title: Characterization of the superoxide anion radical scavenging activity by tetracycline antibiotics in aprotic media.
abstract: The tetracycline family antibiotics are widely used as human and veterinary treatments. The drugs are effective as antibiotics and also show antimicrobial and non-microbial action. However, the antioxidant properties of tetracyclines have not been characterized in aprotic media. To better understand their biological functions, the in vitro superoxide anion radical (O2•¯) scavenging activities of tetracycline, chlortetracycline, oxytetracycline, doxycycline and methacycline were characterized, along with a very efficient O2•¯ scavenger, tiron, in dimethyl sulphoxide (DMSO), using ultra-weak chemiluminescence (CL). We found that tetracycline, chlortetracycline and doxycycline efficiently inhibited CL from the O2•¯-generating system at concentration levels of 0.02-1.0 mmol/L. Methacycline and oxytetracycline were the O2•¯ scavengers at concentration levels of 0.01-0.1 mmol/L, whereas when their concentration was lowered the drugs were capable of generating O2•¯, leading to CL enhancement. For all the data obtained in this study, the scavenging activity for the compounds tested decreased in the following order: tetracycline > doxycycline > chlortetracycline > tiron methacycline > oxytetracycline. These results indicate that the tetracycline drugs directly alter O2•¯ redox chemistry in aprotic media.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical History and Ethics, Pomeranian Medical University of Szczecin, ul. Rybacka 1, 70-204, Szczecin, Poland.
authors.forename: Aleksandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kładna
authors.forename: Irena
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Kruk
authors.forename: Teresa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Michalska
authors.forename: Paweł
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Berczyński
authors.forename: Hassan Y
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Aboul-Enein
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000737:chemistry*; D016166:Free Radical Scavengers / Q000737:chemistry*; D013481:Superoxides / Q000737:chemistry*; D013754:Tetracyclines / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D016166:Free Radical Scavengers; D013754:Tetracyclines; D013481:Superoxides