title: Xanthine oxidase activity in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid from patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
abstract: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a serious respiratory pathology characterized by irreversible limitation of expiratory flow and includes chronic obstructive bronchitis, chronic airflow limitation, and emphysema. To determine whether xanthine oxidase activity increased in the airspaces of COPD patients, we examined bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BAL) from COPD patients recruited during a 2-year clinical study. Filtered BAL supernatant from COPD patients and healthy nonsmoking controls was examined by fluorometric analysis of DNA unwinding (FADU) and spectrophotometric assays (cytochrome c reduction kinetics and uric acid kinetics). Compared to controls, filtered BAL supernatant of subjects with COPD exhibited a detectable clastogenic activity probably related to superoxide production. The method of BAL preparation as an acellular system strongly suggests that superoxide production may be due to xanthine oxidase activity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology (Evolutionary Biology Branch), University of Ferrara, Italy.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pinamonti
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Muzzoli
authors.forename: M C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Chicca
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Papi
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ravenna
authors.forename: L M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Fabbri
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ciaccia
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001992:Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid / Q000737:chemistry*; D003574:Cytochrome c Group / Q000378:metabolism; D004247:DNA / Q000032:analysis; D004249:DNA Damage; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007700:Kinetics; D008173:Lung Diseases, Obstructive / Q000201:enzymology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009153:Mutagens / Q000032:analysis; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D013050:Spectrometry, Fluorescence; D013481:Superoxides / Q000378:metabolism; D014527:Uric Acid / Q000378:metabolism; D014969:Xanthine Oxidase / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D003574:Cytochrome c Group; D009153:Mutagens; D013481:Superoxides; D014527:Uric Acid; D004247:DNA; D014969:Xanthine Oxidase