title: Free-radical repair by a novel perthiol: reversible hydrogen transfer and perthiyl radical formation.
abstract: 2-(3-Aminopropyl-amino) ethaneperthiol (RSSH, the perthiol analogue of the thiol radioprotector, WR-1065) reacts with the alpha-hydroxy alkyl radical (CH3)2C.OH by donating a hydrogen atom as indicated by the characterization of perthiyl radicals (RSS.; lambda max approximately 374 nm, epsilon 374 approximately 1680 +/- 20 dm3 mol-1 cm-1) by pulse radiolysis. The perthiyl radical abstracts a hydrogen from the alcohol to establish a reversible hydrogen-transfer equilibrium. This equilibrium lies predominantly on the side of radical repair since the rate constants for the forward and reverse reactions at pH 4 are: kappa(RSSH+(CH3)2C.OH) = (2.4 +/- 0.1) x 10(9) dm3 mol-1 s-1 and kappa(RSS.+(CH3)2CHOH) = (3.8 +/- 0.3) x 10(3) dm3 mol-1 s-1 respectively. The pKa (RSSH<-->RSS(-)+H+) = 6.2 +/- 0.1 was determined from the pH dependence of the rate of perthiol repair. Identical experiments have been performed with WR-1065 allowing a direct comparison of free-radical repair reactivity to be made with the parthiol analogue. At pH approximately 7.4 the reactivities of the thiol and perthiol were similar, both repairing the alcohol radical with a rate constant of approximately (2.4 +/- 0.1) x 10(8) dm3 mol-1 s-1. However, at pH 5 whilst the hydrogen-donation rate of the thiol was 15-20% higher than at pH 7.4, the perthiol reactivity was over an order of magnitude higher. The thermodynamic driving force for the observed enhanced free-radical repair reactivity of RSSH compared to RSH is attributed to the resonance stabilization energy of 8.8 kJ mol-1 within the RSS. radical. These results indicate a possible application of RSSH/RSS- as DNA-targeted antioxidants or chemoprotectors.
authors.affiliation: Cancer Research Campaign Gray Laboratory, Mount Vernon Hospital, Northwood, Middlesex, UK.
authors.forename: S A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Everett
authors.forename: L K
authors.initials: LK
authors.lastname: Folkes
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Wardman
authors.forename: K D
authors.initials: KD
authors.lastname: Asmus
mesh_terms: D005609:Free Radicals; D006859:Hydrogen / Q000737:chemistry*; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D008624:Mercaptoethylamines / Q000737:chemistry*; D015394:Molecular Structure; D010269:Paraquat / Q000737:chemistry; D011837:Radiation-Protective Agents / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D005609:Free Radicals; D008624:Mercaptoethylamines; D011837:Radiation-Protective Agents; C020174:N-(2-mercaptoethyl)-1,3-diaminopropane; C089402:2-(3-aminopropylamino)ethaneperthiol; D006859:Hydrogen; D010269:Paraquat