% inhibition was observed for the initial rate of the NBT reduction by superoxide dismutase in serum, but more than 40% inhibition was achieved with CuSO4, Cu(II)-dimethylglyoxime, Cu(II)-3,8-dimethyl-4,7-diazadeca-3,7-dienediamide, Cu2[N,N'-(2-(O-hydroxy-benzhydrylidene)amino)ethyl]2-1,2-ethane dia mine), Cu(II)-(diisopropylsalicylate)2, Cu(II)-(p-bromo-benzoate)2, Cu(II)-(nicotinate)2 and Cu(II)-(1,2-diamino-2-methylpropane)2. The electron paramagnetic resonance technique of spin trapping was used to detect the formation of superoxide (O2-.) and other free radicals in the xanthine-xanthine oxidase system under a variety of conditions. Addition of the spin trapping agent 5,5-dimethylpyrroline 1-oxide (DMPO) to the xanthine-xanthine oxidase system in fetal bovine serum produced the O2-.-spin adduct of DMPO (herein referred to as superoxide spin adduct, DMPO-OOH) as the well known short-lived nitroxyl whose characteristic EPR spectrum was recorded before its rapid decay to undetectable levels. The hydroxyl radical (HO.) adduct of the spin trap DMPO (herein referred to as DMPO-OH) was detected to a very small extent. When CuSO4, or the test complexes of copper, were added to the xanthine-xanthine oxidase system in serum containing the spin trap, the yield of DMPO-OOH was negligible. In addition to their superoxide dismutase-like activity, CuSO4 and the copper complexes also behaved as Fenton-type catalysts as seen by the accumulation of varying amounts of the hydroxyl spin adduct DMPO-OH. Both the Fenton-type catalysis and the superoxide dismutase-like action of these compounds were lost when a chelator such as EDTA was included in the xanthine-xanthine oxidase incubation mixture. Addition of superoxide dismutase instead of the copper compounds to this enzyme system abolished the formation of superoxide adduct DMPO-OOH, and no hydroxyl adduct DMPO-OH was detected. This effect of superoxide dismutase remained unaltered by EDTA.
authors.affiliation: Department of Basic Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of South Carolina, Columbia 29208.
authors.forename: K R
authors.initials: KR
authors.lastname: Huber
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sridhar
authors.forename: E H
authors.initials: EH
authors.lastname: Griffith
authors.forename: E L
authors.initials: EL
authors.lastname: Amma
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Roberts
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle; D003300:Copper / Q000097:blood*; D019327:Copper Sulfate; D003497:Cyclic N-Oxides; D004578:Electron Spin Resonance Spectroscopy; D005609:Free Radicals; D006878:Hydroxides; D017665:Hydroxyl Radical; D009580:Nitroblue Tetrazolium; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D013113:Spin Labels; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase / Q000097:blood*; D013481:Superoxides / Q000097:blood; D019820:Xanthine; D014969:Xanthine Oxidase / Q000378:metabolism; D014970:Xanthines / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D003497:Cyclic N-Oxides; D005609:Free Radicals; D006878:Hydroxides; D013113:Spin Labels; D014970:Xanthines; D013481:Superoxides; D019820:Xanthine; D009580:Nitroblue Tetrazolium; D017665:Hydroxyl Radical; C017245:5,5-dimethyl-1-pyrroline-1-oxide; D003300:Copper; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase; D014969:Xanthine Oxidase; D019327:Copper Sulfate