title: Antioxidant activity of diethyldithiocarbamate.
abstract: Diethyldithiocarbamate (DDC), a potent copper chelating agent, has long been used for the treatment of oxygen toxicity to the central nervous system, as an immunomodulator to treat cancer, and in HIV-infected patients. We evaluated the antioxidant properties of DDC, including its scavenging of reactive oxygen species, its reducing properties, its iron-chelating properties, and its protective effects on oxidant-induced damage to brain tissue, protein, human LDL, and DNA. It is found that DDC is a powerful reductant and antioxidant since it scavenges hypochlorous acid, hydroxyl radical and peroxynitrite; it chelates, then oxidizes ferrous ions; it blocks the generation of hydroxyl radicals and inhibits oxidative damage to deoxyribose, protein, DNA, and human LDL. These findings may provide an explanation for the apparent beneficial effects of DDC against oxidative stress-related diseases that have been observed in experimental and clinical studies.
authors.affiliation: Division of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of California, Berkeley 94720, USA.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: M K
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Shigenaga
authors.forename: L J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Yan
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mori
authors.forename: B N
authors.initials: BN
authors.lastname: Ames
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000737:chemistry*; D001923:Brain Chemistry; D004249:DNA Damage; D003855:Deoxyribose / Q000737:chemistry; D004050:Ditiocarb / Q000737:chemistry*; D004578:Electron Spin Resonance Spectroscopy; D016166:Free Radical Scavengers / Q000737:chemistry*; D006801:Humans; D017665:Hydroxyl Radical / Q000737:chemistry; D006997:Hypochlorous Acid / Q000737:chemistry; D007501:Iron / Q000737:chemistry; D008077:Lipoproteins, LDL / Q000737:chemistry; D008981:Molsidomine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000737:chemistry; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D051381:Rats
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D016166:Free Radical Scavengers; D008077:Lipoproteins, LDL; D017665:Hydroxyl Radical; D003855:Deoxyribose; C002385:linsidomine; D006997:Hypochlorous Acid; D004050:Ditiocarb; D008981:Molsidomine; D007501:Iron