Mechanisms of chemiluminescent reaction between peroxynitrite and carbonyl metabolites

Author(s)

Leandro de Oliveira Royer

• Document type: Master's Dissertation
• Press: São Paulo.
• Institution: Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Conjunto das Químicas (IQ e FCF) (CQ/DBDCQ)
• Defense date: 2003-08-05

Examining board members

Etelvino Jose Henriques Bechara; Paolo Di Mascio; Marcelo Ganzarolli de Oliveira

• Advisor: Etelvino Jose Henriques Bechara

Abstract

Peroxynitrite displays an ample repertoire of chemical reactions -one- and two-electron oxidations, nucleophilic addition, nitration, nitrosation, hydroxylation, and singlet oxygen generation conferring it cell toxicity and signalling properties. Carbonyl compounds were shown by EPR spin-trapping to suffer one-electron abstraction by peroxynitrite, which is followed by oxygen consumption and chemiluminescence; e.g., isobutyraldehyde (IBAL), acetoacetone (AA), 3-methylacetoacetone (MAA), ethyl acetoacetate (EAA), ethyl 2-methylacetoacetate (EMAA) and succinylacetone (SA). Light emission probably arises from triplet species formed by the thermolysis of dioxetane intermediates. The pH profiles traced for oxygen uptake ·and chemiluminescence in phosphate buffer point to peroxynitrite anion as the oxidant and enolized carbonyls as the actual substrates. Product analysis suggests that a chain reaction occurs in the presence of oxygen. These reactions may play important biological roles considering that (i) carbonyl compounds are ubiquitous in biological systems under physiological and pathological conditions; (ii) peroxynitrite has been implicated in cell toxicity and signalling; (iii) triplet carbonyls may be viewed as alkoxyl radicals and, therefore, play a deleterious role in biomolecules. (AU)